QueryCommand

Suggest an Edit

Searches an index given an input query.

If you are working with large language models (LLMs) or implementing retrieval augmented generation (RAG) systems, you can use Amazon Kendra's Retrieve  API, which can return longer semantically relevant passages. We recommend using the Retrieve API instead of filing a service limit increase to increase the Query API document excerpt length.

You can configure boosting or relevance tuning at the query level to override boosting at the index level, filter based on document fields/attributes and faceted search, and filter based on the user or their group access to documents. You can also include certain fields in the response that might provide useful additional information.

A query response contains three types of results.

  • Relevant suggested answers. The answers can be either a text excerpt or table excerpt. The answer can be highlighted in the excerpt.

  • Matching FAQs or questions-answer from your FAQ file.

  • Relevant documents. This result type includes an excerpt of the document with the document title. The searched terms can be highlighted in the excerpt.

You can specify that the query return only one type of result using the QueryResultTypeFilter parameter. Each query returns the 100 most relevant results. If you filter result type to only question-answers, a maximum of four results are returned. If you filter result type to only answers, a maximum of three results are returned.

If you're using an Amazon Kendra Gen AI Enterprise Edition index, you can only use ATTRIBUTE_FILTER to filter search results by user context. If you're using an Amazon Kendra Gen AI Enterprise Edition index and you try to use USER_TOKEN to configure user context policy, Amazon Kendra returns a ValidationException error.

Example Syntax

Use a bare-bones client and the command you need to make an API call.

import { KendraClient, QueryCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-kendra"; // ES Modules import
// const { KendraClient, QueryCommand } = require("@aws-sdk/client-kendra"); // CommonJS import
const client = new KendraClient(config);
const input = { // QueryRequest
  IndexId: "STRING_VALUE", // required
  QueryText: "STRING_VALUE",
  AttributeFilter: { // AttributeFilter
    AndAllFilters: [ // AttributeFilterList
      {
        AndAllFilters: [
          "<AttributeFilter>",
        ],
        OrAllFilters: [
          "<AttributeFilter>",
        ],
        NotFilter: "<AttributeFilter>",
        EqualsTo: { // DocumentAttribute
          Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
          Value: { // DocumentAttributeValue
            StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
            StringListValue: [ // DocumentAttributeStringListValue
              "STRING_VALUE",
            ],
            LongValue: Number("long"),
            DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
          },
        },
        ContainsAll: {
          Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
          Value: {
            StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
            StringListValue: [
              "STRING_VALUE",
            ],
            LongValue: Number("long"),
            DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
          },
        },
        ContainsAny: {
          Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
          Value: {
            StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
            StringListValue: [
              "STRING_VALUE",
            ],
            LongValue: Number("long"),
            DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
          },
        },
        GreaterThan: {
          Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
          Value: {
            StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
            StringListValue: [
              "STRING_VALUE",
            ],
            LongValue: Number("long"),
            DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
          },
        },
        GreaterThanOrEquals: {
          Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
          Value: {
            StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
            StringListValue: [
              "STRING_VALUE",
            ],
            LongValue: Number("long"),
            DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
          },
        },
        LessThan: "<DocumentAttribute>",
        LessThanOrEquals: "<DocumentAttribute>",
      },
    ],
    OrAllFilters: [
      "<AttributeFilter>",
    ],
    NotFilter: "<AttributeFilter>",
    EqualsTo: "<DocumentAttribute>",
    ContainsAll: "<DocumentAttribute>",
    ContainsAny: "<DocumentAttribute>",
    GreaterThan: "<DocumentAttribute>",
    GreaterThanOrEquals: "<DocumentAttribute>",
    LessThan: "<DocumentAttribute>",
    LessThanOrEquals: "<DocumentAttribute>",
  },
  Facets: [ // FacetList
    { // Facet
      DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE",
      Facets: [
        {
          DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE",
          Facets: "<FacetList>",
          MaxResults: Number("int"),
        },
      ],
      MaxResults: Number("int"),
    },
  ],
  RequestedDocumentAttributes: [ // DocumentAttributeKeyList
    "STRING_VALUE",
  ],
  QueryResultTypeFilter: "DOCUMENT" || "QUESTION_ANSWER" || "ANSWER",
  DocumentRelevanceOverrideConfigurations: [ // DocumentRelevanceOverrideConfigurationList
    { // DocumentRelevanceConfiguration
      Name: "STRING_VALUE", // required
      Relevance: { // Relevance
        Freshness: true || false,
        Importance: Number("int"),
        Duration: "STRING_VALUE",
        RankOrder: "ASCENDING" || "DESCENDING",
        ValueImportanceMap: { // ValueImportanceMap
          "<keys>": Number("int"),
        },
      },
    },
  ],
  PageNumber: Number("int"),
  PageSize: Number("int"),
  SortingConfiguration: { // SortingConfiguration
    DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE", // required
    SortOrder: "DESC" || "ASC", // required
  },
  SortingConfigurations: [ // SortingConfigurationList
    {
      DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE", // required
      SortOrder: "DESC" || "ASC", // required
    },
  ],
  UserContext: { // UserContext
    Token: "STRING_VALUE",
    UserId: "STRING_VALUE",
    Groups: [ // Groups
      "STRING_VALUE",
    ],
    DataSourceGroups: [ // DataSourceGroups
      { // DataSourceGroup
        GroupId: "STRING_VALUE", // required
        DataSourceId: "STRING_VALUE", // required
      },
    ],
  },
  VisitorId: "STRING_VALUE",
  SpellCorrectionConfiguration: { // SpellCorrectionConfiguration
    IncludeQuerySpellCheckSuggestions: true || false, // required
  },
  CollapseConfiguration: { // CollapseConfiguration
    DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE", // required
    SortingConfigurations: [
      "<SortingConfiguration>",
    ],
    MissingAttributeKeyStrategy: "IGNORE" || "COLLAPSE" || "EXPAND",
    Expand: true || false,
    ExpandConfiguration: { // ExpandConfiguration
      MaxResultItemsToExpand: Number("int"),
      MaxExpandedResultsPerItem: Number("int"),
    },
  },
};
const command = new QueryCommand(input);
const response = await client.send(command);
// { // QueryResult
//   QueryId: "STRING_VALUE",
//   ResultItems: [ // QueryResultItemList
//     { // QueryResultItem
//       Id: "STRING_VALUE",
//       Type: "DOCUMENT" || "QUESTION_ANSWER" || "ANSWER",
//       Format: "TABLE" || "TEXT",
//       AdditionalAttributes: [ // AdditionalResultAttributeList
//         { // AdditionalResultAttribute
//           Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
//           ValueType: "TEXT_WITH_HIGHLIGHTS_VALUE", // required
//           Value: { // AdditionalResultAttributeValue
//             TextWithHighlightsValue: { // TextWithHighlights
//               Text: "STRING_VALUE",
//               Highlights: [ // HighlightList
//                 { // Highlight
//                   BeginOffset: Number("int"), // required
//                   EndOffset: Number("int"), // required
//                   TopAnswer: true || false,
//                   Type: "STANDARD" || "THESAURUS_SYNONYM",
//                 },
//               ],
//             },
//           },
//         },
//       ],
//       DocumentId: "STRING_VALUE",
//       DocumentTitle: {
//         Text: "STRING_VALUE",
//         Highlights: [
//           {
//             BeginOffset: Number("int"), // required
//             EndOffset: Number("int"), // required
//             TopAnswer: true || false,
//             Type: "STANDARD" || "THESAURUS_SYNONYM",
//           },
//         ],
//       },
//       DocumentExcerpt: {
//         Text: "STRING_VALUE",
//         Highlights: [
//           {
//             BeginOffset: Number("int"), // required
//             EndOffset: Number("int"), // required
//             TopAnswer: true || false,
//             Type: "STANDARD" || "THESAURUS_SYNONYM",
//           },
//         ],
//       },
//       DocumentURI: "STRING_VALUE",
//       DocumentAttributes: [ // DocumentAttributeList
//         { // DocumentAttribute
//           Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
//           Value: { // DocumentAttributeValue
//             StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
//             StringListValue: [ // DocumentAttributeStringListValue
//               "STRING_VALUE",
//             ],
//             LongValue: Number("long"),
//             DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
//           },
//         },
//       ],
//       ScoreAttributes: { // ScoreAttributes
//         ScoreConfidence: "VERY_HIGH" || "HIGH" || "MEDIUM" || "LOW" || "NOT_AVAILABLE",
//       },
//       FeedbackToken: "STRING_VALUE",
//       TableExcerpt: { // TableExcerpt
//         Rows: [ // TableRowList
//           { // TableRow
//             Cells: [ // TableCellList
//               { // TableCell
//                 Value: "STRING_VALUE",
//                 TopAnswer: true || false,
//                 Highlighted: true || false,
//                 Header: true || false,
//               },
//             ],
//           },
//         ],
//         TotalNumberOfRows: Number("int"),
//       },
//       CollapsedResultDetail: { // CollapsedResultDetail
//         DocumentAttribute: {
//           Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
//           Value: {
//             StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
//             StringListValue: [
//               "STRING_VALUE",
//             ],
//             LongValue: Number("long"),
//             DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
//           },
//         },
//         ExpandedResults: [ // ExpandedResultList
//           { // ExpandedResultItem
//             Id: "STRING_VALUE",
//             DocumentId: "STRING_VALUE",
//             DocumentTitle: {
//               Text: "STRING_VALUE",
//               Highlights: [
//                 {
//                   BeginOffset: Number("int"), // required
//                   EndOffset: Number("int"), // required
//                   TopAnswer: true || false,
//                   Type: "STANDARD" || "THESAURUS_SYNONYM",
//                 },
//               ],
//             },
//             DocumentExcerpt: {
//               Text: "STRING_VALUE",
//               Highlights: [
//                 {
//                   BeginOffset: Number("int"), // required
//                   EndOffset: Number("int"), // required
//                   TopAnswer: true || false,
//                   Type: "STANDARD" || "THESAURUS_SYNONYM",
//                 },
//               ],
//             },
//             DocumentURI: "STRING_VALUE",
//             DocumentAttributes: [
//               {
//                 Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
//                 Value: {
//                   StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
//                   StringListValue: [
//                     "STRING_VALUE",
//                   ],
//                   LongValue: Number("long"),
//                   DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
//                 },
//               },
//             ],
//           },
//         ],
//       },
//     },
//   ],
//   FacetResults: [ // FacetResultList
//     { // FacetResult
//       DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE",
//       DocumentAttributeValueType: "STRING_VALUE" || "STRING_LIST_VALUE" || "LONG_VALUE" || "DATE_VALUE",
//       DocumentAttributeValueCountPairs: [ // DocumentAttributeValueCountPairList
//         { // DocumentAttributeValueCountPair
//           DocumentAttributeValue: {
//             StringValue: "STRING_VALUE",
//             StringListValue: [
//               "STRING_VALUE",
//             ],
//             LongValue: Number("long"),
//             DateValue: new Date("TIMESTAMP"),
//           },
//           Count: Number("int"),
//           FacetResults: [
//             {
//               DocumentAttributeKey: "STRING_VALUE",
//               DocumentAttributeValueType: "STRING_VALUE" || "STRING_LIST_VALUE" || "LONG_VALUE" || "DATE_VALUE",
//               DocumentAttributeValueCountPairs: [
//                 {
//                   DocumentAttributeValue: "<DocumentAttributeValue>",
//                   Count: Number("int"),
//                   FacetResults: "<FacetResultList>",
//                 },
//               ],
//             },
//           ],
//         },
//       ],
//     },
//   ],
//   TotalNumberOfResults: Number("int"),
//   Warnings: [ // WarningList
//     { // Warning
//       Message: "STRING_VALUE",
//       Code: "QUERY_LANGUAGE_INVALID_SYNTAX",
//     },
//   ],
//   SpellCorrectedQueries: [ // SpellCorrectedQueryList
//     { // SpellCorrectedQuery
//       SuggestedQueryText: "STRING_VALUE",
//       Corrections: [ // CorrectionList
//         { // Correction
//           BeginOffset: Number("int"),
//           EndOffset: Number("int"),
//           Term: "STRING_VALUE",
//           CorrectedTerm: "STRING_VALUE",
//         },
//       ],
//     },
//   ],
//   FeaturedResultsItems: [ // FeaturedResultsItemList
//     { // FeaturedResultsItem
//       Id: "STRING_VALUE",
//       Type: "DOCUMENT" || "QUESTION_ANSWER" || "ANSWER",
//       AdditionalAttributes: [
//         {
//           Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
//           ValueType: "TEXT_WITH_HIGHLIGHTS_VALUE", // required
//           Value: {
//             TextWithHighlightsValue: "<TextWithHighlights>",
//           },
//         },
//       ],
//       DocumentId: "STRING_VALUE",
//       DocumentTitle: "<TextWithHighlights>",
//       DocumentExcerpt: "<TextWithHighlights>",
//       DocumentURI: "STRING_VALUE",
//       DocumentAttributes: [
//         {
//           Key: "STRING_VALUE", // required
//           Value: "<DocumentAttributeValue>", // required
//         },
//       ],
//       FeedbackToken: "STRING_VALUE",
//     },
//   ],
// };

QueryCommand Input

See QueryCommandInput for more details

Parameter
Type
Description
IndexId
Required
string | undefined

The identifier of the index for the search.

AttributeFilter
AttributeFilter | undefined

Filters search results by document fields/attributes. You can only provide one attribute filter; however, the AndAllFilters, NotFilter, and OrAllFilters parameters contain a list of other filters.

The AttributeFilter parameter means you can create a set of filtering rules that a document must satisfy to be included in the query results.

For Amazon Kendra Gen AI Enterprise Edition indices use AttributeFilter to enable document filtering for end users using _email_id or include public documents (_email_id=null).

CollapseConfiguration
CollapseConfiguration | undefined

Provides configuration to determine how to group results by document attribute value, and how to display them (collapsed or expanded) under a designated primary document for each group.

DocumentRelevanceOverrideConfigurations
DocumentRelevanceConfiguration[] | undefined

Overrides relevance tuning configurations of fields/attributes set at the index level.

If you use this API to override the relevance tuning configured at the index level, but there is no relevance tuning configured at the index level, then Amazon Kendra does not apply any relevance tuning.

If there is relevance tuning configured for fields at the index level, and you use this API to override only some of these fields, then for the fields you did not override, the importance is set to 1.

Facets
Facet[] | undefined

An array of documents fields/attributes for faceted search. Amazon Kendra returns a count for each field key specified. This helps your users narrow their search.

PageNumber
number | undefined

Query results are returned in pages the size of the PageSize parameter. By default, Amazon Kendra returns the first page of results. Use this parameter to get result pages after the first one.

PageSize
number | undefined

Sets the number of results that are returned in each page of results. The default page size is 10. The maximum number of results returned is 100. If you ask for more than 100 results, only 100 are returned.

QueryResultTypeFilter
QueryResultType | undefined

Sets the type of query result or response. Only results for the specified type are returned.

QueryText
string | undefined

The input query text for the search. Amazon Kendra truncates queries at 30 token words, which excludes punctuation and stop words. Truncation still applies if you use Boolean or more advanced, complex queries. For example, Timeoff AND October AND Category:HR is counted as 3 tokens: timeoff, october, hr. For more information, see Searching with advanced query syntax  in the Amazon Kendra Developer Guide.

RequestedDocumentAttributes
string[] | undefined

An array of document fields/attributes to include in the response. You can limit the response to include certain document fields. By default, all document attributes are included in the response.

SortingConfiguration
SortingConfiguration | undefined

Provides information that determines how the results of the query are sorted. You can set the field that Amazon Kendra should sort the results on, and specify whether the results should be sorted in ascending or descending order. In the case of ties in sorting the results, the results are sorted by relevance.

If you don't provide sorting configuration, the results are sorted by the relevance that Amazon Kendra determines for the result.

SortingConfigurations
SortingConfiguration[] | undefined

Provides configuration information to determine how the results of a query are sorted.

You can set upto 3 fields that Amazon Kendra should sort the results on, and specify whether the results should be sorted in ascending or descending order. The sort field quota can be increased.

If you don't provide a sorting configuration, the results are sorted by the relevance that Amazon Kendra determines for the result. In the case of ties in sorting the results, the results are sorted by relevance.

SpellCorrectionConfiguration
SpellCorrectionConfiguration | undefined

Enables suggested spell corrections for queries.

UserContext
UserContext | undefined

The user context token or user and group information.

VisitorId
string | undefined

Provides an identifier for a specific user. The VisitorId should be a unique identifier, such as a GUID. Don't use personally identifiable information, such as the user's email address, as the VisitorId.

QueryCommand Output

See QueryCommandOutput for details

Parameter
Type
Description
$metadata
Required
ResponseMetadata
Metadata pertaining to this request.
FacetResults
FacetResult[] | undefined

Contains the facet results. A FacetResult contains the counts for each field/attribute key that was specified in the Facets input parameter.

FeaturedResultsItems
FeaturedResultsItem[] | undefined

The list of featured result items. Featured results are displayed at the top of the search results page, placed above all other results for certain queries. If there's an exact match of a query, then certain documents are featured in the search results.

QueryId
string | undefined

The identifier for the search. You also use QueryId to identify the search when using the SubmitFeedback  API.

ResultItems
QueryResultItem[] | undefined

The results of the search.

SpellCorrectedQueries
SpellCorrectedQuery[] | undefined

A list of information related to suggested spell corrections for a query.

TotalNumberOfResults
number | undefined

The total number of items found by the search. However, you can only retrieve up to 100 items. For example, if the search found 192 items, you can only retrieve the first 100 of the items.

Warnings
Warning[] | undefined

A list of warning codes and their messages on problems with your query.

Amazon Kendra currently only supports one type of warning, which is a warning on invalid syntax used in the query. For examples of invalid query syntax, see Searching with advanced query syntax .

Throws

Name
Fault
Details
AccessDeniedException
client

You don't have sufficient access to perform this action. Please ensure you have the required permission policies and user accounts and try again.

ConflictException
client

A conflict occurred with the request. Please fix any inconsistences with your resources and try again.

InternalServerException
server

An issue occurred with the internal server used for your Amazon Kendra service. Please wait a few minutes and try again, or contact Support  for help.

ResourceNotFoundException
client

The resource you want to use doesn’t exist. Please check you have provided the correct resource and try again.

ServiceQuotaExceededException
client

You have exceeded the set limits for your Amazon Kendra service. Please see Quotas  for more information, or contact Support  to inquire about an increase of limits.

ThrottlingException
client

The request was denied due to request throttling. Please reduce the number of requests and try again.

ValidationException
client

The input fails to satisfy the constraints set by the Amazon Kendra service. Please provide the correct input and try again.

KendraServiceException
Base exception class for all service exceptions from Kendra service.