Adaptive RAG Strategy with Query Classification & Retrieval (Gemini & Qdrant)

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Built by dmr dmr
Created on June 08, 2026

Description

This n8n workflow implements a version of the Adaptive Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework. It recognizes that the best way to retrieve information often depends on the type of question asked. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, this workflow adapts its strategy based on the user's query intent.

🌟 How it Works

Receive Query: Takes a user query as input (along with context like a chat session ID and Vector Store collection ID if used as sub-workflow).
Classify Query: First, the workflow classifies the query into a predefined category. This template uses four examples:
Factual: For specific facts.
Analytical: For deeper explanations or comparisons.
Opinion: For subjective viewpoints.
Contextual: For questions relying on specific background.
Select & Adapt Strategy: Based on the classification, it selects a corresponding strategy to prepare for information retrieval. The example strategies aim to:
Factual: Refine the query for precision.
Analytical: Break the query into sub-questions for broad coverage.
Opinion: Identify different viewpoints to look for.
Contextual: Incorporate implied or user-specific context.
Retrieve Info: Uses the output of the selected strategy to search the specified knowledge base (Qdrant vector store - change as needed) for relevant documents.
Generate Response: Constructs a response using the retrieved documents, guided by a prompt tailored to the original query type.

By adapting the retrieval strategy, this workflow aims to provide more relevant results tailored to the user's intent.

⚙️ Usage & Flexibility

Sub-Workflow:** Designed to be called from other n8n workflows, passing user_query, chat_memory_key, and vector_store_id as inputs.
Chat Testing:** Can also be triggered directly via the n8n Chat interface for easy testing and interaction.
Customizable Framework:** The query categories (Factual, Analytical, etc.) and the associated retrieval strategies are examples. You can modify or replace them entirely to fit your specific domain or requirements.

🛠️ Requirements

Credentials:** You will need API credentials configured in your n8n instance for:
Google Gemini (AI Models)
Qdrant (Vector Store)

Nodes Used (5)

AI Agent
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent
Embeddings Google Gemini
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.embeddingsGoogleGemini
Google Gemini Chat Model
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatGoogleGemini
Qdrant Vector Store
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.vectorStoreQdrant
Simple Memory
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.memoryBufferWindow