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Date: July 21, 2025 We’re launching a big update to Auto search in our API. The new system cannot create useful scores for results. Because of this, we’re removing scores from Auto search.
Scores in Neural search results will remain unchanged and continue to work exactly as before.

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What Changed

Previously, Auto and Neural search types returned relevance scores - a number from 0 to 1 representing similarity between the query and each result. With our new Auto search architecture, we can no longer generate meaningful scores for Auto search results. The search functionality works exactly the same way as it did before - you’ll still get the same high-quality results, just without the score field in the response.

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What This Means for You

  1. Auto search: The score field will no longer be returned in search results
  2. Neural search: Scores continue to work exactly as before with no changes
  3. Migration needed: If your application relies on scores from Auto search, you should migrate as soon as possible

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How to Update Your Code

If you currently use scores from Auto search, here is what you can do:

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Remove Score Dependencies

Python
# Before: Code that depends on scores
result = exa.search("AI startups", type="auto")
sorted_results = sorted(result.results, key=lambda x: x.score, reverse=True)

# After: Use results in the order returned (already optimally ranked)
result = exa.search("AI startups", type="auto")
# Results are already ranked by relevance, no need to sort by score
for item in result.results:
    print(f"Title: {item.title}")

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Response Structure Changes

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Auto Search (New)

{
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Example AI Startup",
      "url": "https://example-startup.com",
      "id": "abc123",
      "publishedDate": "2024-01-15",
      "author": "John Doe"
      // Note: No 'score' field
    }
  ]
}

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Neural Search (Unchanged)

{
  "results": [
    {

      "title": "Example AI Startup", 
      "url": "https://example-startup.com",
      "id": "abc123",
      "publishedDate": "2024-01-15",
      "author": "John Doe"
    }
  ]
}

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Need Help with Migration?

If you have questions about migrating from Auto search scores or need help determining the best search type for your use case, please reach out to hello@exa.ai. We’re here to help ensure a smooth transition.