Create a knowledge base in Azure AI Search

// Create a knowledge base
using Azure.Search.Documents.Indexes;
using Azure.Search.Documents.Indexes.Models;
using Azure.Search.Documents.KnowledgeBases.Models;
using Azure.Identity;

var indexClient = new SearchIndexClient(new Uri(searchEndpoint), new DefaultAzureCredential());

var aoaiParams = new AzureAIservicesVectorizerParameters
{
    ResourceUri = new Uri(aoaiEndpoint),
    DeploymentName = aoaiGptDeployment,
    ModelName = aoaiGptModel,
};

var knowledgeBase = new KnowledgeBase(
    name: "my-kb",
    knowledgeSources: new KnowledgeSourceReference[]
    {
        new KnowledgeSourceReference("hotels-ks"),
        new KnowledgeSourceReference("earth-at-night-ks")
    }
)
{
    Description = "This knowledge base handles questions directed at two unrelated sample indexes.",
    RetrievalInstructions = "Use the hotels knowledge source for queries about where to stay, otherwise use the earth at night knowledge source.",
    AnswerInstructions = "Answer in two concise sentences.",
    OutputMode = KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode.AnswerSynthesis,
    Models = { new KnowledgeBaseAzureAIservicesModel(AzureAIservicesParameters: aoaiParams) },
    RetrievalReasoningEffort = new KnowledgeRetrievalLowReasoningEffort()
};

await indexClient.CreateOrUpdateKnowledgeBaseAsync(knowledgeBase);
Console.WriteLine($"Knowledge base '{knowledgeBase.Name}' created or updated successfully.");

Reference: SearchIndexClient, KnowledgeBase

// Create a knowledge base
using Azure.Search.Documents.Indexes;
using Azure.Search.Documents.Indexes.Models;
using Azure.Identity;

var indexClient = new SearchIndexClient(new Uri(searchEndpoint), new DefaultAzureCredential());

var knowledgeBase = new KnowledgeBase(
    name: "my-kb",
    knowledgeSources: new KnowledgeSourceReference[]
    {
        new KnowledgeSourceReference("hotels-ks"),
        new KnowledgeSourceReference("earth-at-night-ks")
    }
)
{
    Description = "This knowledge base handles questions directed at two unrelated sample indexes."
};

await indexClient.CreateOrUpdateKnowledgeBaseAsync(knowledgeBase);
Console.WriteLine($"Knowledge base '{knowledgeBase.Name}' created or updated successfully.");

Reference: SearchIndexClient, KnowledgeBase

# Create a knowledge base
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import (
    KnowledgeBase,
    KnowledgeSourceReference,
)
from azure.search.documents.knowledgebases.models import (
    KnowledgeRetrievalAutoReasoningEffort,
    KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode,
)

index_client = SearchIndexClient(endpoint = "<search-endpoint>", credential = DefaultAzureCredential())

aoai_params = AzureAIservicesVectorizerParameters(
    resource_url = "<aoai-endpoint>",
    deployment_name = "<aoai-gpt-deployment>",
    model_name = "<aoai-gpt-model>",
)

knowledge_base = KnowledgeBase(
    name = "my-kb",
    description = "This knowledge base handles questions directed at two unrelated sample indexes.",
    retrieval_instructions = "Use the hotels knowledge source for queries about where to stay, otherwise use the earth at night knowledge source.",
    answer_instructions = "Answer in two concise sentences.",
    output_mode = KnowledgeRetrievalOutputMode.ANSWER_SYNTHESIS,
    knowledge_sources = [
        KnowledgeSourceReference(name = "hotels-ks"),
        KnowledgeSourceReference(name = "earth-at-night-ks"),
    ],
    models = [KnowledgeBaseAzureAIservicesModel(azure_open_ai_parameters = aoai_params)],
    encryption_key = None,
    retrieval_reasoning_effort = KnowledgeRetrievalAutoReasoningEffort(),
)

index_client.create_or_update_knowledge_base(knowledge_base)
print(f"Knowledge base '{knowledge_base.name}' created or updated successfully.")

Reference: SearchIndexClient, KnowledgeBase

# Create a knowledge base
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.search.documents.indexes import SearchIndexClient
from azure.search.documents.indexes.models import KnowledgeBase, KnowledgeSourceReference

index_client = SearchIndexClient(endpoint = "<search-endpoint>", credential = DefaultAzureCredential())

knowledge_base = KnowledgeBase(
    name = "my-kb",
    description = "This knowledge base handles questions directed at two unrelated sample indexes.",
    knowledge_sources = [
        KnowledgeSourceReference(name = "hotels-ks"),
        KnowledgeSourceReference(name = "earth-at-night-ks"),
    ],
    encryption_key = None,
)

index_client.create_or_update_knowledge_base(knowledge_base)
print(f"Knowledge base '{knowledge_base.name}' created or updated successfully.")

Reference: SearchIndexClient, KnowledgeBase

# Create a knowledge base
PUT {{search-endpoint}}/knowledgebases/my-kb?api-version=2026-08-01-preview
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {{search-access-token}}

{
    "name" : "my-kb",
    "description": "This knowledge base handles questions directed at two unrelated sample indexes.",
    "retrievalInstructions": "Use the hotels knowledge source for queries about where to stay, otherwise use the earth at night knowledge source.",
    "answerInstructions": "Answer in two concise sentences.",
    "outputMode": "answerSynthesis",
    "knowledgeSources": [
        {
            "name": "hotels-ks"
        },
        {
            "name": "earth-at-night-ks"
        }
    ],
    "models" : [ 
        {
            "kind": "AzureAIservices",
            "AzureAIservicesParameters": {
                "resourceUri": "{{model-provider-url}}",
                "apiKey": "{{model-api-key}}",
                "deploymentId": "gpt-5.4-mini",
                "modelName": "gpt-5.4-mini"
            }
        }
    ],
    "encryptionKey": null,
    "retrievalReasoningEffort": {
        "kind": "auto"
    }
}

Reference: Knowledge Bases - Create or Update

# Create a knowledge base
PUT {{search-endpoint}}/knowledgebases/my-kb?api-version=2026-04-01
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {{search-access-token}}

{
    "name" : "my-kb",
    "description": "This knowledge base handles questions directed at two unrelated sample indexes.",
    "knowledgeSources": [
        {
            "name": "hotels-ks"
        },
        {
            "name": "earth-at-night-ks"
        }
    ],
    "encryptionKey": null
}

Reference: Knowledge Bases - Create or Update