[HN]score: 0.20

Grep vs. RAG in Agentic Search: Empirical Comparison

June 9, 2026

Empirical study compares grep-based retrieval against RAG strategies across different agent architectures and tool-calling paradigms, examining how tool output presentation and irrelevant context affect performance in agent loops. The paper addresses a practical gap in understanding which retrieval strategy to use when building agentic search systems.

HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU

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builderWorth watching because the findings could inform which retrieval strategy to wire into your agent loop without over-engineering toward RAG.

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researcherProvides a systematic benchmark comparing grep and RAG under varied agent harness conditions, filling a gap in controlled agentic retrieval evaluation.

read original ↗arxiv.org

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