LlamaIndex 0.12+ for RAG and agent applications. Covers Document/Node model, IngestionPipeline, NodeParser variants, VectorStoreIndex, query engines, sub-question decomposition, router engines, Property Graph Index, LlamaParse integration, and observability callbacks. USE WHEN: user mentions "LlamaIndex", "llama_index", "VectorStoreIndex", "IngestionPipeline", "PropertyGraphIndex", "LlamaParse", "SubQuestionQueryEngine" DO NOT USE FOR: LangChain specifics - use `langchain`; RAG architecture...
Scanned 9/8/2026
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---
name: llamaindex
description: |
LlamaIndex 0.12+ for RAG and agent applications. Covers Document/Node model,
IngestionPipeline, NodeParser variants, VectorStoreIndex, query engines,
sub-question decomposition, router engines, Property Graph Index, LlamaParse
integration, and observability callbacks.
USE WHEN: user mentions "LlamaIndex", "llama_index", "VectorStoreIndex",
"IngestionPipeline", "PropertyGraphIndex", "LlamaParse", "SubQuestionQueryEngine"
DO NOT USE FOR: LangChain specifics - use `langchain`;
RAG architecture theory - use `rag-patterns`;
DSPy compiler workflows - use `dspy`
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Write, Edit
---
# LlamaIndex
## Installation
```bash
pip install llama-index # meta package
pip install llama-index-llms-anthropic
pip install llama-index-embeddings-openai
pip install llama-index-vector-stores-chroma
pip install llama-parse
```
## Global Settings
```python
from llama_index.core import Settings
from llama_index.llms.anthropic import Anthropic
from llama_index.embeddings.openai import OpenAIEmbedding
Settings.llm = Anthropic(model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514")
Settings.embed_model = OpenAIEmbedding(model="text-embedding-3-small")
Settings.chunk_size = 1024
Settings.chunk_overlap = 200
```
## Documents and Nodes
```python
from llama_index.core import Document
from llama_index.core.schema import TextNode, NodeRelationship, RelatedNodeInfo
doc = Document(
text="...",
metadata={"source": "manual.pdf", "page": 3},
excluded_embed_metadata_keys=["source"], # keep out of embedding input
excluded_llm_metadata_keys=[],
)
node = TextNode(
text="chunk text",
metadata={"page": 3},
relationships={NodeRelationship.SOURCE: RelatedNodeInfo(node_id=doc.doc_id)},
)
```
## SimpleDirectoryReader
```python
from llama_index.core import SimpleDirectoryReader
docs = SimpleDirectoryReader(
input_dir="./data",
recursive=True,
required_exts=[".pdf", ".md", ".txt"],
filename_as_id=True,
).load_data()
```
## IngestionPipeline (with caching + dedup)
```python
from llama_index.core.ingestion import IngestionPipeline, IngestionCache
from llama_index.core.node_parser import SentenceSplitter
from llama_index.core.extractors import TitleExtractor, QuestionsAnsweredExtractor
from llama_index.vector_stores.chroma import ChromaVectorStore
from llama_index.core.storage.docstore import SimpleDocumentStore
import chromadb
chroma_client = chromadb.PersistentClient(path="./chroma")
vector_store = ChromaVectorStore(chroma_collection=chroma_client.get_or_create_collection("kb"))
pipeline = IngestionPipeline(
transformations=[
SentenceSplitter(chunk_size=1024, chunk_overlap=200),
TitleExtractor(nodes=5),
QuestionsAnsweredExtractor(questions=3),
Settings.embed_model,
],
vector_store=vector_store,
docstore=SimpleDocumentStore(), # enables upsert + dedup
cache=IngestionCache(),
)
nodes = pipeline.run(documents=docs, show_progress=True)
pipeline.persist("./pipeline_storage")
```
## NodeParser Variants
```python
from llama_index.core.node_parser import (
SentenceSplitter,
SentenceWindowNodeParser,
SemanticSplitterNodeParser,
MarkdownNodeParser,
HierarchicalNodeParser,
CodeSplitter,
)
sentence = SentenceSplitter(chunk_size=512, chunk_overlap=50)
window = SentenceWindowNodeParser.from_defaults(window_size=3,
window_metadata_key="window", original_text_metadata_key="original_text")
semantic = SemanticSplitterNodeParser(
buffer_size=1, breakpoint_percentile_threshold=95, embed_model=Settings.embed_model)
md = MarkdownNodeParser()
hierarchical = HierarchicalNodeParser.from_defaults(chunk_sizes=[2048, 512, 128])
code = CodeSplitter(language="python", chunk_lines=40, chunk_lines_overlap=10, max_chars=1500)
```
## VectorStoreIndex and Query Engine
```python
from llama_index.core import VectorStoreIndex, StorageContext
storage_context = StorageContext.from_defaults(vector_store=vector_store)
index = VectorStoreIndex(nodes=nodes, storage_context=storage_context)
query_engine = index.as_query_engine(
similarity_top_k=5,
response_mode="compact", # compact | refine | tree_summarize | simple_summarize
streaming=True,
)
streaming_response = query_engine.query("How does authentication work?")
for token in streaming_response.response_gen:
print(token, end="")
```
### Retriever + Response Synthesizer (explicit)
```python
from llama_index.core import get_response_synthesizer
from llama_index.core.query_engine import RetrieverQueryEngine
from llama_index.core.postprocessor import SimilarityPostprocessor
from llama_index.core.retrievers import VectorIndexRetriever
retriever = VectorIndexRetriever(index=index, similarity_top_k=10)
synth = get_response_synthesizer(response_mode="tree_summarize", streaming=True)
engine = RetrieverQueryEngine(
retriever=retriever,
response_synthesizer=synth,
node_postprocessors=[SimilarityPostprocessor(similarity_cutoff=0.7)],
)
```
## Sub-Question Query Engine
```python
from llama_index.core.query_engine import SubQuestionQueryEngine
from llama_index.core.tools import QueryEngineTool, ToolMetadata
tools = [
QueryEngineTool(
query_engine=finance_index.as_query_engine(),
metadata=ToolMetadata(name="finance", description="Financial reports 2022-2024"),
),
QueryEngineTool(
query_engine=product_index.as_query_engine(),
metadata=ToolMetadata(name="product", description="Product documentation"),
),
]
sub_q = SubQuestionQueryEngine.from_defaults(
query_engine_tools=tools,
use_async=True,
verbose=True,
)
answer = sub_q.query("Compare 2023 revenue with product launch timeline")
```
## Router Query Engine
```python
from llama_index.core.query_engine import RouterQueryEngine
from llama_index.core.selectors import LLMSingleSelector, PydanticMultiSelector
router = RouterQueryEngine(
selector=LLMSingleSelector.from_defaults(),
query_engine_tools=tools,
verbose=True,
)
```
## Property Graph Index
```python
from llama_index.core import PropertyGraphIndex
from llama_index.core.indices.property_graph import (
SimpleLLMPathExtractor,
ImplicitPathExtractor,
SchemaLLMPathExtractor,
)
schema_extractor = SchemaLLMPathExtractor(
llm=Settings.llm,
possible_entities=["PERSON", "ORG", "PRODUCT"],
possible_relations=["WORKS_AT", "MAKES", "COMPETES_WITH"],
)
graph_index = PropertyGraphIndex.from_documents(
docs,
kg_extractors=[schema_extractor, ImplicitPathExtractor()],
show_progress=True,
)
graph_index.storage_context.persist(persist_dir="./graph_store")
graph_engine = graph_index.as_query_engine(include_text=True, similarity_top_k=5)
```
## Agents with Tools (FunctionAgent / ReActAgent)
```python
from llama_index.core.agent.workflow import FunctionAgent, AgentWorkflow
from llama_index.core.tools import FunctionTool
def get_weather(city: str) -> str:
"""Return current weather for a city."""
return f"Sunny in {city}"
weather_tool = FunctionTool.from_defaults(fn=get_weather)
agent = FunctionAgent(
tools=[weather_tool],
llm=Settings.llm,
system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant.",
)
import asyncio
async def main():
result = await agent.run("What is the weather in Rome?")
print(result)
asyncio.run(main())
```
## LlamaParse Integration
```python
from llama_parse import LlamaParse
from llama_index.core import VectorStoreIndex
import os
parser = LlamaParse(
api_key=os.environ["LLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY"],
result_type="markdown",
premium_mode=True,
)
docs = parser.load_data("10k.pdf")
index = VectorStoreIndex.from_documents(docs)
```
## Observability (Callbacks)
```python
from llama_index.core.callbacks import CallbackManager, LlamaDebugHandler, TokenCountingHandler
import tiktoken
debug = LlamaDebugHandler(print_trace_on_end=True)
token_counter = TokenCountingHandler(
tokenizer=tiktoken.encoding_for_model("gpt-4o").encode,
verbose=True,
)
Settings.callback_manager = CallbackManager([debug, token_counter])
# After a query:
print("Embed tokens:", token_counter.total_embedding_token_count)
print("LLM prompt tokens:", token_counter.prompt_llm_token_count)
print("LLM completion tokens:", token_counter.completion_llm_token_count)
```
### Arize Phoenix / OpenTelemetry
```python
import llama_index.core
llama_index.core.set_global_handler("arize_phoenix")
# Launch Phoenix UI: import phoenix as px; px.launch_app()
```
## Persistence and Reload
```python
from llama_index.core import load_index_from_storage, StorageContext
index.storage_context.persist(persist_dir="./storage")
storage_context = StorageContext.from_defaults(persist_dir="./storage")
index = load_index_from_storage(storage_context)
```
## Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Fix |
|---|---|
| Reindexing on every run | Use IngestionPipeline with docstore + cache |
| Same `similarity_top_k` for all queries | Tune per-engine, use reranking postprocessor |
| No streaming for user chat | `streaming=True` on query engine |
| Mixing embedding models across runs | Pin via `Settings.embed_model` |
| Raw RouterQueryEngine without clear tool descriptions | Write crisp `ToolMetadata.description` strings |
| Ignoring `excluded_embed_metadata_keys` | Exclude noisy metadata from embedding input |
## Production Checklist
- [ ] `IngestionPipeline` with `docstore` for incremental upserts
- [ ] Embedding + LLM pinned in `Settings`
- [ ] Streaming enabled for user-facing queries
- [ ] Node postprocessors: similarity cutoff + reranker (Cohere, Jina)
- [ ] Observability: callback manager with token counter + tracing
- [ ] Persisted storage (`persist_dir`) with content hashing
- [ ] Eval with `RagasEvaluator` or `RelevancyEvaluator`
- [ ] Fallback on `SubQuestionQueryEngine` failures (retry + single-engine)
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