• ACCURACY
  • CONTEXT
  • RELIABILITY
  • HUMAN

How to get grounded answers from your documents with your AI

Connect your document repositories once. After that, your AI uses your actual files to answer questions with specific citations.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I make my AI stop hallucinating and use my files instead?

You use semantic search to point your AI toward your private data. It finds the exact passages needed to build a response that is backed by your documents. You get answers that include the specific context found in your files.

The outcomes

What you get from grounded answers

The AI moves from general knowledge to your specific data.

ACCURACY

Verified facts

The AI uses semantic search to find relevant text in your files. This prevents the model from making things up by forcing it to rely on your data.

CONTEXT

Deep document insight

Your agent scans through your entire repository to find connections between different files. You get a complete picture instead of just a surface level summary.

RELIABILITY

Grounded responses

The AI generates answers that are tied to specific document segments. You can trust the output because it is rooted in your private information.

HUMAN

Final verification

You review the answers and the source material. The AI provides the data, but you decide if the interpretation fits your specific needs.

The workflow

What your AI does when you ask a question.

The AI follows a specific path to turn a question into a verified answer.

  1. Locate relevant data

    The AI scans your document repositories to find the specific sections that match your query.

    search_documents

  2. Extract the answer

    Once the right data is found, the AI pulls the specific information needed to answer you.

    get_grounded_answer

  3. Verify the source

    The system checks the retrieved text against the original document to ensure the answer is accurate.

    get_grounded_answer

  4. Deliver the response

    Your agent presents the final answer, which is built entirely from the information found in your files.

    get_grounded_answer

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts once you have connected your documents.

Starting points

Swap out the bracketed text for your actual folder names or specific document topics.

Vertex AI Search Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_tPSiUT085NrK0Q7wJaTFR09NOdWshRlsftXDjz1N/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Vertex AI Search capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vertex-ai-search-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_tPSiUT085NrK0Q7wJaTFR09NOdWshRlsftXDjz1N/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Based on the technical manuals in the engineering folder, what are the maintenance requirements for the XJ-900?

  • Summarize the key findings from the Q3 quarterly reports found in the finance repository.

  • Search the legal contracts folder and tell me if there are any clauses regarding termination notice periods.

  • Using the project documentation in the marketing drive, list all the upcoming deadlines for the summer campaign.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Vertex AI Search once, then ask.

You provide your credentials once through a secure connection. After that, your AI client can immediately start querying your documents.

Connect Vertex AI Search to your AI

FAQ

How the grounding works

  • 01

    Can the AI change my original documents?

    No. The AI only reads your documents to find answers. It cannot edit, delete, or move your files.

  • 02

    Does the AI use my data to train its general model?

    No. Your data stays within your private repository and is only used to provide answers to your specific queries.

  • 03

    What happens if the answer isn't in my documents?

    The AI will tell you it cannot find the answer in the provided files rather than guessing.

  • 04

    Can I use this with any AI client?

    Yes, you can use this with any MCP-compatible client like Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf.

  • 05

    Does it work with PDFs and text files?

    Yes, it works with the document types supported by your Vertex AI Search configuration.

  • More questions about Vertex AI Search? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Vertex AI Search Connector can do

Connect Vertex AI Search to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more