2025-03-19: Query rewriting from Azure AI Search

This release adds a new optional feature, the query rewriting option from Azure AI Search. This is distinct from the already existing query rewriting step in our RAG flows, which incorporates conversation history. The query rewriting from Azure AI Search focuses on expanding the query to semantically similar queries that can improve retrieval.

Learn more from the search team in this blog post:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/azure-ai-services-blog/raising-the-bar-for-rag-excellence-query-rewriting-and-new-semantic-ranker/4302729

Enable the feature following the documentation:
https://github.com/Azure-Samples/azure-search-openai-demo/blob/main/docs/deploy_features.md#enabling-query-rewriting

What's Changed

• Add auth-related azd env variable checks and improve docs by @pamelafox in #2386
• Upgrade to latest GA API Version by @pamelafox in #2334
• Upgrade Ubuntu runner for tests in Github Workflow to latest by @egor-yudkin in #2428
• Bump jinja2 from 3.1.5 to 3.1.6 in /app/backend by @dependabot in #2435
• Add query rewriting option by @mattgotteiner in #2437

New Contributors

• @egor-yudkin made their first contribution in #2428

Full Changelog: 2025-02-20...2025-03-19