Amazon Kendra — Enterprise search service with natural language queries and semantic understanding.
What is Amazon Kendra?
Amazon Kendra is an intelligent enterprise search service that uses natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning to deliver highly accurate search results. Unlike keyword-based search, Kendra understands meaning, context, and intent behind queries.
Key Insight: Kendra is “Google for your enterprise” — users ask questions in natural language and get precise answers from your data sources.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Natural Language Queries | Ask questions like “What’s our vacation policy?” instead of keywords |
| Semantic Search | Understands meaning, not just keyword matching |
| GenAI Index | Enhanced retrieval with generative AI capabilities |
| Built-in Connectors | Pre-built connectors for S3, SharePoint, Salesforce, Confluence, and more |
| Document-Level Security | Respects source permissions in search results |
| Answer Highlights | Highlights the exact passage containing the answer |
| FAQ Extraction | Automatically extracts Q&A from documents |
| Query Suggestions | Autocomplete and suggestions as users type |
| Multi-Source Search | Search across all connected data sources simultaneously |
Use Cases
Internal Knowledge Search
Employees search across company wikis, SharePoint, docs, and databases for answers.
Customer Support Search
Support agents search knowledge bases, tickets, and documentation to resolve issues faster.
Customer-Facing Help Centers
Website visitors search FAQs, documentation, and resources for self-service support.
Legal & Compliance
Search contracts, policies, and regulations with natural language queries.
Research & Discovery
Academics and researchers search across papers, notes, and data repositories.
How It Works
1. Connect Data Sources: S3 buckets, databases, SharePoint, Salesforce, etc.
2. Create Index: Kendra crawls and indexes your content
3. Users Query: Ask questions in natural language
4. Get Results: Ranked answers with highlights, passages, and source links
response = kendra.query(
IndexId="your-index-id",
QueryText="What is the company vacation policy?",
QueryResultTypeFilter="ANSWER"
)
# Returns: Direct answer with highlightPricing & Free Tier
| Edition | Price | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|
| GenAI Enterprise | $0.32/index hour + token-based query charges | 🟢 750 hours free (first 30 days) |
| Basic Enterprise | $1.40/index hour + query-capacity and query-volume charges | 🔴 No 750-hour trial entry listed |
| Basic Developer | $1.125/index hour | 🟢 750 hours free (first 30 days) |
Cost Tip: Kendra pricing combines index hours with query/storage dimensions. Estimate cost with expected QPS, query volume, and index size before selecting an edition.
⚠️ Pricing Disclaimer: AWS pricing is subject to change. Kendra offers multiple editions with different pricing. Always verify current pricing at the official Amazon Kendra pricing page.
When to Use Kendra
| Use | Don’t Use |
|---|---|
| Enterprise knowledge search | Simple keyword search (use OpenSearch, Elasticsearch) |
| Natural language queries | Transactional queries (use RDS/DirectQuery) |
| Multi-source enterprise search | Web search (use OpenSearch) |
| FAQ and answer extraction | Chatbot conversations (use Lex) |
Kendra vs Other Search Solutions
| Aspect | Kendra | OpenSearch/Elasticsearch |
|---|---|---|
| Search Type | Semantic, NLP-powered | Keyword-based |
| Queries | Natural language | Keywords, operators |
| Setup | Managed, built-in connectors | Self-managed, DIY |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
| Best For | Enterprise knowledge | General search |
Built-in Connectors
Popular Sources:
- Amazon S3
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Salesforce
- Confluence
- Google Drive
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Amazon RDS
- Web crawlers
- Custom connectors
GenAI Index (2024-2025)
Amazon Kendra GenAI Index offers enhanced retrieval:
- Higher accuracy with semantic models
- Better understanding of user intent
- Improved ranking and relevance
- Integrates with Amazon Bedrock for generative answers
Important Notes
- Free Tier Available: 750 hours free for first 30 days on supported editions (for example Developer and GenAI Enterprise)
- GenAI Index: Enhanced semantic search with latest retrieval technologies
- Amazon Q Integration: Kendra powers Amazon Q Business for enterprise AI assistants
- Multi-tenancy: Available for SaaS applications
TL;DR
- Kendra = Enterprise search with NLP and semantic understanding
- Features: Natural language queries, semantic search, GenAI Index, built-in connectors, answer highlights
- Free Tier: 750 hours for first 30 days (Developer & GenAI Enterprise Editions)
- Pricing: Edition-specific capacity pricing (GenAI Enterprise starts at $0.32/index hour; Basic Enterprise starts at $1.40/index hour; Basic Developer $1.125/index hour)
- Best for: Internal knowledge search, customer support search, FAQ systems, legal/compliance search
- Key Differentiator: Natural language understanding vs. keyword search
- Integrates with: Amazon Q Business, Amazon Bedrock for enhanced capabilities
Resources
Amazon Kendra Official product page and overview.
Kendra Documentation Complete API reference and guides.
Kendra Pricing Detailed pricing breakdown.