# Create a Context Retriever service

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  "title": "Create a Context Retriever service",
  "description": "Create a Context Retriever service in Redis Cloud to expose schema-first retrieval tools to AI agents.",
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  "tableOfContents": {"sections":[{"id":"prerequisites-and-limitations","title":"Prerequisites and limitations"},{"children":[{"id":"general-settings","title":"General settings"},{"id":"define-entities","title":"Define entities"},{"id":"configure-fields","title":"Configure fields"}],"id":"create-a-context-retriever-service","title":"Create a Context Retriever service"},{"id":"next-steps","title":"Next steps"}]}

,
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```
Redis Context Retriever helps teams expose operational context to AI agents through schema-first retrieval. This guide walks you through creating and configuring a Context Retriever service in Redis Cloud.

## Prerequisites and limitations

To create a Redis Context Retriever service, you will need a Redis Cloud database that already has relevant data. If you don't have one, see [Create a database](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rc/databases/create-database). If your source data lives in a relational database, use [Redis Data Integration (RDI)](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rc/databases/rdi) to ingest it into a Redis Cloud database first.


Agent Memory does not support the following databases during public preview:
- [Redis Flex](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rc/databases/create-database/create-flex-database) databases
- [Active-Active](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rc/databases/active-active) databases


## Create a Context Retriever service

From the [Redis Cloud console](https://cloud.redis.io/), select **Context Retriever** from the left-hand menu.

If you have not already created a Context Retriever service, you'll see a page with an introduction to Context Retriever. Otherwise, select **New service** to go to the Context Retriever introduction page.

![images/rc/langcache-new-service.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rc/langcache-new-service.png)

From here, you can either:

- Select **Get started** to follow a step-by-step guide using the `ctxctl` CLI, which is installed with the [Context Surfaces Python Client](https://pypi.org/project/context-surfaces/). 
- Select **Create custom service** to manually configure your own context retriever settings.

For this guide, select **Create custom service**. 

### General settings

The **General settings** section defines basic properties of your service.

![images/rc/context-retriever-general-settings.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rc/context-retriever-general-settings.png)

| Setting name | Description |
|:-------------|:------------|
| **Service name** | Enter a name for your Context Retriever service. We recommend you use a name that describes your service's purpose. |
| **Select database** | Select the Redis Cloud database to use for this service from the list. |
| **Description** | Enter a description for your context retriever. |

Select **Entities** to continue.

### Define entities

In the **Define Entities** step, you'll define the objects that Context Retriever will use to generate retrieval tools. 

![images/rc/context-retriever-define-entities.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rc/context-retriever-define-entities.png)

Select **Add Entity** to add an entity.

![images/rc/context-retriever-define-entities-table.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rc/context-retriever-define-entities-table.png)

- In the **Entity name** field, enter the name of one of the business objects that is in your database. 

    For example, your database might have a bunch of product information with keys like `product:1` or `product:2`. In this case, the entity name would be "Product".

- In the **Key Template** field, enter the key template for your entity. Use `{id}` to denote where in the key pattern the ID is located.

    For the example above, the key template would be `product:{id}`. 

- You can also enter a description to describe the entity.

- Select the checkmark to confirm the entity.

After you are done adding all of the entities, select **Fields** to continue.

### Configure fields

In the **Configure fields** step, you'll define the fields of each entity and the relationships between them.

From here, you can either:

- Select **Auto-detect fields** to scan your database automatically using a model that will detect the fields for you. 

    You'll need to agree to let the model scan your key names and schemas to automatically populate the fields. 

    
If you use Auto-detect fields, make sure that the fields and relationships that the model generates are accurate. 
    

- Select **Manually enter fields** to manually enter the fields yourself.

![images/rc/context-retriever-fields.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rc/context-retriever-fields.png)

Expand each entry to view the currently defined fields for that entry. Select **Add field** to add a field.

![images/rc/context-retriever-add-field.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rc/context-retriever-add-field.png)

- Enter the field name in the **Field** cell.
- Select the **PK** checkbox if the field is a primary key. You must have at least one primary key. 
- If the field is related to any other defined entities, select it from the **Related Entity** dropdown. This is usually set if the field contains primary keys of another entity. For example, you might have an
- Select the field's **Type** from the dropdown.
- In the **Index** cell, select one or more index types to enable searching and filtering on that field.
- You can also add a description in the **Description** cell.

After you set all fields for all of your entities, select **Create** to create your Context Retriever service.

## Next steps

After your service is created, you can call the MCP tools Context Retriever exposes from your agent. See the [Context Surfaces Python Client](https://pypi.org/project/context-surfaces/) for more information on how to call your tools.

You can also [view your service](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rc/context-engine/context-retriever/view-service).