# pgx-bm25 1.0 adds native BM25 full-text search to PostgreSQL

> **Key takeaway:** The pgx-bm25 extension introduces Okapi BM25 ranked full-text search as a native PostgreSQL index access method.

**Published:** 2026-10-07T00:00:00+00:00 
**Source:** PostgreSQL Official News 
**Category:** databases-storage 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/pgx-bm25-10-adds-native-bm25-full-text-search-to-postgresql.html 

## Summary
PGX Inc. has released version 1.0 of pgx-bm25, an extension that implements Okapi BM25 ranking directly within PostgreSQL. Supporting versions 17 and 18, the extension functions as a native index, utilizing PostgreSQL's existing WAL logging, crash recovery, and replication mechanisms. It eliminates the need for external search engines by integrating text analysis via Snowball dictionaries and optimizing top-N queries with the block-max WAND algorithm.

## Technical capabilities of pgx-bm25
- Implements **Okapi BM25** and **BM25F** scoring for multi-column indexes.
- Uses **block-max WAND** to optimize ranked top-N queries.
- Supports **Boolean queries** (must, should, must_not), exact phrases, proximity searches, and prefix wildcards.
- Allows adjusting **k1** and **b** parameters via `ALTER INDEX` without requiring a `REINDEX`.
- Integrates with PostgreSQL's **Snowball** dictionaries for language-aware analysis.
- Built in **C** using **PGXS** for compatibility with standard server headers.

## Why it matters
By providing a native, highly optimized search index, pgx-bm25 allows users to perform complex full-text searches without the operational overhead of managing a separate search engine runtime.