diff --git a/docs/src/js/classes/VectorQuery.md b/docs/src/js/classes/VectorQuery.md
index 3f56bb600..4809ebefd 100644
--- a/docs/src/js/classes/VectorQuery.md
+++ b/docs/src/js/classes/VectorQuery.md
@@ -646,6 +646,38 @@ rerank(reranker): VectorQuery
 
 ***
 
+### searchEffort()
+
+```ts
+searchEffort(searchEffort): VectorQuery
+```
+
+Set the initial IVF search effort to a finite value in [0, 1].
+
+The default, null, uses Auto (internally 0.5). Zero starts at the caller
+minimum; one searches all partitions within the caller maximum. Later
+probing may continue when too few candidates are found.
+Any explicit effort, including 0.5, overrides nprobes in either call order.
+Explicit minimum and maximum bounds still apply. This is not a recall
+guarantee and does not change refinement or HNSW ef. The MemWAL LSM
+scanner does not yet support this option.
+
+#### Parameters
+
+* **searchEffort**: `null` \| `number`
+
+#### Returns
+
+[`VectorQuery`](VectorQuery.md)
+
+#### Example
+
+```ts
+table.vectorSearch([0.1, 0.2]).searchEffort(0.75).limit(10);
+```
+
+***
+
 ### select()
 
 ```ts
diff --git a/python/python/lancedb/query.py b/python/python/lancedb/query.py
index fc9aea9a4..eece390c2 100644
--- a/python/python/lancedb/query.py
+++ b/python/python/lancedb/query.py
@@ -1734,6 +1734,9 @@ class LanceVectorQueryBuilder(LanceQueryBuilder):
 
         Examples
         --------
+        >>> import lancedb
+        >>> db = lancedb.connect("memory://")
+        >>> table = db.create_table("effort_vectors", [{"vector": [0.1, 0.2]}])
         >>> query = table.search([0.1, 0.2]).search_effort(0.75)
         """
         self._search_effort = search_effort
@@ -2562,11 +2565,17 @@ class LanceHybridQueryBuilder(LanceQueryBuilder):
 
         Examples
         --------
-        >>> query = table.search([0.1, 0.2]).search_effort(0.75)
+        >>> import lancedb
+        >>> db = lancedb.connect("memory://")
+        >>> table = db.create_table(
+        ...     "effort_hybrid", [{"vector": [0.1, 0.2], "text": "dog"}]
+        ... )
+        >>> query = (
+        ...     table.search(query_type="hybrid").vector([0.1, 0.2])
+        ...     .text("dog").search_effort(0.75)
+        ... )
         """
         self._search_effort = search_effort
-        if self._vector_query is not None:
-            self._vector_query.search_effort(search_effort)
         return self
 
     def minimum_nprobes(self, minimum_nprobes: int) -> LanceHybridQueryBuilder:
@@ -3790,7 +3799,15 @@ class AsyncVectorQueryBase:
 
         Examples
         --------
-        >>> query = table.vector_search([0.1, 0.2]).search_effort(0.75)
+        >>> import asyncio
+        >>> import lancedb
+        >>> async def build_query():
+        ...     db = await lancedb.connect_async("memory://")
+        ...     table = await db.create_table(
+        ...         "effort_async", [{"vector": [0.1, 0.2]}]
+        ...     )
+        ...     return table.vector_search([0.1, 0.2]).search_effort(0.75)
+        >>> query = asyncio.run(build_query())
         """
         self._inner.search_effort(search_effort)
         return self
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_query.py b/python/python/tests/test_query.py
index 71c293628..74a67b909 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_query.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_query.py
@@ -2284,6 +2284,7 @@ def test_search_effort_probe_budget(tmp_path, monkeypatch, metric, effort, probe
     data = pa.table(
         {
             "id": np.arange(512),
+            "text": ["dog"] * 512,
             "vector": pa.FixedSizeListArray.from_arrays(pa.array(vectors.ravel()), 16),
         }
     )
@@ -2298,7 +2299,8 @@ def test_search_effort_probe_budget(tmp_path, monkeypatch, metric, effort, probe
         return table.search(vector).distance_type(metric).search_effort(value).limit(8)
 
     def partitions(query):
-        values = re.findall(r"partitions_searched=(\d+)", query.analyze_plan())
+        vector_plan = query.analyze_plan().split("FTS Search Plan:", 1)[0]
+        values = re.findall(r"partitions_searched=(\d+)", vector_plan)
         assert values
         return sum(map(int, values))
 
@@ -2335,6 +2337,19 @@ def test_search_effort_probe_budget(tmp_path, monkeypatch, metric, effort, probe
     assert partitions(filtered) <= 2
     assert all(row["id"] % 8 == 0 for row in filtered.to_list())
 
+    if metric == "l2" and effort == 0.5:
+        table.create_index("text", config=FTS())
+        hybrid = (
+            table.search(query_type="hybrid")
+            .vector(vector)
+            .text("dog")
+            .nprobes(1)
+            .search_effort(0.5)
+            .limit(8)
+        )
+        assert partitions(hybrid) == 4
+        assert partitions(hybrid.search_effort(None)) == 1
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "effort", [-0.1, 1.1, float("nan"), float("inf"), -float("inf")]