diff --git a/src/datasets/search.py b/src/datasets/search.py
index 2f3febe7bfd0..bef09f9cfad4 100644
--- a/src/datasets/search.py
+++ b/src/datasets/search.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 
+from .features import Sequence
 from .utils import logging
 
 
@@ -262,6 +263,11 @@ def add_vectors(
         """
         import faiss  # noqa: F811
 
+        if column and not isinstance(vectors.features[column], Sequence):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Wrong feature type for column '{column}'. " f"Expected 1d array, got {vectors.features[column]}"
+            )
+
         # Create index
         if self.faiss_index is None:
             size = len(vectors[0]) if column is None else len(vectors[0][column])
diff --git a/tests/test_search.py b/tests/test_search.py
index f44d80a57124..c4a9b80be338 100644
--- a/tests/test_search.py
+++ b/tests/test_search.py
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ def test_add_faiss_index(self):
         self.assertEqual(examples["filename"][0], "my_name-train_29")
         dset.drop_index("vecs")
 
+    def test_add_faiss_index_errors(self):
+        import faiss
+
+        dset: Dataset = self._create_dummy_dataset()
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Wrong feature type for column 'filename'"):
+            _ = dset.add_faiss_index("filename", batch_size=100, metric_type=faiss.METRIC_INNER_PRODUCT)
+
     def test_add_faiss_index_from_external_arrays(self):
         import faiss