Structured Output

A capability that constrains model responses to valid JSON matching a specified schema, guaranteeing format compliance but not factual accuracy.

Structured outputs force language models to produce responses in a specific format, typically JSON conforming to a predefined schema. This guarantees that downstream systems can parse the output reliably. The critical distinction: structured outputs validate format, not content. A model can produce perfectly valid JSON containing fabricated information. Teams that need accurate data must combine structured outputs with retrieval augmentation, citations, or other grounding mechanisms.

Also known as