Structured Output
Output Terstruktur
Making the model answer in a fixed shape a program can read.
Structured output is constraining the model to answer in a defined shape: a JSON object matching a schema, a set of enum values, a tool call. The point is that a program can consume the result without parsing prose.
This is the single most effective answer to the non-determinism problem. The prose can vary, but the structure holds, and the structure is what the code depends on.
Modern APIs enforce the schema rather than merely describing it, which means a malformed response is rare but not impossible. Always validate on your side anyway, because a schema that is guaranteed by the provider is still a contract, and contracts get broken during incidents.
Related terms
Non-determinism
The same input can produce a different output each time. Normal, and worth designing around.
API
A defined way for one program to ask another for something.
Tool Call
The model's request naming a tool and its arguments. Structured output, not a side effect.
Evaluation
Measuring whether the system does the job, on a fixed set of cases, repeatedly.
Integration
Connecting your system to the other systems it needs to work with.
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