Structured Outputs
Automation becomes reliable when the AI step returns predictable fields instead of free-form prose.
Automation becomes reliable when the AI step returns predictable fields instead of free-form prose.
Define exact fields.
String, number, boolean or array.
Know which fields may never be missing.
Understand the working model
Downstream steps should not need to guess what the AI meant. If the next action expects a category, priority and summary, make those explicit output fields.
Treat model output as untrusted input. Parse it, validate it and reject or repair it before it controls another system.
Practice
Apply the pattern above to one real task you already do. Keep the first version small enough that you can inspect every input and output.
Do not send raw model prose directly into database fields or API parameters.
Structured outputs make AI steps testable. Define the schema first, then validate every response.