Structured output requires the model to return data conforming to a specified schema, such as fields for date, provider, finding, and source citation. Enforcement may occur through instructions, validation, or constrained decoding.
It contrasts with free-form prose responses.
Alternative Names:
Structured Generation, JSON Output
Why it Matters?
Structure is what allows AI output to feed downstream systems rather than requiring re-reading. A medical chronology returned as structured entries with dates, providers, and page citations can populate a case management system, be sorted and filtered, and be verified entry by entry. The same content as prose requires a person to extract it again, which eliminates most of the efficiency gain.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Why does structured output matter in legal work?
How is structure enforced?
