# structured-output

Constrained generation that guarantees valid LLM outputs every time

Guidance is Microsoft's structured generation library that enforces output constraints directly within LLM decoding. It supports JSON schemas, regex patterns, grammars, and interleaved generation-and-control flow to guarantee valid outputs from any compatible model. Works with local models via llama.cpp, Transformers, and remote APIs including OpenAI and Anthropic. Eliminates retry loops and post-processing for structured data extraction.

Type-safe LLM function builder

BAML is a domain-specific language by BoundaryML for building reliable AI workflows and agents through schema engineering. It turns prompt engineering into a structured, type-safe discipline by letting developers declaratively define function schemas, validate LLM responses, and version prompts without fragile JSON parsing or boilerplate. BAML reframes prompt engineering as schema definition, making AI workflows testable and maintainable across models.

Structured generation for LLMs

Outlines is an open-source Python library for structured text generation that guarantees LLM outputs conform to a defined schema or format. It constrains the model's token selection at each step so only tokens leading to valid output are considered, eliminating fragile post-processing. Supports multiple-choice constraints, regex patterns, JSON Schema, and type-safe Pydantic models — helping teams extract reliable structured data from any LLM.

Structured LLM outputs with validation

Instructor is the most popular Python library for extracting structured, validated data from large language models, with over 3 million monthly downloads and ports across Python, TypeScript, Go, Ruby, Elixir, and Rust. It uses Pydantic models to define output schemas and automatically handles validation, retries, and error correction when the LLM output does not match. Instructor patches existing client libraries instead of replacing them, preserving full access to the underlying API.

Python agent framework by Pydantic team

Agent framework built on Pydantic for type-safe AI applications. Provides structured outputs, dependency injection, and multi-model support. Created by the Pydantic team, it brings the same validation and typing philosophy that made Pydantic essential for Python APIs to the world of AI agents, ensuring reliable data flow between LLMs and application logic.