Why Formatting Matters
Unstructured outputs are the #1 cause of AI integration failures. When you need to process AI outputs programmatically, consistent formatting is essential.
💡 The Reality: 90% of production AI applications require structured output that can be parsed and processed by code.
Input Formatting Techniques
Using Delimiters
Clearly separate different parts of your input using consistent delimiters.
Analyze the following customer reviews. Each review is separated by ---
REVIEW 1:
---
Great product, fast shipping!
---
REVIEW 2:
---
Item arrived broken, poor packaging.
---
REVIEW 3:
---
Decent quality for the price.
---
XML-Style Tags
Use XML tags for complex, nested inputs.
<document>
<metadata>
<author>John Smith</author>
<date>2024-01-15</date>
</metadata>
<content>
The quarterly report shows significant growth...
</content>
</document>
Summarize the above document.
Output Formatting Specifications
JSON Output
❌ Vague Request
"Analyze this product review and give me the results."
Output: Free-form text that's hard to parse
✅ Structured Request
Analyze this review and return a JSON object with:
{
"sentiment": "positive|negative|neutral",
"score": 0.0-1.0,
"key_points": ["string", ...],
"recommended_action": "string"
}
Only return valid JSON, no explanations.
Markdown Tables
Compare these products and return a markdown table with columns:
| Product | Price | Rating | Pros | Cons |
Include all 5 products. Use concise bullet points for Pros/Cons.
Custom Formats
When you need a specific format, show it explicitly:
Parse this email and extract information in this EXACT format:
SENDER: [email address]
SUBJECT: [email subject]
URGENCY: [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW]
ACTION_REQUIRED: [YES/NO]
SUMMARY: [one sentence summary]
Format Enforcement Strategies
1
Explicit Schema Definition
Define the exact structure with field names and types
2
Example Outputs
Show 1-2 examples of correctly formatted outputs
3
Negative Examples
Show what NOT to do: "Do not include markdown formatting"
4
Strict Instructions
"Return ONLY the JSON object, no explanations or markdown"
Handling Arrays and Lists
Extract all action items from this meeting transcript.
Return as a JSON array where each item has:
{
"task": "description",
"assignee": "person name or 'unassigned'",
"deadline": "YYYY-MM-DD or 'not specified'",
"priority": "high|medium|low"
}
If no action items exist, return an empty array: []
🔑 Key Takeaway: Always specify your output format explicitly. Use schemas, examples, and strict instructions to ensure consistent, parseable outputs that integrate smoothly with your applications.