Output schema
The defined structure of data produced by a workflow step field names, data types, and format. Documenting output schemas ensures downstream steps can reliably consume the data and prevents breaking changes when workflows are updated.
Expert insight
Defining an explicit output schema for a workflow step (especially one involving an LLM call) and validating the actual output against it catches malformed responses before they propagate downstream, an LLM that's supposed to return valid JSON occasionally doesn't, and a workflow that blindly trusts the output will fail two steps later in a much more confusing way.
In a real workflow
A language model is asked to return {"category", "urgency", "summary"} only, and the workflow rejects anything else.
Common mistakes
- Accepting free text and parsing it later.
- Changing the schema without updating the steps that read it.
Complexity level
Requires some familiarity with automation concepts.
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