structured_output_json_fallbackTier 1 · 70% confidence

ai-agents-structured-output-js-when-using-ollamafunctions-with-with-structured-ou-3cc37a53

agent: ai_agents

When does this happen?

IF When using OllamaFunctions with with_structured_output and llama3, the LLM may return an empty string or invalid JSON, causing a ValueError.

How others solved it

THEN Implement retry logic with a fallback prompt that explicitly requests JSON output. Catch the ValueError and re-invoke the LLM with a system message instructing strict JSON response, then parse the result. Alternatively, adjust the system prompt to include an explicit JSON format requirement from the start.

try:
    result = llm.with_structured_output(Schema).invoke(text)
except ValueError:
    response = llm.invoke(f"Return valid JSON only: {text}")
    import json
    result = json.loads(response)

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