When you need structured data, the shape you ask for directly determines token count. Short keys, no markdown scaffolding, and minified output cut tokens on every response — and the input echo if you loop.
Design a Compact Output Schema (and Skip the Pretty-Printing)
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More in Output Control
📐Output Control
Shrinks classification and routing outputs substantially, frequently 5-15x fewer output tokens per call
Return IDs and Enums, Not Sentences
For classification, routing, and selection tasks, have the model emit a short code, ID, or enum value instead of a polite sentence. The downstream code only needs the token, not the prose around it.
📐Output Control
Often 30-60% fewer output tokens on short tasks
Strip the Preamble: Ask for the Answer Only
Chat models love to restate your question, add caveats, and offer follow-ups. On high-volume tasks those wrapper tokens dominate the bill. Tell the model to return only the payload.
📐Output Control
Caps runaway costs; output tokens are typically 3-5x the input price
Set max_tokens as a Hard Cost Ceiling, Not an Afterthought
Output tokens are the expensive half of most API bills. Setting an explicit max_tokens on every API call turns an open-ended cost into a known maximum.