ai/docs/09-troubleshooting/14-tool-calling-with-structured-outputs.mdx

AI SDK by Vercel - build apps like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more with a single interface for any model using the Vercel AI Gateway or go direct to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or any other model provider.

---
title: Tool calling with structured outputs
description: Troubleshooting tool calling when combined with structured output generation
---

# Tool calling with structured outputs

## Issue

You may want to combine tool calling with structured output generation.

## Background

To use tool calling with structured outputs, use `generateText` or `streamText` with the `output` option.

**Important**: When using `output` with tool calling, the structured output generation counts as an additional step in the execution flow.

## Solution

When using `output` with tool calling, adjust your `stopWhen` condition to account for the additional step required for structured output generation:

```tsx
const result = await generateText({
  model: __MODEL__,
  output: Output.object({
    schema: z.object({
      summary: z.string(),
      sentiment: z.enum(['positive', 'neutral', 'negative']),
    }),
  }),
  tools: {
    analyze: tool({
      description: 'Analyze data',
      inputSchema: z.object({
        data: z.string(),
      }),
      execute: async ({ data }) => {
        return { result: 'analyzed' };
      }),
    },
  },
  // Add at least 1 to your intended step count to account for structured output
  stopWhen: stepCountIs(3), // Now accounts for: tool call + tool result + structured output
  prompt: 'Analyze the data and provide a summary',
});
```

For more information about using structured outputs with `generateText` and `streamText` see [Generating Structured Data](/docs/ai-sdk-core/generating-structured-data#structured-outputs-with-generatetext-and-streamtext).