guidance

Constrain LLM outputs with regex and grammars for valid JSON structures.

2|Updated Mar 26, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/CUexter/hermes-agent --skill guidance-cuexter
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: guidance
Source: https://github.com/CUexter/hermes-agent/tree/main/skills/mlops/inference/guidance
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/CUexter/hermes-agent --skill guidance-cuexter

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires guidance, transformers, and includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Guidance enables precise control over LLM outputs using regex and grammars, ensuring valid JSON/XML/code and enforcing consistent, structured formats across prompts and pipelines.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Constrained generation with regex and grammars for guaranteed structured outputs (JSON, XML, code)
  • Token healing, grammar-based generation, and Pythonic guidance functions for reusable patterns
  • Build multi-step workflows, document extraction, and local-model pipelines with deterministic results

Quick Start

Invoke a constrained-generation workflow by defining a regex constraint and generating a JSON object with Guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions about guidance

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I constrain LLM outputs to guarantee valid JSON?

Constrained generation uses regex and grammars to guarantee valid structured outputs like JSON from LLMs. This enforces consistent formats across prompts and pipelines, preventing invalid syntax and formatting errors in production.

What is token healing and how does it work for local model pipelines?

Token healing fixes token boundary issues in constrained generation, ensuring regex and grammar constraints apply cleanly. It supports local-model deployments by maintaining deterministic results and guaranteeing valid structured formats across pipelines.

Does the guidance library work with transformers for grammar-based data extraction?

Yes, this approach works with transformers for grammar-based data extraction. You can build multi-step workflows and local-model pipelines using Pythonic tooling to enforce regex and grammar constraints for reliable structured outputs.

What's the best way to build a constrained generation pipeline for XML extraction?

The best way to build a constrained generation pipeline for XML extraction is using Pythonic guidance functions with grammar-based generation. This guarantees valid structured formats and enables reusable patterns for document extraction workflows.

Why does my LLM output invalid JSON even when I provide a schema in the prompt?

LLMs output invalid JSON despite prompt schemas because unconstrained generation lacks enforcement. Applying grammar-based constraints and token healing forces the model to generate only valid structured formats, eliminating syntax errors.

When should I use constrained generation instead of standard prompt engineering?

Use constrained generation instead of standard prompt engineering when you need guaranteed valid JSON, XML, or code formats. Grammar-based constraints and regex enforcement ensure deterministic results for production-grade pipelines and data validation.