Concrete Input-Output Examples

When prose descriptions fail to communicate exact requirements, providing concrete input-output examples eliminates ambiguity.

The Problem with Prose

Prose requirements like "normalize the API response" can be interpreted differently on each attempt. Field nesting, date formats, and naming conventions are especially ambiguous in text descriptions.

Solution: Show, Don't Tell

Provide 2-3 representative input-output pairs showing the exact transformation expected:

// Input:
{"created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z", "user": {"name": "Alice"}}
// Expected Output:
{"createdAt": "Jan 15, 2024", "userName": "Alice"}

Format Demonstration

Few-shot examples should demonstrate the specific desired output format including:

This achieves consistency that instructions alone cannot.

Handling Varied Document Structures

For extraction from documents with varied formats (inline citations vs bibliographies, methodology sections vs embedded details), provide examples showing correct extraction from each format variant. Include examples with empty/null values for fields not present in the source document.