Task Spec

A Task Specification (Task Spec) is a declarative template that defines the structure and requirements for the outputs of a web research operation. While optional in each Task Run, Task Specs provide significant advantages when you need precise control over your research data. Task Specs ensure consistent results by enforcing a specific output structure across multiple runs. They validate schema against expected formats and create reusable templates for common research patterns. By defining the expected outputs clearly, they also serve as self-documentation for your tasks, making them easier to understand and maintain.

Component	Required	Purpose	Format
Output Schema	Yes	Defines the structure and fields of the task result	JSON Schema or Text
Input Schema	No	Specifies expected input parameters and their formats	JSON Schema or Text

Task Spec Structure

A Task Spec consists of:

Field	Type	Required	Description
`output_schema`	Schema object or string	Yes	Description and structure of the desired output
`input_schema`	Schema object or string	No	Description and structure of input parameters

When providing a bare string for input_schema or output_schema, it’s equivalent to a text schema with that string as the description.

Schema Types

Task Spec supports three schema formats:

When using the Python SDK, Parallel Tasks also support Pydantic objects in Task Spec

auto mode enables Deep Research style outputs only in processors pro and above. Read more about Deep Research here.

JSON Schema
Text Schema
Auto Schema

{
  "json_schema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "population": {
        "type": "string",
        "description": "Current population with year of estimate"
      },
      "area": {
        "type": "string",
        "description": "Total area in square kilometers and square miles"
      }
    },
    "required": ["population", "area"]
  },
  "type": "json"
}

{
  "description": "Summary of the country's economic indicators for 2023",
  "type": "text"
}

{
  "type": "auto"
}

See Best Practices for guidance on writing effective Task Specs.

Output Schema Validation Rules

The Task API enforces several restrictions on output schemas to ensure compatibility and performance:

Schema Structure Rules

Rule	Type	Description
Root type must be object	error	The root schema must have `"type": "object"`
Root must have properties	error	The root object must have a `properties` field
Root cannot use anyOf	error	The root level cannot use `anyOf`
Standalone null type	error	`null` type is only allowed in union types or anyOf
All fields must be required	warning	All properties should be listed in the `required` array
additionalProperties must be false	warning	All object types should set `additionalProperties: false`

While all fields must be required in the schema, you can create optional parameters by using a union type with null. For example, "type": ["string", "null"] allows a field to be either a string or null, effectively making it optional while maintaining schema compliance.

Size and Complexity Limits

25,000 character limit: The combined length of your task specification AND input data cannot exceed 25,000 characters. This includes:

All field names and descriptions in your schemas
The objective or description text
Your input data (the entity you’re researching)

If you hit this limit, simplify your schema descriptions or reduce input size. For large input data, consider splitting into multiple tasks.

Rule	Type	Limit	Description
Nesting depth	error	5 levels	Maximum nesting depth of objects and arrays
Total properties	error	100	Maximum total number of properties across all levels
Total string length	error	25,000 chars	Maximum total string length for names and values
Enum values	error	500	Maximum number of enum values across all properties
Large enum string length	error	7,500 chars	Maximum string length for enums with >250 values
Task spec size	error	15,000 chars	Maximum length of the task specification alone
Total size	error	25,000 chars	Maximum combined length of task specification + input data

Unsupported Keywords

The following JSON Schema keywords are not supported in output schemas: contains, format, maxContains, maxItems, maxLength, maxProperties, maximum, minContains, minItems, minLength, minimum, minProperties, multipleOf, pattern, patternProperties, propertyNames, uniqueItems, unevaluatedItems, unevaluatedProperties irements: it has an object root type with properties, all fields are required, and additionalProperties is set to false.

Common Schema Errors to Avoid

Here are examples of common schema errors and how to fix them:

Root Type Error
AnyOf Error
Missing Required
Additional Properties
Unsupported Keywords

{
  "type": "array",  // Error: Root type must be "object"
  "items": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "name": { "type": "string" }
    }
  }
}

Fix: Change the root type to “object” and move array properties to a field:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "items": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "name": { "type": "string" }
        },
        "required": ["name"]
      }
    }
  },
  "required": ["items"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

{
  "type": "object",
  "anyOf": [  // Error: Root level cannot use anyOf
    {
      "properties": {
        "field1": { "type": "string" }
      }
    },
    {
      "properties": {
        "field2": { "type": "string" }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Fix: Combine the properties into a single object:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": { "type": "string" },
    "field2": { "type": "string" }
  },
  "required": ["field1", "field2"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": { "type": "string" },
    "field2": { "type": "string" }
  },
  "required": ["field1"]  // Warning: All fields should be required
}

Fix: Add all fields to the required array:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": { "type": "string" },
    "field2": { "type": "string" }
  },
  "required": ["field1", "field2"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": { "type": "string" },
    "field2": { "type": "string" }
  },
  "required": ["field1", "field2"],
  "additionalProperties": true  // Warning: should be false
}

Fix: Set additionalProperties to false:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": { "type": "string" },
    "field2": { "type": "string" }
  },
  "required": ["field1", "field2"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 5  // Error: Unsupported keyword
    }
  },
  "required": ["field1"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

Fix: Remove unsupported keywords and use descriptions instead:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "field1": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A string with at least 5 characters"
    }
  },
  "required": ["field1"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

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Task Spec

Task Spec

Task Spec Structure

Schema Types

Output Schema Validation Rules

Schema Structure Rules

Size and Complexity Limits

Unsupported Keywords

Common Schema Errors to Avoid

​Task Spec

​Task Spec Structure

​Schema Types

​Output Schema Validation Rules

​Schema Structure Rules

​Size and Complexity Limits

​Unsupported Keywords

​Common Schema Errors to Avoid

Task Spec

Task Spec Structure

Schema Types

Output Schema Validation Rules

Schema Structure Rules

Size and Complexity Limits

Unsupported Keywords

Common Schema Errors to Avoid