Output Format Specified

Instruction files must contain a heading referencing Output, Format, or Display. Specifying expected output formats tells the agent what shape its responses should take.

Antipatterns

• Describing output expectations in body text under a generic heading like "## Usage" -- the check requires the heading itself to contain "Output", "Format", or "Display".
• Specifying "return JSON" in a bullet list but under a heading that does not mention format -- the heading-match check scans section headers, not list items.
• Relying on the agent to infer output format from examples alone without a dedicated heading -- implicit expectations are not detected by the heading check.

Pass / Fail

Pass

## Output Format

Return results as JSON with `status` and `message` fields.
Use markdown tables for multi-row output.

Fail

## Commands

- `ails check .` validates the project
- Results include rule violations and scores

Limitations

Checks for a heading containing "Output", "Format", or "Display". Does not verify the section specifies concrete format requirements.