addressing comments

lib/crewai/scripts/structured_output_with_tools_runner.py

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+"""Minimal Flow runner: Agent.kickoff() + response_format + tool.
+
+  cd lib/crewai
+  uv run python scripts/structured_output_with_tools_runner.py
+"""
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+
+from crewai import Agent
+from crewai.flow import Flow, start
+from crewai.tools import tool
+
+
+class CalculationResult(BaseModel):
+    operation: str = Field(description="Operation performed")
+    result: int = Field(description="Numeric result")
+    explanation: str = Field(description="Short explanation")
+
+
+@tool
+def add_numbers(a: int, b: int) -> int:
+    """Add two integers."""
+    return a + b
+
+
+class StructuredOutputFlow(Flow):
+    @start()
+    def run(self):
+        agent = Agent(
+            role="Calculator",
+            goal="Use tools and return structured results",
+            backstory="Compute with tools, then answer in the required schema.",
+            tools=[add_numbers],
+            verbose=True,
+            llm='anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6'
+        )
+        return agent.kickoff(
+            "Use add_numbers to compute 15 + 27.",
+            response_format=CalculationResult,
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    result = StructuredOutputFlow().kickoff()
+    print(result.pydantic)

lib/crewai/src/crewai/agent/core.py

@@ -1694,7 +1694,8 @@ class Agent(BaseAgent):
             try:
                 formatted_result = response_format.model_validate_json(raw_output)
             except ValidationError:
-                pass
+                # Direct JSON validation failed; fall back to converter-based parsing below.
+                formatted_result = None
 
             if formatted_result is None:
                 try:
@@ -1715,6 +1716,7 @@ class Agent(BaseAgent):
                     if isinstance(conversion_result, BaseModel):
                         formatted_result = conversion_result
                 except ConverterError:
+                    # Conversion failure is non-fatal; raw output is preserved below.
                     pass
         else:
             raw_output = str(output) if not isinstance(output, str) else output

lib/crewai/src/crewai/lite_agent.py

@@ -644,7 +644,8 @@ class LiteAgent(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
                     str(agent_finish.output)
                 )
             except ValidationError:
-                pass
+                # Direct JSON validation failed; fall back to converter-based parsing below.
+                formatted_result = None
 
             if formatted_result is None:
                 try: