What is structured extraction?
Structured extraction turns a rendered page into an object matching a shape you asked for. There are four paths and only one of them uses a model: a matching per-host extraction template, a per-row selector map, or captured background XHR all resolve deterministically; a schema or field list falls back to one metered model read when nothing deterministic matches.
Why it matters
Most extraction guidance assumes a model call per page, which is the expensive default. Checking for a template first, and describing rows with selectors when a page is a listing, is usually the difference between a floor-priced call and a metered one.