responses.parse() with background=True returns unparseable Response from retrieve() - missing ParsedResponse support for background mode

[adnanboz]

Confirm this is an issue with the Python library and not an underlying OpenAI API

• This is an issue with the Python library

Describe the bug

When using responses.parse() with background=True and a text_format (structured output), the initial call returns a ParsedResponse wrapper. However, when polling for completion using responses.retrieve(), a plain Response object is returned instead of ParsedResponse.

This means output_parsed is not available on the retrieved response, and users must manually parse output_text using their schema's model_validate_json().

The SDK accepts background=True in parse() without warning, but doesn't provide a way to complete the workflow with proper parsing.

Expected behavior:
Either:

• retrieve() should accept a text_format parameter to return ParsedResponse
  A new retrieve_parsed() method should exist
• Or parse() should raise an error/warning when background=True is used

To Reproduce

from openai import AsyncOpenAI
from pydantic import BaseModel

class MySchema(BaseModel):
name: str
value: int

client = AsyncOpenAI()

Start background request with structured output

response = await client.responses.parse(
model="gpt-4.1",
input="Generate a name and value",
text_format=MySchema,
background=True
)

Poll for completion

while response.status in ("in_progress", "queued"):
await asyncio.sleep(0.5)
response = await client.responses.retrieve(response.id)

This fails - Response has no output_parsed attribute

print(response.output_parsed) # AttributeError: 'Response' object has no attribute 'output_parsed'

Workaround required:

result = MySchema.model_validate_json(response.output_text)

Code snippets

OS

macOS

Python version

Python v3.12

Library version

openai v2.15.0