Prompt Chaining

Prompt chaining is a technique where you break a complex task into multiple sequential prompts, feeding the output of each step as input to the next. Instead of asking AI to do everything in one go, you guide it through a series of focused steps.

Why chaining beats single prompts

A single complex prompt — "Research this topic, write an outline, draft the article, edit it for tone, and format it for our blog" — forces the AI to juggle multiple objectives simultaneously. The result is usually mediocre across all objectives.

Prompt chaining separates these into focused steps: 1. Prompt 1: "Research this topic and summarise 5 key findings" 2. Prompt 2: "Using these findings, create a 5-section outline" 3. Prompt 3: "Write section 1 based on this outline" (repeat for each section) 4. Prompt 4: "Review the full draft for tone and clarity" 5. Prompt 5: "Format for our blog: add headers, meta description, and alt text"

Each step produces better output because the AI has one clear objective and can give it full attention.

Chain architectures

• Linear chain: A → B → C → D. Each step feeds the next. Simplest and most common.
• Branching chain: A splits into B and C, which merge at D. Useful when a task has independent parallel parts.
• Iterative chain: A → B → check → if not good enough, back to A. Useful for quality refinement.
• Conditional chain: A → if condition X then B, else C. Useful when the next step depends on the result.

Chaining vs agents

Prompt chaining and agents are on a spectrum: - Manual chaining: You copy-paste output from one prompt to the next. Simple, full control, tedious. - Template chaining: You build a template where outputs auto-feed into subsequent prompts. More automated, less flexible. - Agent chaining: An AI agent manages the chain autonomously, deciding what step to take next based on results. Most automated, least control.

For most professionals, manual or template chaining provides the best balance of quality and control. Agents are better for repeated workflows where the chain has been proven to work reliably.

Practical tip

Start any complex task by asking: "What are the 3-5 distinct steps in this task?" Then write a focused prompt for each step. You will get dramatically better results than trying to do it all in one prompt, and each step is easy to verify and improve independently.