Prompt Chaining
Chained prompts for multi-stage tasks
Prompt Chaining connects multiple prompts into a chain, where the output of one prompt serves as input for the next. This technique is perfect for complex, multi-stage tasks.
The Basic Principle
Like a production line in a factory:
- Step 1: Raw material → Intermediate product A
- Step 2: Intermediate product A → Intermediate product B
- Step 3: Intermediate product B → Final product
Each step is specialized and optimized for its specific task.
Simple Examples
Content Creation
Step 1: "Brainstorm 10 topics for blog articles about remote work"
↓
Step 2: "Choose the 3 best topics and create outlines"
↓
Step 3: "Write an introduction for topic #1"
↓
Step 4: "Develop the main body based on the outline"
↓
Step 5: "Add practical examples and a conclusion"
Data Analysis
Step 1: "Clean this raw data and remove duplicates"
↓
Step 2: "Identify the key metrics"
↓
Step 3: "Create a statistical summary"
↓
Step 4: "Visualize the trends as text description"
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Step 5: "Formulate action recommendations"
Advanced Applications
Product Development
Chain: Market Research → Ideation → Concept → Prototype
Prompt 1: "Analyze current trends in [product category]"
Output: Trend analysis
Prompt 2: "Based on these trends, develop 5 innovative product ideas"
Output: Product ideas
Prompt 3: "Choose the most promising idea and create a detailed concept"
Output: Product concept
Prompt 4: "Develop a prototype description with features and USPs"
Output: Prototype specification
Customer Communication
Chain: Analysis → Response → Personalization → Quality Control
Prompt 1: "Analyze this customer inquiry and identify main concerns"
Output: Key points of inquiry
Prompt 2: "Create a professional response to these points"
Output: Response draft
Prompt 3: "Personalize the response for a premium customer"
Output: Personalized response
Prompt 4: "Check the response for tone, completeness, and spelling"
Output: Final customer response
Code Development
Chain: Requirements → Design → Implementation → Testing
Prompt 1: "Analyze this user story and extract technical requirements"
Output: Technical specs
Prompt 2: "Create a software design based on the requirements"
Output: Design document
Prompt 3: "Implement the main function in Python"
Output: Code
Prompt 4: "Write unit tests for this code"
Output: Test suite
Practical Templates
Business Analysis Chain
Template for Market Analysis:
Step 1: Data Collection
"Gather information about [market/product/competition]"
Step 2: Structuring
"Organize this data into categories: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats"
Step 3: Analysis
"Conduct a SWOT analysis"
Step 4: Strategy
"Develop strategic recommendations based on the analysis"
Step 5: Action Plan
"Create a concrete 90-day action plan"
Content Marketing Chain
Step 1: Keyword Research
"Identify top keywords for [topic]"
Step 2: Content Planning
"Create a content calendar for these keywords"
Step 3: Article Creation
"Write the first article for keyword #1"
Step 4: SEO Optimization
"Optimize the article for search engines"
Step 5: Social Media Adaptation
"Create social media posts for the article"
Branched Chains
Conditional Branching
Step 1: "Analyze this problem"
↓
If technical → Step 2A: "Develop technical solution"
If organizational → Step 2B: "Develop process solution"
↓
Step 3: "Create implementation plan"
Parallel Chains
Main Chain: Product Launch
Chain A: Marketing
├── Step 1: Target group analysis
├── Step 2: Campaign concept
└── Step 3: Content creation
Chain B: Sales
├── Step 1: Pricing strategy
├── Step 2: Distribution channels
└── Step 3: Training materials
Merge: Integrated Launch Plan
Best Practices
ArrowRight
Clear Transitions
Define exactly what is passed from one step to the next
AlertCircle
Error Handling
Plan alternatives for cases where a step fails
FileText
Documentation
Record each step and its output
Automation
Prompt Chaining Template
# Pseudo-code for automated chaining
chain = [
"Step 1: Analyze...",
"Step 2: Based on the analysis...",
"Step 3: Develop...",
"Step 4: Optimize..."
]
output = ""
for prompt in chain:
output = ai_request(prompt + "\n\nPrevious output: " + output)
Reusable Chains
Save marketing chain as: "marketing_launch_chain_v1"
- Can be reused for different products
- Just adjust variables
- Consistent quality
Error Handling
Quality Control
After each step:
1. Check if output meets expectations
2. If deviation: Repeat with more precise prompt
3. If multiple failures: Alternative route
Rollback Mechanism
Store intermediate results:
- checkpoint_1: After data analysis
- checkpoint_2: After concept creation
- checkpoint_3: After first implementation
If problems occur: Return to last working checkpoint
When to Use Prompt Chaining?
✅ Ideal for:
- Multi-stage processes
- When quality is more important than speed
- Complex transformations
- Reproducible workflows
❌ Less suitable for:
- Simple, single-step tasks
- Time-critical requests
- When intermediate steps are unimportant
Practical Exercises
Exercise 1: Report Creation
Create a prompt chain for:
- Data extraction
- Analysis
- Visualization description
- Executive Summary
- Action recommendations
Exercise 2: Customer Support
Develop a chain for:
- Request categorization
- Problem identification
- Solution finding
- Response formulation
- Quality check
Exercise 3: Project Planning
Build a chain for:
- Requirements analysis
- Resource planning
- Time estimation
- Risk assessment
- Milestone definition
Pro Tip: Start with simple 3-step chains and expand gradually!
Summary: Prompt Chaining transforms complex tasks into manageable steps and improves consistency and quality.