---
title: "AI Quick Tips 17: Use multi-step prompts for complex tasks"
description: Learn how to use multi-step prompts in AI for complex tasks. Discover different approaches and potential issues to consider, along with tips for successful implementation.
image: https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/AI%20Quick%20Tips-1.jpg
---

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# AI Quick Tips 17: Use multi-step prompts for complex tasks

 June 26, 2024

![Picture of Damien Griffin](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/20cb51297a34e5d5d7c3362ec1fae755) [Damien Griffin](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/author/damien)

![AI Quick Tips](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/AI%20Quick%20Tips-1.jpg)

Consider multi-step prompts if you have a series of questions, tasks that require the output of previous tasks, problems that cannot be solved with a single response, etc. 

Multi-steps prompts are exactly what they sound like - prompts with more than one (“multi”) step.

There are a few ways to approach multi-step prompting

1. List all of the steps in a single prompt - i.e.

Please complete {task} by going through the following steps

Step 1 - {Do something}  
Step 2 - {Do something else}  
Step 3 - {Use the output from step 2 and do a 3rd thing}  
Step 4 - Etc.  
Produce output in {format}

*\*A potential issue with this approach is that it will take too much time and/or processing power to do at once.  If this happens the results might be fragmented or the task might not complete at all.*

1. Complete the steps with follow-up prompting

Input: Please complete {task 1}  
Output: {output 1}

Input: Use {output 1} to complete {task 2}  
Output: {output 2}

Input: Use {output 2} to complete {task 3}  
Output: {output 3}

Etc.

*\* A potential issue with this approach is that you will run out of follow-up prompts.  Different tools allow different numbers of follow-ups.  Usually creating an account or upgrading to a paid plan will give you more follow-up opportunities*

There are other ways to do it but that should be enough to get you started.

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[AI Quick Tips](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/ai-quick-tips), [AI](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/ai), [Prompt Engineering](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/prompt-engineering), [Beginner](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/beginner)

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