Content sourced from official Anthropic documentation
1
Why chain prompts?
When you handle everything in a single prompt, Claude can drop steps. Chaining breaks tasks into focused subtasks. Benefits: Accuracy, Clarity, and Traceability.
š”Each link in the chain gets Claude's full attention!
2
When and how to chain
Use chaining for multi-step tasks like research synthesis, document analysis, or iterative content creation. Steps: 1) Identify subtasks, 2) Structure with XML for handoffs, 3) One clear objective per subtask, 4) Iterate based on performance.
Common chain workflows
Content creation:
Research ā Outline ā Draft ā Edit ā Format
Data processing:
Extract ā Transform ā Analyze ā Visualize
Decision-making:
Gather info ā List options ā Analyze each ā Recommend
Verification loops:
Generate content ā Review ā Refine ā Re-review
For independent subtasks (like analyzing multiple docs), run prompts in parallel for speed. Only chain sequentially when outputs depend on previous steps.
3
Self-correction chains
Chain prompts to have Claude review its own work ā catches errors and refines outputs for high-stakes tasks.
3-step self-correction
Prompt 1 ā Generate:
"Summarize this medical research paper. Focus on methodology, findings, and clinical implications."
Prompt 2 ā Review:
"Review this summary for accuracy, clarity, and completeness on an A-F scale."
ā Catches: undefined acronyms, missing baseline stats, no secondary endpoints
Prompt 3 ā Improve:
"Update the summary based on the feedback."
ā Final version: defines RCT/GLP-1/GIP, adds group matching, notes secondary endpoints
The review step (Prompt 2) consistently identifies issues that humans would catch in editing ā missing definitions, incomplete data, and gaps in analysis.
4
Legal contract analysis: Chained vs. single
Without chaining, Claude misses the instruction to include proposed changes. With chaining, each step excels.
Contract ā Email chain
Prompt 1:
"Review this SaaS contract for risks. Focus on data privacy, SLAs, and liability caps. Output findings in <risks> tags."
ā Produces structured risk analysis
Prompt 2:
"Draft an email to the vendor outlining these concerns and proposing changes.
<concerns>{{CONCERNS}}</concerns>"
ā Produces email with specific proposed changes per clause
Prompt 3:
"Review this email for tone, clarity, and professionalism."
ā Validates before sending
Single prompt: Claude forgets to include proposed changes in the email. Chained: each step has one focused objective, so nothing gets dropped.
