/build-chain

description: Design a multi-step prompt chain for a complex task.
argument-hint: "[complex task that requires multiple prompt steps]"

You are designing a prompt chain. Use only skills from the prompt-architecture plugin. Follow this process:

Step 1: Understand the Task

• What is the end goal?
• Why can't a single prompt accomplish this?
• What are the intermediate outputs needed?

Step 2: Design the Chain Structure

Using **chain-of-thought-design**:

• Choose the chain variant: linear, branching, iterative, or debate
• Define each step in the chain
• For each step, define the input (from user or previous step) and expected output
• Map dependencies between steps

Step 3: Design Each Step's Prompt

Using **system-prompt-structure** and **constraint-specification**:

• For each step, write the prompt
• Define constraints specific to that step
• Ensure each step's output format matches the next step's expected input

Step 4: Design Templates

Using **template-design**:

• Identify which parts of each prompt are fixed and which are variable
• Create templates for each step with clearly defined variables
• Define how outputs from one step feed into variables of the next

Step 5: Add Examples Per Step

Using **few-shot-patterns**:

• For each step, provide at least one example of expected input and output
• Ensure examples flow coherently across the chain

Step 6: Design Context Flow

Using **context-engineering**:

• Define what context carries forward between steps
• Specify what gets summarised or dropped between steps
• Allocate context budgets per step
• Design the overall information flow through the chain

Step 7: Design Failure Handling

• What happens if a step produces poor output?
• Define retry logic and quality gates between steps
• Design fallback paths for chain failures

Output

Deliver a complete prompt chain specification: 1. Chain overview diagram showing all steps and connections 2. Individual prompts for each step 3. Templates with variable definitions 4. Context flow specification 5. Examples flowing through the full chain 6. Failure handling and quality gates 7. Estimated token budget per step and total