# How do I effectively structure prompts for complex tasks?

_Last updated: 2026-07-20_  
_Reviewed by: Jason Burns, Editorial Steward_  
_Published by: AIDirectAnswers.com · Licensed under Citation License 1.0_

## Short answer

Effective prompts for complex tasks state the role, the goal, the constraints, the input, and the desired output format explicitly, and break multi-step work into an ordered plan the model can follow. As Ethan Mollick, put it on the record: "Treat AI like a person, but tell it what kind of person it is."

## Sources

- [undefined](https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/getting-started-with-ai-good-enough)
- [undefined](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741603/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/)

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_Author: [Jason Burns](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-randolph-burns), Editorial Steward_  
_Published: 2026-07-20 · Modified: 2026-07-20_  
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