# Anthropic Authors - Prompt Design - Complex tasks (Highlights)
## Metadata
**Review**:: [readwise.io](https://readwise.io/bookreview/26430730)
**Source**:: #from/readwise
**Zettel**:: #zettel/fleeting
**Status**:: #x
**Authors**:: [[Anthropic Authors]]
**Full Title**:: Prompt Design - Complex tasks
**Category**:: #articles #readwise/articles
**Category Icon**:: 📰
**URL**:: [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com/docs/prompt-design/complex-tasks)
**Host**:: [[console.anthropic.com]]
**Highlighted**:: [[2023-04-14]]
**Created**:: [[2023-04-15]]
## Highlights
- Claude performs worse at "complex" tasks which are composed of several subtasks. If you know already know what those subtasks are i.e. you understand the problem well, you can help Claude by breaking the prompt down into steps. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gy048aawfvf2qsyyy9d9xw65)) ^509080796
- The best way to determine if Claude has understood your instruction is to ask Claude. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gy04a6wf5c6htfpey676ge4y)) ^509080956
- When you don't know the subtasks well yourself i.e. you're asking Claude to solve a problem, you can signicantly improve the reasoning and accuracy of the response by explicitly telling Claude to think step-by-step. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gy04asfgxx0wqvv85cgte2h0)) ^509081293
#example
```
Human: I have two pet cats. One of them is missing a leg. The other one has a normal number of legs for a cat to have. In total, how many legs do my cats have?
Assistant: Can I think step-by-step?
Human: Yes, please do.
Assistant:
```