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Recursive prompt

As explained in AI for Everyday IT

A recursive prompt is a prompting technique that incorporates an AI system's previous response into a subsequent prompt to develop a deeper or more nuanced interaction.

A recursive prompt uses an AI system’s previous response as context for the next question. This creates a more fluid conversation and supports deeper, more relevant results without repeating every detail. section 4.5.1 section 5.1.2

Use recursive prompting to move from an initial answer toward a practical deliverable:

  • Start with a focused task, then ask the next question using the previous response as the foundation. section 5.1.2
  • Refine the result progressively—for example, ask which documents should support an initiative after discussing its project plan. section 5.1.2
  • Keep the discussion focused and relevant; starting a new chat removes the established context. section 5.1.2

A renewable-energy follow-up

After receiving a summary of renewable energy trends, ask: “Based on the previous summary, what are the potential challenges and opportunities in the next five years?” section 4.5.1

How AI for Everyday IT covers it

How deep it goes
Defines the technique, demonstrates follow-up prompts, and notes focused-context limits without discussing model internals.
Examples
Uses renewable-energy analysis and project-document planning as follow-up conversation examples.
What it assumes
Assumes basic ability to converse with an AI model and deliberately teaches how to preserve and reuse conversational context.
What you can do after
Apply recursive prompting to develop coherent queries and turn earlier AI outputs into more actionable work products.
How it connects
Connects recursive prompting with prompt engineering, context injection, prompt chaining, and problem formulation.

Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of AI for Everyday IT. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.