Combining Multiple Constraints

Combining multiple constraints in a single prompt is powerful — it lets you specify exactly what you need across multiple dimensions simultaneously. But stacking too many constraints creates its own problems: conflicts between constraints, quality degradation as the model tries to satisfy all of them at once, and outputs that feel mechanically constrained rather than naturally written.

The skill is knowing how to stack constraints without creating conflicts.

Before stacking constraints, check each pair for compatibility. Ask: can these two constraints be satisfied at the same time?

Compatible: "Active voice" + "Second person" + "Under 200 words" — these can all be satisfied simultaneously without tension.

Conflicting: "Comprehensive coverage of all 12 topics" + "Under 100 words" — mathematically impossible for any non-trivial topic coverage.

Test pairs, not just the full list. Two individually reasonable constraints can combine to produce an impossible requirement.