How to Write Better Prompts
Improve your AI-generated content with effective prompt writing techniques.
Basic Principles
Be Specific
| Prompt | Quality |
|---|---|
| "a dog" | Vague |
| "a golden retriever puppy" | Better |
| "a golden retriever puppy playing fetch in a sunny park, soft natural lighting" | Best |
Include Key Elements
A good prompt typically includes:
- Subject — What is the main focus? ("a woman", "a mountain landscape")
- Action/Pose — What is happening? ("walking", "sitting", "smiling")
- Setting — Where is it? ("in a café", "on a beach at sunset")
- Style — What look? ("photorealistic", "watercolor", "cinematic")
- Lighting — What mood? ("golden hour", "studio lighting", "dramatic shadows")
- Quality — Technical keywords ("high quality", "detailed", "8K")
Examples
Image Generation
Portrait of a young woman in a vintage bookstore, warm amber
lighting filtering through dusty windows, shallow depth of field,
shot on 35mm film, soft grain, photorealisticVideo Generation
A drone shot slowly rising above a misty mountain range at dawn,
revealing a vast forest below, cinematic, 4K qualityMotion Prompts (Image-to-Video)
The person slowly turns their head to the left, smiles gently,
and blinks naturally, subtle camera zoomPrompt Enhancer
Use the Prompt Enhancer in the web interface to automatically improve your prompts. It costs $0.001 per use and typically produces better results.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Too vague | Add specific details about the subject |
| Too many subjects | Focus on one main subject |
| Conflicting instructions | Keep style directions consistent |
| Overly long | Keep under 200 words for best results |
| Negative phrasing | Describe what you want, not what you don't |
Style Keywords
Photography Styles
photorealistic, portrait photography, street photography, macro, aerial, film noir, vintage, polaroid
Art Styles
watercolor, oil painting, digital art, anime, pixel art, sketch, vector art, 3D render
Lighting
golden hour, blue hour, studio lighting, dramatic, soft light, backlit, neon, volumetric lighting
Quality
high quality, detailed, sharp, 8K, HDR, professional, masterpiece
Next Steps
- How to Choose the Right Model — Find the best model
- How to Reduce Costs — Optimize spending
- How to Generate an Image — Try it out