Write a prompt that gets what you want

A prompt is the words a model works from, and models take them literally: the more concrete the words, the closer the result. Typing costs nothing, but every run is charged at the price on its button, so it pays to get the words right before you press.

What to say

• A picture. The subject and the setting, then the look: style, colour, mood and composition. "A futuristic city at sunset, flying cars, neon."
• A clip. What happens in the shot: the motion, the camera and the light. With a start frame, describe what moves rather than what's already in the picture. With a start and an end frame, say how the shot travels from one to the other.
• A clip you already have. To carry it on, say what happens next. To edit it, say the change: "make it night, rain on the windows".
• A song. In Simple, describe the song in a sentence. In Advanced, list its styles in Style ("synthwave, retro 80s, night drive"), put what to keep out in Exclude styles, and write the lyrics.
• A voiceover. The script exactly as it should be read. Add audio tags in square brackets, such as [whispers] or [laughs], where the delivery changes, or press Auto-tag and they're added for you, free.

Put what matters first

Every model reads a prompt up to its own length, and anything past it is cut off at a word before it's sent. Most read thousands of characters; a few read far fewer. Lead with the subject and the action, and keep the details that matter most near the start.

Name what you add

When a model works from pictures, clips or sounds, each one you add gets a name in the order you added it: @Image1, @Image2, @Video1, @Audio1. Use the names to say what each one is and where it goes: "@Image1 holds @Image2 up to the camera, warm light". A model that edits a picture changes the one you give it, so say the change you want.

Leave the settings to the bar

The shape, length and resolution come from the bar, whatever the words say. On Video they're under Output, and the bar also has:

• Camera move, under Advanced: a camera move added to your prompt, at no extra cost.
• Storyboard, on models that take it: several shots, each with its own prompt and length.

Try again, one change at a time

• Use this prompt on a picture, Use prompt on a clip and Reuse prompt in the Library put the words back so you can change them.
• Change one thing between tries, the wording, the model or a setting, so you can see what made the difference.
• Templates on Images, Video, Music and Voice are prompts to start from. A template fills in the words, and nothing runs until you press the button.

Help with the words

• On Images and Video, Improve the words under the prompt writes a short or unclear prompt out in full: a picture's with the composition, light and lens, a clip's with the motion, camera and pacing. Beside it is the most it can cost, and you pay what it uses. Undo puts your own words back.
• On a Creative Board, Improve the words under a picture or clip card's prompt does the same, and so does the wand in the Generate bar. Each shows the most it can cost, and you pay what it uses.
• In Music, Write with AI writes lyrics for the style you've described, with its price on the button.
• On a Creative Board, an Assistant card drafts scripts, hooks and prompts for the cards it's wired into.

Words that get refused

Every prompt goes through our content check before anything is charged. A refused prompt costs nothing: the message names the rule, and your words are put back so you can change them. See Why was my prompt or result refused?