Negative prompt

A negative prompt tells an image generation model what to avoid. Alongside the main prompt, which describes what you want, the negative prompt lists unwanted features: "blurry, low resolution, extra fingers, distorted face, watermark, text". The model steers its generation away from those concepts.

Negative prompts come from diffusion models such as Stable Diffusion, where they are a separate input. In each step of turning noise into an image, the model is pushed toward the positive prompt and away from the negative one. Some tools have a dedicated field; others accept exclusions with a parameter or in plain language, such as "no text, no people".

They are most useful for fixing recurring flaws: anatomical errors, unwanted text or logos, clutter, a style you keep getting by default. Keep them focused. A huge list of every possible flaw can reduce image quality or have unpredictable effects, and listing an object can sometimes make it more likely to appear in tools that do not support true negative prompts.

Example

For a product photo, the prompt describes "a ceramic mug on a light grey background, soft studio lighting". The negative prompt adds "text, logo, hands, reflections, cluttered background", which removes the stray hand and fake brand label that kept appearing.

Common mistake

Writing negatives as part of the main prompt in tools that do not support them, such as "a beach with no people". Some models latch onto the word "people" and add them. Use the dedicated negative field or parameter when there is one, and phrase the main prompt positively ("an empty beach").