What is Negative Prompt?
Text describing what you do not want to see in the generated output. The AI actively avoids generating content matching the negative prompt.
How it works
A negative prompt tells the AI what to exclude from the generation. While your positive prompt describes what you want, the negative prompt describes what you want to avoid. Common negative prompt elements include quality issues (blurry, low quality, distorted), unwanted content (text, watermark, logo), and style avoidance (cartoon, anime, if you want photorealistic). Effective use of negative prompts significantly improves output quality. Most experienced prompt engineers maintain a standard negative prompt template that they apply to all generations, then customize for specific needs. Note that not all tools support negative prompts explicitly, particularly those with simplified web interfaces.
Tools that use negative prompt
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What does negative prompt mean in AI video?▾
From our blog
Every technical term you will encounter working with AI video tools, explained by practitioners.
Best AI Video Generators in 2026: Tested by a Production StudioHonest reviews of every major AI video generator, rated by a studio that uses them daily.
Runway vs Kling vs Veo: How We Choose for Every ProjectThe decision framework we use to pick between the three tools we reach for most in production.
Need AI video produced by professionals, not generated by yourself?
Apostle is an AI-native video production studio. We use every tool on this page in real client work.
Get in touch