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How to use negative prompts on Midjourney

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18
Quick Answer

Negative prompts in Midjourney use the --no parameter to exclude unwanted elements from your generated images. Simply add --no followed by the elements you want to avoid at the end of your main prompt. This helps refine your results by telling the AI what not to include in the final image.

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Prerequisites

  • Active Midjourney subscription
  • Discord account setup
  • Basic familiarity with Midjourney commands
  • Understanding of prompt basics

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Open Discord and access Midjourney

Launch Discord and navigate to your Midjourney server or open a direct message with the Midjourney bot. Make sure you're in a channel where you can send commands, such as #general or any of the newbies channels.
Use DMs with the Midjourney bot for private image generation if you have an active subscription.
2

Start with your main prompt

Begin typing your image description as you normally would. For example: /imagine prompt: beautiful landscape with mountains and trees

Don't press Enter yet - you'll add the negative prompt parameters next.
3

Add the --no parameter

At the end of your main prompt, add a space followed by --no and then specify what you want to exclude. For example: /imagine prompt: beautiful landscape with mountains and trees --no people, buildings, cars
Separate multiple negative elements with commas for better clarity.
4

Choose effective negative prompt terms

Use specific, descriptive terms for what you want to avoid. Common effective negative prompts include:
  • Objects: people, text, watermark, signature
  • Qualities: blurry, low quality, distorted, cropped
  • Styles: cartoon, anime, realistic (depending on desired outcome)
  • Colors: red, blue, dark, bright
Be specific rather than vague - 'blurry face' works better than just 'bad'.
5

Combine with other parameters

You can use --no alongside other Midjourney parameters. Place it anywhere among your parameters: /imagine prompt: portrait of a woman --no makeup, jewelry --ar 3:4 --v 6

The order of parameters doesn't affect the result.
Keep your negative prompts concise - too many can sometimes conflict with your main prompt.
6

Submit and review results

Press Enter to submit your prompt. Midjourney will process your request and generate four image variations that avoid the elements you specified in the --no parameter.
7

Refine with iterations

If unwanted elements still appear, upscale your preferred image using U1, U2, U3, or U4 buttons, then use the Vary (Strong) or Vary (Subtle) options with additional negative prompts: --no [previous terms], [new unwanted elements]
Add new negative terms based on what you see in the results to progressively refine your output.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Negative prompts seem to be ignored

Ensure you're using the correct syntax with --no (two dashes) and that your terms are specific. Try using stronger, more descriptive negative terms or reduce the number of conflicting elements in your main prompt.

Getting opposite results than expected

Sometimes negative prompts can create unexpected emphasis. Try rephrasing your main prompt instead of relying heavily on negatives, or use fewer negative terms to avoid confusion.

Images still contain unwanted elements

Be more specific with your negative terms. Instead of --no people, try --no humans, faces, person, crowd. Also ensure your main prompt doesn't strongly contradict your negative prompts.

Command not working in Discord

Verify you're using the correct format: /imagine prompt: [description] --no [unwanted elements]. Make sure there are no extra spaces around the dashes and that you're in a valid Midjourney channel or DM.

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