Negative prompts: saying what you don't want

Exclusions are useful and easy to overdo. This hub covers when a negative cue is the right fix, when a positive cue would work better, and how to keep a list of exclusions from eating your whole style field.

Build the list

Exclude list builder

Pick common exclusions from grouped chips and export a clean list.

Style cleaner

Removes duplicated negatives and filler before you paste.

Prompt diff

Confirm that adding an exclusion actually changed the result.

Lessons that apply directly

Resolving conflicts

Find cues that fight each other, then pick a winner instead of hoping.

Removing repetition

Spot restated ideas that quietly eat the room you have to work with.

Choosing cues that earn their place

Keep the words that change the output and cut the ones that only sound good.

Improving a result you already have

Read what came back and decide the single next edit worth making.

Related hubs

Prompt craft hub

The editing habits that make negatives unnecessary most of the time.

Troubleshooting hub

Diagnose the problem before you try to exclude it.

Limits hub

Exclusions cost space — here is how to budget it.

FAQ

Do negative prompts always work?

No. They are a hint like any other cue, and an exclusion that contradicts the genre's defaults will often lose.

Is a positive cue better than a negative one?

Usually. Asking for a dry, close vocal is more reliable than asking for no reverb, because it gives the model something to do rather than something to avoid.

How many exclusions are too many?

Past three or four you are spending most of your line on things you do not want, and the things you do want get crowded out.

How should I phrase them?

Keep it short and consistent — one prefix, one term each. The exclude tool will produce a uniform list for you.