Troubleshooting
9 Common AI Prompt Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Getting poor AI image results? Nine common prompt mistakes, each with a simple before-and-after fix to make your prompts sharper and more reliable.
By Let's Prompts · · 2 min read
If your AI images keep missing the mark, the cause is usually in the prompt. These are the nine mistakes we see most often, each with a quick fix you can apply right away.
1. Being too vague
"A cool landscape" leaves almost every decision to the model. Name the place, time of day, weather and style.
Misty alpine valley at sunrise, pine forest in the foreground, soft pink light on snowy peaks, wide-angle landscape photography
2. Mixing clashing styles
"Photorealistic anime watercolour 3D render" pulls in four directions at once. Choose one main style and, if needed, one supporting influence.
3. Cramming in too many subjects
Every extra subject dilutes the others. Aim for one clear focal point and one or two supporting elements, then build up gradually if the result holds together.
4. Using "no" in the main prompt
Image models respond to the things you mention, even in the negative — "a street with no cars" can still produce cars. Describe the positive alternative ("an empty cobblestone street") or use the tool's exclusion feature, such as Midjourney's --no or Stable Diffusion's negative prompt field.
5. Forgetting the light
Lighting is the fastest upgrade for any image. Add one lighting phrase — "soft overcast light", "golden-hour backlight", "neon rim light" — and compare.
6. Ignoring aspect ratio and composition
A tall poster, a square avatar and a widescreen banner need different framing. Set the aspect ratio first, then mention composition: "centred", "rule of thirds", "top-down", "close-up".
7. Asking for text without being explicit
If you need words in the image, put the exact text in quotation marks, keep it short, and say where it goes and what it is made of. Text rendering varies a lot between tools, so expect to try a few times — and check the result carefully for spelling.
Minimalist concert poster, bold sans-serif headline reading "NIGHT SESSIONS" centred at the top, deep blue gradient background, geometric shapes, Swiss design style, vertical layout
8. Changing everything at once
If you rewrite the whole prompt after every attempt, you never learn what works. Change one element per run — the light, the lens, the colour palette — and keep notes.
9. Pasting prompts between tools without adapting them
A prompt tuned for Midjourney may need rewording for Flux or Stable Diffusion. Move parameters into the right settings and adjust the phrasing. Our tool comparison walks through the differences.
A 30-second prompt checklist
- Is the subject specific, and is it mentioned first?
- Did I name a style or medium — just one main one?
- Is there a lighting phrase?
- Did I set the aspect ratio and a composition?
- Are there any contradictions or "no" phrases to remove?
Still stuck? Study prompts that already work. The poster and graphic design prompts and typography prompts in our library are good places to see these fixes applied, and our beginner's guide covers the fundamentals.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my AI image ignore part of my prompt?
Usually the prompt is too long, contains conflicting instructions or buries the key detail. Shorten it, move the important detail earlier and remove anything that contradicts it.
Should I use negative prompts?
Where the tool supports them, they are useful for removing recurring problems such as watermarks or blur. In the main prompt, describe what you want rather than what you don't.
