Midjourney Prompting Cheat Sheet

How --no actually behaves, the comma trap that splits your exclusions, and where the sourcing is weaker.

TL;DR — THE SHORT VERSION

v8.2 has been the default since 24 July 2026. v7 stopped being default in June.
One --no per prompt, comma-separated. A second one does not stack.
--no is a negative weight, not a ban. It pushes away from a term; it does not guarantee absence.
The comma trap: each word after --no is treated separately.
Sourcing here is weaker than the other sheets — Midjourney's docs are not publicly retrievable.

SECONDARY SOURCING

This vendor publishes no consolidated prompting guide. Built from platform documentation and community testing — weaker than the vendor-documented sheets.

The formula

[subject and scene, described naturally] --no [exclusions, comma separated] [other parameters]

Template:

[subject] [action] [setting] [lighting] [style reference] --ar [ratio] --no [term, term, term]

Worked example:

A ceramicist centring clay, north window light, documentary photography, muted palette --ar 3:2 --no text, watermark, extra fingers

Breakdown — what each part does

Prompt body

Natural description of subject, scene, light and style. Front-load the subject as with any model.

Parameters

Aspect ratio, stylise, version and so on, appended at the end.

--no

One instance only, at the end. Comma-separate every term you want pushed away.

Does it take a negative prompt?

Yes — via the --no parameter.YES

Append one --no at the end with comma-separated terms. It is equivalent to applying a negative weight, so treat it as a strong push rather than a hard exclusion. If something must categorically not appear, compose the scene so it has no room to.

What not to do

Do not use two --no parameters — the second does not stack.✕

Do not omit commas. Two words after --no read as two separate exclusions, not one phrase.✕

Do not expect a ban. A negative weight reduces likelihood; it does not guarantee removal.✕

Do not carry v7-era habits forward without testing — the default model has changed twice in 2026.✕

WHY THIS SHEET IS FLAGGED

Every other sheet in this set quotes a vendor's own published guidance. Midjourney's documentation is not publicly retrievable, so this page is built from parameter documentation and community testing. Treat the behaviour notes as well-established practice rather than vendor statement, and verify in-app before relying on a detail.

The checklist

Before you send it:

1 — Subject early in the prompt?□

2 — Exactly one --no, at the end?□

3 — Every exclusion comma-separated?□

4 — Aspect ratio set deliberately?□

5 — Checked which model version is current before reusing an old prompt?□

SOURCE

Midjourney parameter documentation and community testing, Aug 2026. Secondary sourcing — Midjourney's docs are not publicly retrievable.

Model versions and vendor documentation both move. Re-read the source before relying on a specific number. Errors are logged at corrections.

Every other sheet in this set: all model cheat sheets.