Pika AI · Prompt Guide

Pika AI Prompts: Formula, Examples and Tips

A good Pika prompt reads like a shot list: look, subject, action, camera, sound, and what to leave out. This guide shows how to write prompts for Pika's current tools, including Pika H3 Flex, Pika 2.5, Pikaswaps, Pikadditions and Pikaffects, with copy-ready examples for cinematic shots, ads, animation and social clips.

Copy prompts → The formula

One formula for every model
Camera & style word lists
Negative prompts
Fixes for bad results

Brutalist scene made with Pika H3 Flex · Video credit: Pika (pika.art)

📌 About these prompts The structure on this page follows the patterns Pika uses in its own official examples and API docs, linked below. The example prompts are written by Pika AI Guide as ready-to-copy starting points. We haven't run each one through Pika, and results vary between runs, so generate a short draft first and adjust.

Prompts by Tool

How Prompting Differs Across Pika's Tools

Each Pika tool reads the prompt differently. Match your writing to the tool you're using.

Tool	What the prompt does	Write it like
Pika H3 Flex	Describes scenes, motion, dialogue, ambience and music; can tag @Image, @Video and @Audio references	A timed shot list with separate Sound and Music lines
Pika 2.5	Describes the full shot; an optional negative prompt lists what to avoid	A detailed visual description plus exclusions
Pikaswaps	Describes the replacement and what must stay the same; the region is a text description or a mask	"Replace X with Y, keeping A and B exactly the same"
Pikadditions	Adds a new element into an existing video	What to add, where, and how it moves
Pikaffects	You choose a named effect (Melt, Inflate, Explode, Squish…) rather than writing a prompt	No prompt needed. Pick the effect and upload an image.

From Pika's API specs for Pika 2.5, Pikaswaps and Pikaffects, and the H3 Flex model card.

The Formula

The Pika Prompt Formula

1
Look
Style, lens, film look and colour palette: "cinematic, 35mm, warm golden hour".
2
Subject & scene
Who or what, where, and the lighting. Be specific about clothing, materials and props.
3
Action
One clear action per shot. On H3 Flex you can time it: "0–3s… 3–6s…".
4
Camera
One move with a speed word: "slow dolly in", "steady handheld follow".
5
Sound (H3 Flex)
Separate "Sound:" and "Music:" lines, with dialogue in quotes.
6
Exclusions
"No text, no logos, no subtitles", or use the negative prompt field.

🧩 Fill-in-the-blanks template

Look: [style], [lens], [palette]. Scene: [subject] in [location], [lighting]. Action: [one clear action], [speed]. Camera: [one move], [speed]. Sound: [ambience], [effects]. Music: [genre, mood] or No music. No text. No subtitles.

💡 Pika's own example style Pika's Pika 2.5 API example is a long, detailed description of subject, setting, wardrobe, lighting and style. It ends with an exclusion line: "No text, no logos, no wordmarks, no watermarks."

Prompt Library

Copy-Ready Pika AI Prompts

Paste into Pika, then change the subject and details. The ones with Sound lines are written for H3 Flex; on Pika 2.5, drop the Sound and Music lines.

🎬 Cinematic

Rainy neon street

Look: neo-noir, 35mm anamorphic, film grain, teal and amber palette. A detective in a long coat walks through a rain-soaked neon alley at night, reflections in puddles. Camera: slow tracking shot from behind, steady. Sound: rain on metal, distant traffic. Music: low synth drone. No text. No subtitles.

Desert reveal

Look: epic cinematic, wide lens, golden hour haze. A lone rider on horseback crests a sand dune as the sun sets behind them. Camera: slow crane up revealing endless dunes. Sound: wind over sand, horse breathing. Music: sweeping strings. Normal real-time speed, no slow motion.

🛍️ Product ads

Hero product spin

Look: premium studio commercial, soft key light, clean grey backdrop, shallow depth of field. A matte black wireless headphone rotates slowly on a turntable, light gliding across the ear cups. Camera: slow orbit, macro detail at the end. Sound: soft whoosh. Music: minimal electronic beat. No text, no logos, no watermarks.

Product from reference (H3 Flex)

Keep the exact shape, colour and label of the bottle in @Image1. The bottle stands on wet stone by a waterfall, droplets running down the glass, morning mist. Camera: slow push in to a close-up of the label. Sound: rushing water, birdsong. No music. No subtitles. No other text.

✨ Animation & stylised

Claymation

Look: stop-motion claymation, visible fingerprints in clay, warm pastel palette. A small clay fox baker pulls a tray of glowing bread from a tiny oven and sniffs it happily. Camera: static medium shot. Sound: oven door creak, cheerful hum. Music: playful ukulele.

Anime moment

Look: hand-drawn anime, soft cel shading, summer pastel sky. A girl in a school uniform stands on a rooftop as cherry blossom petals swirl around her, hair moving in the wind. Camera: slow push in to her face. Sound: wind, distant train. Music: gentle piano.

🗣️ Dialogue (H3 Flex)

Two-person kitchen scene

Look: bright sitcom, multi-camera lighting, warm kitchen set. [Shot 1] Medium shot. MAYA, holding a burnt cake, says: "It's supposed to look like this." [Shot 2] Close-up. LEO raises an eyebrow and says: "Sure it is." Sound: kitchen ambience, studio audience laughter after Leo's line. No music. No subtitles.

Scroll-stopping hook

Vertical 9:16. Look: bright, high-contrast, phone-camera feel. A cat in tiny sunglasses slides across a kitchen floor on a skateboard and stops perfectly in front of the camera. Camera: handheld, quick whip to follow. Sound: skateboard wheels, record scratch at the stop. Music: upbeat hip-hop loop.

Satisfying transform

Vertical 9:16. Look: clean macro, soft daylight. A plain white sneaker on a table slowly melts into colourful liquid paint that reforms into a rainbow sneaker. Camera: static close-up. Sound: gentle drip and squish. No music. No text.

🔄 Editing prompts (Pikaswaps & Pikadditions)

Pikaswaps: background swap

Replace the city skyline behind the man with a snowy mountain range at sunrise, keeping the man, his jacket and the balcony railing exactly the same.

Pikadditions: add a character

Add a small friendly robot that walks in from the left, waves at the person, and sits down beside them on the bench.

The Pikaswaps pattern follows Pika's own API example, which asks to replace a train-window view while keeping the passenger and cabin unchanged. More: Pikaswaps guide, Pikadditions guide and H3 Flex prompts.

Cheat Sheet

Camera, Style and Mood Words That Work

🎥

Camera moves

Slow dolly in · dolly out · tracking shot · orbit · crane up · aerial drone shot · handheld follow · whip pan · static tripod · rack focus · close-up · wide shot

🎨

Styles

Cinematic · photoreal · anime · claymation · stop-motion · 3D animated · watercolour · pixel art · vintage VHS · documentary · noir · surreal

💡

Lighting

Golden hour · blue hour · neon · soft window light · hard rim light · candlelit · overcast · studio softbox · volumetric haze

⏱️

Speed & motion

Real-time speed · no slow motion · gentle · snappy · smooth continuous movement · one continuous shot, no cuts

Negative Prompts

Telling Pika What to Leave Out

Pika 2.5 and Pikaswaps have a separate negative prompt field for "text describing what to avoid in the video". With H3 Flex, put exclusions at the end of the main prompt instead.

Negative prompt starter

text, logos, watermarks, subtitles, blurry, distorted hands, extra limbs, flicker, low quality

Clean product shot: no stray text or logos · Credit: Pika (pika.art)

Pikaffects

Pikaffects: Effects Without a Prompt

Pikaffects work from an image plus an effect name, so there's nothing to write. Some effects have an editable recipe prompt you can override. Current effects include:

🫠

Physics effects

Melt, Inflate, Deflate, Explode, Crush, Squish, Dissolve, Crumble, Peel, Tear, Levitate, Poke, Cake-ify

🪞

"Me" transformations

Baby Me, 90s Me, Action Me, Hero Me, Museum Me, Warrior Me, Zen Me, Princess Me, Royal Me

💘

Fun & romance

Balloonify it, Hearts Bouquet, Love Bomb, Cupid Strike, Proposal, Ta-da, Magic Polaroid, Everythings Bonsai

Effect names from Pika's Pikaffects API spec, which lists over 60. More: Pika effects.

Inspiration

Official Pika Examples

Clips from Pika's H3 Flex showcase. Study the look, motion and sound each one combines.

Knitted world: a strong material style

Gothic wardrobe: fashion and lighting

Farm scene: natural motion and ambience

Fix It

Common Prompt Problems and Fixes

Problem	Try this
Result ignores half the prompt	Cut it down to one subject, one action and one camera move
Random text or watermark-like marks	End with "No text, no logos, no watermarks", or use the negative prompt
Everything in slow motion	Add "Normal real-time speed, no slow motion."
Camera does too much	One move per shot, plus a speed word (slow, steady)
Character changes between clips	Use the same image reference and repeat the same description
Unwanted music or subtitles (H3 Flex)	Add "No music." and "No subtitles."
Short prompt gets "improved" away	On H3 Flex, turn the prompt rewriter off for detailed prompts
Swap changes the wrong area	Describe the region clearly or use a mask, and list what to keep
Physics looks wrong	Simplify the action. Pika lists physics as an area still improving.

More help: H3 Flex troubleshooting.

Step by Step

How to Use a Prompt in Pika

1
Choose a model
Pick H3 Flex for sound and dialogue, or Pika 2.5 for visual-only clips.
2
Paste and personalise
Copy a prompt, then swap in your subject, setting and style.
3
Set aspect ratio and length
9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts; 16:9 for YouTube. Start with 5 seconds.
4
Generate a cheap draft
Use a lower resolution first. H3 Flex costs 10 credits per 5 s at 768p.
5
Change one thing at a time
Adjust the camera, look or action, regenerate, then finish your best take at a higher resolution.

"NOVA" made with Pika H3 Flex · Credit: Pika (pika.art)

FAQ

Pika AI Prompts FAQ

What is the best prompt structure for Pika AI?+

Look, subject and scene, one clear action, one camera move, then sound and exclusions. On H3 Flex, add timed beats and separate Sound and Music lines.

Should Pika prompts be long or short?+

Detailed but focused. Pika's own Pika 2.5 example is long and specific, but every detail serves one shot. Avoid stacking several actions or conflicting styles.

Does Pika support negative prompts?+

Yes. Pika 2.5 and Pikaswaps have a negative prompt field. With H3 Flex, write exclusions such as "No subtitles" at the end of the prompt.

Do Pikaffects need a prompt?+

No. You choose an effect by name, such as Melt, Inflate or Squish, and upload an image.

How do I add sound with a prompt?+

Use Pika H3 Flex, which generates audio. Add a "Sound:" line for ambience and effects, a "Music:" line, and dialogue in quotes after the speaker's name.

Why doesn't my result match my prompt?+

Results vary between runs. Simplify to one action and one camera move, remove conflicting styles, and change one thing at a time between drafts.