GoogleVeo 3.1 Prompt Guide
How to write Veo 3.1 prompts: a structure that works, 5 example prompts for text to video and image to video, and the settings that change the result. Copy any prompt into the Studio to try it.
- Example prompts
- 5
- 2 tasks
- Resolution
- 4K
- 720p · 1080p · 4K
- Clip length
- 4, 6, 8 s
- audio optional
- Per try from
- $0.1719/s
- 720p + audio
Structure
A Veo 3.1 prompt, piece by piece
Write in this order and keep each part concrete. Physical detail works better than mood words.
01
Subject
Who or what is on screen, with the details that must stay consistent: age, clothing, materials, colours.
02
Action
One clear action in the present tense. Keep it to one beat for short clips.
03
Camera
Shot size and movement: close-up, wide, dolly-in, orbit, handheld, drone.
04
Scene and light
Location, time of day, and where the light comes from.
05
Style
Lens, film look, colour grade or animation style.
06
Sound
Veo 3.1 can add native audio (billed at a higher rate): describe ambience, effects or dialogue when generate_audio is on.
Examples
Veo 3.1 prompt examples
Prompts written for this model, grouped by task. Open one in the Studio, then change one part at a time.
- Text to Video16:9
An old fisherman mends a net on a wooden pier at dawn and says, “Tide's turning,” gulls crying overhead
Try in Studio - Text to Video9:16
Macro shot of honey dripping onto a stack of pancakes, morning light, soft clinking of cutlery
Try in Studio - Text to Video16:9
A red vintage convertible drives along a coastal cliff road at sunset, drone shot following from behind
Try in Studio - Text to Video
A tide pool at sunrise, a tiny crab scuttles across glistening rocks, macro lens, gentle waves and gull calls
Try in Studio - Image to Video
The camera slowly pushes in as steam rises from the cup and rain streaks the window
Try in Studio
By task
Prompting each Veo 3.1 task
Text to Video
Everything comes from the text, so describe subject, action and camera explicitly. Put the most important element first.
Image to Video
The image is the first frame: describe the motion and camera from that frame instead of re-describing the picture. Add a last frame to control where the shot ends.
Settings
Settings that change the result
Set these next to the prompt — in the Studio or as API parameters.
| Setting | Options | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio aspect_ratio | 16:9 · 9:16 default 16:9 | Landscape or portrait. |
| Resolution resolution | 720p · 1080p · 4K default 720p | Output resolution. 1080p and 4K clips are always 8 seconds; 4K costs more per second. Price: 720p $0.176/s · 1080p $0.176/s · 4K $0.352/s |
| Duration duration | 4s · 6s · 8s default 8 | Clip length: 4, 6 or 8 seconds at 720p (1080p and 4K are always 8 s). You pay per second. Price: 8s $0.176/s |
| Generate audio generate_audio | on / off default true | Generate synchronized sound, ambience and dialogue. Clips with audio are billed at a higher per-second rate. |
| Negative prompt negative_prompt | — | Things to avoid in the output. |
| Seed seed | — | Use the same seed and settings to reproduce a result. Leave empty for random. |
Play to its strengths
What Veo 3.1 is good at
- Ads and brand films with spoken lines
- Realistic nature, food and product shots
- Storyboard-to-shot with first and last frames
- 4K hero shots
FAQ