# Prompting Syntax

InvokeAI supports Compel-style prompt weighting and prompt functions for `SD 1.5` and `SDXL` text conditioning workflows. Recent model families, including `FLUX`, `Z-Image`, `CogView4`, and `Qwen Image`, bypass Compel and do not use the syntax documented on this page. This page documents syntax for those Compel-based workflows only. If you want general advice on writing better prompts, start with [Prompting Guide](/content/concepts/prompting-guide/index.html).

## Quick reference

### Supported syntax

- Increase a single word: `trees+`
- Decrease a single word: `fog-`
- Weight a phrase: `(golden hour light)+`
- Use an exact numeric weight: `(cinematic lighting)1.25`
- Nest weights: `(portrait with (blue eyes)1.3)1.1`
- Blend prompts: `("portrait photo", "oil painting").blend(0.7, 0.3)`
- Conjoin clauses: `("red silk dress", "studio portrait", "soft rim light").and()`
- Escape literal parentheses: `colored pencil \(medium\)`

## Attention weighting with `+` and `-`

Append `+` to increase influence, or `-` to reduce it.

```
freckles+

background crowd-

(soft rim light)++
```

Rules of thumb:

- Single words can be weighted directly.
- Multi-word phrases should be wrapped in parentheses.
- Each additional `+` compounds upward.
- Each additional `-` compounds downward in roughly 10% steps.

## Numeric weights

Use numeric weights when you want precise control instead of repeated plus or minus markers.

```
(cinematic lighting)1.25

(background crowd)0.8

(sharp focus)1.1
```

Guidelines:

- `1` is neutral.
- Values greater than `1` increase emphasis.
- Values between `0` and `1` reduce emphasis.
- Wrap the weighted phrase in parentheses.

## Grouping and nesting

You can group phrases and apply weight to the whole group, then nest another weighted phrase inside it.

```
(portrait with (blue eyes)1.3)1.1
```

In this example, the outer group strengthens the whole phrase, and the inner group gives `blue eyes` even more emphasis.

## Blend prompts with `.blend()`

Use `.blend()` to mix the meaning of two or more prompts.

```
("portrait photo, 85mm lens", "oil painting, visible brushstrokes").blend(0.7, 0.3)
```

This is most useful for combining concepts or styles that you want balanced deliberately.

Tips:

- Provide one weight for each prompt argument.
- Keeping the weights near a total of `1` makes the result easier to reason about.
- Quoted arguments are the safest choice, especially when the prompts contain commas.

## Combine clauses with `.and()`

Use `.and()` when you want separate prompt clauses encoded individually instead of as one long comma-separated sentence.

```
("red silk dress", "studio portrait", "soft rim light").and()
```

This can behave differently from:

```
red silk dress, studio portrait, soft rim light
```

If a normal prompt keeps collapsing ideas together, `.and()` is worth testing.

## Escape literal parentheses

Unescaped parentheses are treated as prompt syntax. If you want actual parentheses in the text, escape them with backslashes.

```
colored pencil \(medium\)

portrait \(realistic\) (high quality)1.2

A bear \(with razor-sharp teeth\) in a forest
```

Use unescaped parentheses only when you mean grouping or weighting.