A Beginner’s Guide to Midjourney Commands

When I first tried Midjourney, the official documentation left me confused about the commands. In this guide, I’ll clear things up by explaining each command’s purpose, how and when to use it, so you can quickly become a master of the commands.

Basic Commands | Shortcut Commands | Custom Option Commands

What is Commands In Midjourney?

In Midjourney, commands are instructions that initiate actions or processes.  

Think of commands in Midjourney like the main action you want to do, such as making a picture, checking your account information, or switching between modes.

You can type / in the chat to see and choose from all the commands available in Midjourney.  

Basic Commands Every Midjourney User Should Master

The following commands are basic for any Midjourney user.

1. /imagine

What it does: Starts creating images based on your text description.

How to use it: Just type /imagine followed by the description you have in mind, right into the chat.

When to use it: It’s the primary command for turning textual descriptions into visual art in Midjourney. Use it whenever you want to create an image in Midjourney on Discord.

**Want to learn how to prompt more efficiently? Check out my Midjourney Prompt Guide.

2. /info

What it does: Checks your account status and data usage, helping you keep track of your subscription limits and usage statistics.

How to use it: Type /info in the chat and press enter

When to use it: Use the /info command to check your current account status, including your subscription level and how much of your image generation quota you’ve used. It’s useful for keeping track of your Midjourney fast hour usage.

3. /settings

What it does: Allows users to view and adjust their default settings for image generation, such as fast or relax modes, style, model version and more.

How to use it: Type /settings in the chat to adjust your preferences. A settings dialog will pop up. From there, click on the model drop-down list to choose different model versions. Click on any option to update your generation settings.

4. /describe

What it does: This command takes an uploaded image and generates text prompts that describe possible artistic interpretations of the image.

How to use it: Simply type /describe, upload an image, and Midjourney will give you four descriptions.

When to use it: Use this command when you’ve got an image and want to see how Midjourney turns it into text. It’s perfect for sparking new ideas or seeing the AI’s take on visual content. I find it really helpful for refining my prompting skills.

5. /blend

What it does: Combines multiple images into a single prompt for a more complex and nuanced generation.

How to use it: Use /blend followed by attaching or linking to multiple images.

When to use it: Ideal for projects requiring the fusion of elements from different sources to inspire unique creations.

Shortcut Commands for Direct Option Selection

Instead of manually adjusting options through the /settings command, you can use a shortcut command to quickly toggle options, saving you time and making you look like a Midjourney pro.

Relax, Fast and Turbo

Use the following command to switch between image generation speeds. The “relax” mode won’t use up your fast hours, but it might require patience during peak hours. On the other hand, “fast” and “turbo” modes generate images immediately after you send the request. However, keep an eye on your fast hour usage. Once exhausted, you’ll be limited to “relax” mode until your usage resets next month.

• /fast
• /relax
• /turbo

Public and Stealth

Your art creations in Midjourney are public by default. This means everyone can see your prompts and artworks either in the Midjourney server channel on Discord (if you create images through the Midjourney channel) or in the Midjourney gallery.

However, if you subscribe to the Pro or Mega plan, you have the option to switch Midjourney to private mode.

Below are the commands you can use to toggle between public and private modes.

• /Public
• /Stealth

Other Quick Toggles

After generating an image with Midjourney, you’ll see four variations. If you select one by clicking the ‘V’ button, Midjourney will create four more variations based on your choice. The degree of variation depends on your settings, which you can adjust to be high or low using a specific command.

• /prefer variability

Custom Option Commands That Save You Lots of Time

These commands are real time-savers, especially when I’m fine-tuning a collection of similar images or trying out new parameters. They simplify the process, allowing me to focus more on creativity and less on repetitive tasks.

/Prefer Option Set

What does it do?

The /Prefer Option Set command lets you save frequently used settings or URLs under a specific name for easy reuse in future prompts. I often use this feature to streamline my workflow.

How to use it?

Simply type /prefer option set, and an option box will appear. This is where you give your custom option a name.

Click on ‘Value‘, and you can enter any custom text prompt or URLs.

Once you’ve set it up, just type –option name to use the content in ‘Value‘ again, avoiding the need for repetitive typing.

Real-life examples:

I often use a series of photos as character reference to create consistent character in Midjourney, instead of copying and pasting all URLs each time, I can create a prefer option, copy and paste all the URls in Value area, and save the option as ‘Allison‘, just as an example.  

Then, use –cref –Allison in my prompts to apply all those images as references efficiently. This method is incredibly useful for projects requiring consistent settings, streamlining the creation process.

Simply type /Prefer Option List to view your custom options.

/Prefer suffix

What it does: Adds specified parameters to end of prompt automatically.

How to use it: Use /prefer suffix followed by the parameters you want always included.

When to use it: Ideal for ensuring certain settings or parameters are consistently applied to all your image generations.

Real-life examples:

If you’re creating a set of images with consistent settings like resolution, style settings, or using the same phrases text prompt, for example

cinematic lighting, ultra detailed, –ar 14:9 –stylize 200 –chaos 40

I don’t need to type this out every single time in your prompt. Just set them in my preferred suffix, and they’ll be automatically attached to the end of my prompt.

I don’t need to type the rest.

This makes the creation process much more efficient and keeps your images consistently styled.

Wrapping Up

Well, these commands pretty much cover everything you need to know to master Midjourney.

Other commands, like /subscribe, /faq, /help, and so on, aren’t used as frequently. They’re mainly for accessing specific service sections. You can find a complete list in the official documentation.

Hope you find this guide helpful!