Beginner's Guide to Midjourney

Start on the Website

Midjourney generates images from text descriptions and reference images. You can begin on the website; Discord is an optional interface. This guide follows the website workflow and was checked against Midjourney's documentation on September 8, 2026.

1. Sign in at midjourney.com. Follow the account connection guide if you already have a Discord-based account, so you keep the same account and subscription.
2. Review the subscription options shown in your account before purchasing. Check the current allowance and renewal terms rather than relying on an old price or GPU-minute count.
3. Open the Create page and locate the Imagine bar.

There is currently no free trial on midjourney.com or in Discord. The separate niji・journey app has its own limited trial; do not assume it applies to the website. See the official trial information.

Create and Review Your First Image

Enter a short description in the Imagine bar and submit it. For example:

a cozy coffee shop interior, warm lighting, wooden furniture, photographic style

The website generates a set of images. Review the composition, unwanted details and suitability for your project before choosing one. The getting started guide shows the current interface.

You can continue with variations, upscaling or editing where the selected model supports them. The available controls can vary by version; use the creation editing documentation for the action you need. Discord instructions involving U1–U4 buttons are not website instructions.

Build a Clear Prompt

Describe the subject, setting, medium and lighting that matter to the result. Add a framing instruction when composition is important. Start with one idea, then change one aspect at a time so you can see what affected the result. See Prompt Basics.

These are practice examples, not benchmarked claims of guaranteed results:

• Portrait: portrait of a person with freckles, soft window light, shallow depth of field, editorial photograph
• Product: ceramic coffee cup on a dark stone surface, studio lighting, subtle reflection, product photograph
• Architecture: modern small house in a forest, large windows, warm interior lighting at dusk, architectural visualization
• Illustration: enchanted forest with glowing plants, storybook watercolor illustration

Use these descriptions as starting points and adapt them to your own brief.

Adjust Parameters Deliberately

Parameters go after the descriptive text. For example, --ar 16:9 changes the aspect ratio. Other controls include --no for unwanted elements, --stylize for style influence and --quality for processing/detail choices. Supported values and behavior depend on the model version; check the parameter list before reusing settings from an older guide.

For a small practice session:

1. Generate a simple scene and save the prompt and selected settings.
2. Change only the lighting description and compare the result.
3. Try a different aspect ratio and inspect the framing.
4. Change the medium from photograph to watercolor and compare the visual style.
5. Keep the result that fits your brief, then inspect edges, text and other details before export.

Each generation uses your plan's resources. Choose the number of experiments according to the allowance shown in your account.

Questions Before Continuing

Do I need Discord? No. You can use the website. If you prefer Discord, follow the official Discord guide.

Which version should I choose? Start with the version selected in your settings and consult its documentation before adding version-specific controls. A prompt written for an older version may behave differently.

Can I use an image in a client project? Check the current terms for your subscription and intended use, and review any rights associated with reference material. This guide does not establish a license for a particular image.