A Developer's Guide to Midjourney's --cref (Character Reference)

Midjourney's character reference (--cref) parameter is a game-changer for storytellers and developers building consistent AI characters.

What is Midjourney --cref?

The --cref tag stands for "Character Reference". It allows you to use an image as a reference for the character in your new prompt. Unlike standard image prompts that influence composition and style, --cref specifically tries to "pull" the character's features (face, hair, outfit) into the new image.

Midjourney --cref Documentation

The official parameter works by appending --cref URL to your prompt, where URL is a direct link to an image.

• --cw (Character Weight): You can modify the strength of the reference using --cw from 0 to 100.
  • --cw 100 (default): Uses the face, hair, and clothes.
  • --cw 0: Focuses only on the face (good for changing outfits/hair).

How to Use --cref (with Code Examples)

To use it manually in Discord or via an API, you structure your prompt like this:

a space warrior in a neon city --cref https://example.com/character.jpg --cw 100

Try this prompt

Using --cref with the Imagine Pro API

For developers building apps, Imagine Pro provides a stable API to use this feature programmatically.

{
  "prompt": "a cinematic shot of the character walking through a forest",
  "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
  "process_mode": "fast",
  "webhook_endpoint": "https://your-site.com/webhook",
  "ref": {
    "cref": "https://example.com/my-character.jpg",
    "cw": 100
  }
}

By integrating this into your workflow, you can generate consistent characters for comic books, game assets, or marketing materials at scale.