Important: Sora is no longer available
As of November 9, 2026, you can use Sora prompts as writing examples, but you cannot generate new videos with OpenAI’s Sora service: OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026. That means Sora is not a current choice for a new production workflow through either channel. (help.openai.com)
The prompt advice and examples below are useful as historical reference or as starting points to adapt for another video tool. Don’t assume another model supports the same controls or will produce the same results.
How to structure a Sora video prompt
A practical prompt describes the main subject and action, then adds the setting and visual details that matter. You can also describe the camera viewpoint or movement, lighting, and an overall style or mood. These are useful ways to communicate a scene—not a formal syntax or guarantee that every detail will appear.
OpenAI’s Sora 2 prompting guide recommends treating a prompt as creative direction rather than a contract: results can vary between generations, and iteration may be needed. The guide is archived and warns that it may refer to outdated models or APIs, so don’t use it as current implementation documentation. (developers.openai.com)
Adaptable structure:
[Subject] [action] in [setting]. [Important visual details]. [Camera viewpoint or movement]. [Lighting and mood]. [Optional visual style].
For example, “A cyclist rides through a quiet city street after rain. Reflections shimmer on the pavement beneath storefront lights. The camera follows at street level; the scene feels calm and cinematic.” This is an editorial example, not a tested Sora prompt or a claim about how any current model will render it.
Add details that help define the shot, but prioritize what matters most. A long list of visual instructions does not ensure they will all be followed. For another video model, check whether features such as camera movement, duration, aspect ratio, or image input are controlled in the prompt or through separate settings.
Sora video prompt examples to adapt
These are new illustrative prompt examples, not tested generations or verified outputs:
- Wildlife: “A red fox steps through fresh snow at the edge of a pine forest. Fine snow falls around it; cool morning light filters between the trees. A low, steady camera holds on the fox as it pauses and looks toward the woods.” This specifies the animal, action, setting, light, and viewpoint.
- Miniature fantasy: “A tiny paper boat drifts through a handmade coral-reef diorama. Bright fish pass between layered paper plants, while soft blue light gives the miniature scene a gentle, storybook feeling.” This defines a miniature visual medium, movement, environment, and mood.
- Urban scene: “A musician walks through a neon-lit street at dusk, carrying a closed guitar case. Recent rain reflects the signs across the pavement as pedestrians move in the background. A medium tracking shot keeps the musician in focus.” This emphasizes a main subject, background activity, wet-surface detail, and camera movement.
OpenAI’s older Sora pages also displayed prompts for scenes including a neon-lit Tokyo street, mammoths in a snowy landscape, and a papercraft coral reef. They are examples of prompt text—not proof that the same prompts can be run today or that their instructions guarantee a particular result. (openai.com)
Which Sora model or capability should you choose?
For new video generation, none of the OpenAI Sora offerings is currently available: OpenAI states that the Sora product is no longer available, and its Help Center gives separate discontinuation dates for the web/app experience and API. Historical material about Sora 2 or its former features should not be read as a current availability statement. (help.openai.com)
A community prompt collection lists capabilities such as video extension and video-to-video editing, but that page does not establish current official support. Likewise, third-party claims about Sora 2 tiers or API access do not override OpenAI’s discontinuation notice. Treat such lists as unverified unless current official documentation supports them.
Can you use Sora through a production API?
No. OpenAI says the Sora API was discontinued on September 24, 2026. A historical API guide or sample app is not evidence that the service is still available for new production integrations. Don’t build a new workflow around Sora API identifiers, endpoints, or parameters based on archived documentation. (help.openai.com)
If you are adapting a prompt for another video-generation product, evaluate that product separately. Verify its current API availability, input and output requirements, request parameters, access conditions, limits, and pricing in that provider’s current documentation; Sora’s archived prompt guidance does not establish those facts for other services.
Sources
What to know about the Sora discontinuation — OpenAI Help Center
Sora 2 Prompting Guide — OpenAI Developers