How to write AI motion graphics prompts: a practical guide with examples

Kario Team · October 1, 2026 · 4 min read

Give an AI motion graphics tool a topic, and it will make a video about the topic. Give it a brief, and it will make your video. Most disappointing first passes come from the first kind of prompt.

This guide covers what a strong motion graphics prompt contains, with before-and-after examples you can adapt.

The anatomy of a strong prompt

You don't need all six every time. But each one you leave out is a decision you're letting the AI make for you.

1. Goal: say what the video is for

"A video about our new feature" has no goal. "Get existing customers to try bulk export this week" does, and it changes the video: it should show the feature working, assume the viewer knows the product, and end on where to find it.

2. Audience: name who's watching, and where

Developers on X, buyers on LinkedIn and shoppers on Reels need different pacing, vocabulary and framing. Say it in a line: "Product managers at mid-size SaaS companies, watching in the LinkedIn feed with the sound off."

"Sound off" alone changes the video: every important line needs to be on screen.

3. Content: give the exact words and assets

AI fills gaps with plausible filler. Don't leave gaps where accuracy matters:

• Headlines you've already written, in quotes.
• Numbers, exact: prices, stats, dates.
• Your logo, screenshots and product URL. Attach them instead of describing them. Kario reads a pasted URL for your page's facts and wording.

4. Structure: list the beats

A beat is one idea on screen. Listing them in order is the single most effective thing you can add to a prompt:

Hook: "Exports used to take an afternoon." → The feature: select 200 rows, one click. → Proof: "12 seconds" counts up. → CTA: "Bulk export is live in Settings."

Four beats in 15 seconds is plenty. If you have eight, you have two videos.

5. Style: describe the look in concrete terms

"Modern and clean" describes almost every video. Give references Kario can act on:

• Palette: "Black background, white type, one accent in #3B82F6."
• Type: "Big, tight, bold sans headlines. Short lines."
• Motion feel: "Snappy, confident moves that settle quickly" vs "slow, calm fades and drifts."
• What to avoid: "No stock photos. No gradients."

If you're unsure, let Kario propose directions and pick one. Choosing between three concrete options is easier than inventing one.

6. Format: length, ratio and sound

"15 seconds, 9:16, with music, no voiceover" settles four decisions in one line. For a narrated video, say the language and the voice you want, and ask to approve the script before anything is animated.

Before and after

Before: Make a video for our project management app launch.

After: A 20-second launch video for Tasklane, 16:9, for team leads at startups, sound on with music. Goal: get signups on launch day. Beats: "Your standup, minus the meeting." → the board updating itself as teammates check in (use the attached screenshots) → "Saves 3 hours a week per team" → logo and "tasklane.com". Style: off-white background, black type, our green (#16A34A) as the only accent, crisp UI movement, no stock imagery.

The second prompt is longer, but every line in it is a decision you'd otherwise spend a revision round on.

Giving notes on the first pass

The prompt gets you a first pass. Notes get you the finished video. Good notes are:

• Located: "In the proof scene…" rather than "somewhere in the middle…"
• Specific: "Hold '3 hours' for a full second" rather than "make it more impactful."
• One problem per note: easier to apply, easier to check.

And remember that you don't have to prompt your way to every fix. Every layer in a Kario project is editable, so for a typo or a nudge, select the layer and change it directly. Use chat for changes that touch many layers at once, like pacing, colour or a new scene.

Prompt template

A [length], [aspect ratio] video for [audience], watching on [platform], [sound on/off]. Goal: [what they should do or remember]. Beats: [beat 1] → [beat 2] → [beat 3] → [CTA]. Use [attached assets / URL]. Style: [background], [type], [accent colour], [motion feel]. Avoid: [anything you don't want].

Try it

Fill in the template and brief Kario. Try it with a single video for $19.