Creative vs Verbatim Mode

Understand how Wonda handles your prompts and when to use each mode.

The two modes

Mode	Prompt handling	Best for
Creative	Wonda may enhance, rewrite, or expand your prompt to produce higher-quality results.	Exploration, brainstorming, getting the best possible output from a rough idea.
Verbatim	Your prompt is passed to the model exactly as written, with no modification.	Deterministic workflows, testing, when you need precise control over the output.

Why this matters

In creative mode, Wonda may transform a short prompt into a detailed one. For example:

Your prompt A sunset

After creative rewriting A breathtaking sunset over a calm ocean, golden and crimson hues reflecting on the water's surface, wispy clouds catching the last light, cinematic composition with rule of thirds

This often produces better images, but if you've already crafted a precise prompt, the rewriting may change your intent. Verbatim mode solves this.

Where each mode applies

API surface	Default mode	How to switch
Direct endpoints	Always verbatim	N/A -- verbatim is the only mode.
Chat API	Creative	Set `passthroughPrompt: true` on the message.

Recommendation for API consumers

If you are building an automated pipeline where prompts are pre-crafted or generated by your own system, use verbatim mode (direct endpoints or passthroughPrompt: true). This ensures the model receives exactly what you send, making your outputs predictable and reproducible.

Use creative mode when you want Wonda to help improve short or vague prompts -- for example, when surfacing generation to end users who may type brief descriptions.

Example: Chat API with verbatim mode

cURL

curl -X POST https://api.wondercat.ai/api/v1/chats/chat_abc123/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "message": "Generate a 16:9 image of a golden retriever on a beach",
    "passthroughPrompt": true
  }'

With passthroughPrompt: true, the prompt "Generate a 16:9 image of a golden retriever on a beach" is used as-is, with no creative enhancement.