What is the score_9 chain and why is it required?

Pony Diffusion was trained with an aesthetic-scoring system, so it expects a descending chain of score tags at the front of the prompt — typically score_9, score_8_up, score_7_up, score_6_up, score_5_up, score_4_up. This chain is the single most important thing for getting clean PDXL output, and omitting it usually produces flat, low-quality images.

What does the source tag do?

Pony groups its training data by source, so tags like source_anime, source_pony, source_furry, and source_cartoon strongly steer the overall style. Adding the right source tag is how you move PDXL between anime, realistic-leaning, and furry aesthetics.

What CFG and steps work for Pony Diffusion XL?

A CFG of about 6–8 and around 25–30 steps with a sampler like Euler Ancestral or DPM++ 2M Karras is a reliable starting point. Pony tolerates a wide range, but very high CFG tends to over-saturate as with most SDXL models.

Do I still need a negative prompt with the score chain?

Yes. A negative score chain (score_4, score_5, score_6) plus standard quality negatives like worst quality, low quality, and bad anatomy meaningfully improves output. The builder includes a ready-made negative preset you can copy alongside the positive prompt.

Pony Diffusion XL Prompt Guide

Pony Diffusion XL prompting

Pony Diffusion XL (PDXL) is one of the most capable SDXL fine-tunes, spanning anime, semi-realistic, and furry styles from a single checkpoint — but it has its own non-obvious prompting conventions. Get the score chain and source tag right and it produces clean, controllable images; skip them and output looks flat. This guide assembles the correct prefix and settings for you.

How it works

Pony was trained with an explicit aesthetic-scoring scheme, so it expects a descending score chain at the very front of the prompt: score_9, score_8_up, score_7_up, score_6_up, score_5_up, score_4_up. This chain is the heart of PDXL prompting and is essentially mandatory. After it comes a source tag — source_anime, source_pony, source_furry, or source_cartoon — which steers the overall style, followed by a rating tag (this builder centers on rating_safe) and then your subject tags. The tool builds that prefix for your chosen style and pairs it with a recommended negative preset and CFG/step settings.

Tips and notes

Never omit the score chain. It’s the difference between crisp and muddy output — always lead with it.
The source tag is your style switch. Same subject, different source_* tag, very different look. Experiment to find your aesthetic.
Use the negative score chain too. Pairing positive score_9... with negative score_4, score_5, score_6 sharpens results noticeably.
Moderate CFG. Around 7 with ~28 steps is a dependable baseline; back off if colors look over-saturated.