---
title: "How Do I Tell AI What to Keep Unchanged? | ImageQuarry"
url: https://www.imagequarry.com/faq/how-do-i-tell-ai-what-to-keep/
last_updated: 2026-10-20
---

# How do I tell AI what to keep unchanged in an edit?

Name it in the same instruction as the change. Write the change first, then list what must stay, for example "make the jacket ivory; keep the face, hands, crop and background". Short, concrete nouns work better than "keep everything else the same", and one change per request is easiest to hold.

Models follow concrete words. "Keep the logo", "keep the label text", "keep the window light from the left" give the model something specific to protect. A vague "do not change anything else" helps, and Google's documentation uses it in its examples, but it is weaker than a list.

If the image includes a reference, say what the reference is for ("use this fabric for the jacket only") so it does not spill into the rest of the picture.

This is the wording ImageQuarry's own homepage example uses: "Use this texture on the jacket. Keep the face, hands, crop, and background." The edit arrives as a new version beside the source, so you can check each item on your keep list against it.

_Source: Google's Gemini image generation documentation and the ImageQuarry homepage, checked October 20, 2026._

Next step: [How specific should an edit instruction be?](https://www.imagequarry.com/faq/how-specific-should-an-edit-instruction-be/)

## Related questions

- [How specific should an edit instruction be?](https://www.imagequarry.com/faq/how-specific-should-an-edit-instruction-be/): Specific about the change, and about what must stay.
- [Can AI edit a photo without changing the face?](https://www.imagequarry.com/faq/can-ai-edit-a-photo-without-changing-the-face/): Usually, if you say so, but compare with the original.
- [Can I ask for several changes in one edit?](https://www.imagequarry.com/faq/can-i-ask-for-several-changes-in-one-edit/): You can, but one change per request is easier to control.
- [Can I use a reference image for color only?](https://www.imagequarry.com/faq/can-i-use-a-reference-for-color-only/): Yes, if you say the reference is for color only.

Last reviewed 2026-10-20 by ImageQuarry.

## Say the change. Say what stays

Write one instruction with the change and a short keep list, then compare the new version with the source.