Halloween prompts fail in predictable ways: they invent a start time, copy a character, turn a permitted photo into a different person or treat a costume idea as a safety plan. Give Gemini the facts it may use, then force it to label what it cannot know.

Start with the event record

Use a short source note before any prompt:

DATE: October 28
LOCATION: Pine Street community room
RSVP: reply by October 20
CONFIRMED: family-friendly, indoor, no food supplied
UNKNOWN: start time, accessibility details, weather contingency

The model can write a concept from that record. It cannot confirm the unknown items, and it can’t grant permission to use a child’s photo, a venue name or a copyrighted character.

Worked proof: a party invitation that keeps gaps visible

Input: the event record above and the invitation-brief prompt.

Useful result: a draft with the correct date, location and RSVP line, a moonlit-pumpkin visual direction, and [NEEDS CHECK] labels for start time and accessibility details.

Bad result: “Doors open at 6 p.m. with snacks for every guest.” Neither fact appears in the record.

Fix: rerun the prompt with “Use only the event record. Do not add time, food, price, accessibility or guest-policy details.” Then compare the final copy line by line against the source note before sending.

Choose the right prompt

Use the invitation prompt for real facts that must survive editing. Use costume concepts for a short list of original directions, then perform the physical safety and venue check yourself. Use the photo-edit prompt only when you have a supplied image and permission to edit and share it.

Google’s 2025 Halloween guidance showed image-generation ideas such as party invitations and costume transformations. That is inspiration, not permission: don’t use a prompt to mimic a protected character or publish a person’s image without consent.

Review before you share

Gemini cannot confirm that a costume is safe. Check movement, weather, venue rules and the real materials. Describe an original theme instead of copying a character from a film or game. Before sharing an edited photo, check consent, audience, identity and object count against the source at full size.