# How to use Kling AI: make short videos from a prompt or a photo

> Kling AI is an AI video generator from the Chinese company Kuaishou. You type a description, or upload a photo and describe what moves, and Kling makes a short video clip, often with sound. It runs on the website kling.ai and suits social clips, product shots and short stories told in keyframes. This page shows what it makes, when another tool fits better, and how to start.

Mindket editors · Published 2026-11-06 · Updated 2026-11-06 · https://mindket.com/learn/tools/kling

## In short

- Kling turns a text prompt or one photo into a short video, and Kuaishou, a large short-video company, makes it.
- Kling 4.0 went fully live on kling.ai on 15 October 2026, and its launch video lists native 30-second clips.
- Non-members must keep Kling's brand and logo on their clips, and watermark removal is for members.
- Type kling.ai yourself. Fake Kling sites and ads spread malware in 2025.
- Start with one subject and one camera move per clip.

## What Kling AI is

Kling AI is a video generator made by Kuaishou, a Beijing-based technology company that also runs a popular short video platform. You describe a scene in words, and Kling draws it as moving video. It first opened for public testing in June 2024, inside Kuaishou's KuaiYing editing app.

It runs in a web browser on kling.ai, the international site, while klingai.com serves China. The newest model, Kling 4.0, was announced as fully available on kling.ai on 15 October 2026. Use is freemium: Kling's payment policy says non-members keep its brand and logo on what they make, and paid memberships add things such as watermark removal and video extension.

## What Kling AI is good for

- **Clips from a text prompt**: a paper boat in a rain gutter, a product turning on a table. Kling calls this Text to Video.
- **A photo that moves**: upload a start picture and describe only the motion. Kling calls this Image to Video.
- **Longer single shots**: Kling's launch video lists native 30-second generation for version 4.0, and a tutorial on version 3.0 covers clips up to 15 seconds.
- **A short story across keyframes**: give a start, a middle and an end picture. Kling 4.0 takes up to 10 keyframes, its launch video says.
- **The same character or product in every shot**: Elements in version 3.0, and Omni Reference in 4.0, which takes up to 15 references.
- **Talking characters**: the tutorials show an AI avatar tool and a lip-sync tool that matches a mouth to speech.

## When to use Kling AI, and when to pick another tool

| Your job | Use Kling? | Or try |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A short clip for a social post or an ad | Yes. Members' commercial use is not restricted, in Kling's words | Gemini's video tools, which need a Google AI plan |
| A free first try at AI video | Possible, but non-members keep Kling's brand and logo on the clip | Runway or Adobe Firefly, which list free allowances |
| A clip with sound or speech | Yes. Kling 4.0 lists stereo audio and lip sync | ElevenLabs, if you only need the voice |
| A still picture with words in it | Not the best fit | Ideogram |
| A clip on a politically sensitive topic | Often no. Wikipedia, citing a 2024 TechCrunch report, says Kling refuses such prompts | An open model such as Wan in ComfyUI on your own computer |
| A song or background music | No | Suno |

## How to use Kling AI, step by step

These steps are for Kling's website. Menus move when the app updates, so they stick to the parts that stay put: signing in, the two ways to start and the main buttons.

1. Open [kling.ai](https://kling.ai/) yourself by typing it in the address bar, then sign up. Fake Kling sites and ads spread malware in 2025, so skip any link in an ad.
2. After you sign in, open the video tool and choose **Text to Video** to start from words, or **Image to Video** to start from a picture.
3. For Image to Video, upload your start picture. A clear photo or illustration with one main subject gives the clip something firm to move.
4. Type your prompt: the subject, what it does, how the camera moves and the light. Keep to one move per clip.
5. Choose the model version, the clip length and the shape (wide, square or tall). Kling spends credits on each clip, so check the credit cost near the button before you press it.
6. Press **Generate** and wait for the clip to render.
7. Watch the whole clip with the sound on. If one thing is off, change only that part of the prompt and generate again.
8. Download the clip. Free use keeps Kling's brand and logo on it, and removing them is a member feature.

1. After you sign in, open the video tool and choose **Text to Video** to start from words, or **Image to Video** to start from a picture.
   ![An illustration of Kling's dark video page with a gold ring around the Text to Video and Image to Video switch.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/kling-1-text-to-video.webp?v=e96e7557ad39)
2. Type your prompt in the box: the subject, what it does, how the camera moves and the light. Keep to one move per clip.
   ![An illustration of Kling with a paper boat prompt typed in the box and a gold ring around it.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/kling-2-prompt-box.webp?v=4c5e41ec694d)
3. Choose the model, the clip length and the shape in the row under the prompt.
   ![An illustration of Kling with a gold ring around the Model, Length and Shape fields under the prompt.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/kling-3-settings.webp?v=5ce63b52e9d8)
4. Check the credit cost on the **Generate** button, then press it and wait for the clip to render.
   ![An illustration of Kling with a gold ring around the Generate button and its credit cost.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/kling-4-generate.webp?v=b1f0db24f38d)

*AI-made illustrations of Kling's screens, drawn on 6 November 2026 to match these steps. They are not screenshots, so the real app may look different: follow what you see.*

> The tutorials at the top of this page show these steps on screen. Kling changes its menus now and then, so if a name differs, follow the one you see.

## An example to try

Paste this prompt after choosing Text to Video. It names one subject, one camera move, the light and the sound, and no more.

````text
A paper boat drifts down a rain gutter after a storm, seen from just
above the water. The camera follows the boat slowly from behind. Late
afternoon light, puddles reflecting a gray sky, small ripples around the
boat. Sound: rain dripping and a faint splash. No people, no text.
````

- The boat stays in frame from start to end, and the water ripples around it.
- The camera trails the boat from behind at a steady pace.
- The light looks like late afternoon, with a gray sky in the puddles.
- No people and no text appear. If your model makes sound, you hear drips and a faint splash.
- If the boat drifts out of frame, change only the camera line and run it again.

## Tips for better results

- Name the camera move in plain words: a slow push in, a pan, a follow shot or a still hold.
- Describe the sound if your model makes it. Kling's launch video lists stereo audio and more accurate lip sync for version 4.0.
- Give each reference picture a job in the prompt: which one is the face, which is the outfit, which is the place.
- Try a short clip before a long one. Shorter clips use fewer credits on most platforms, so a bad prompt costs less.
- Move to Multi-Shot only after a single shot works. The Kling 3.0 tutorial separates Single Shot, Multi-Shot and Custom Multi-Shot.

## What to know before you pay

- Free clips keep Kling's brand and logo. Kling's payment policy says non-members must leave them on, and that watermark removal and video extension are for members only.
- Kling's [payment policy](https://kling.ai/docs/payment-policy) says members' commercial use is not restricted. Read the policy yourself before a clip goes into an ad.
- Kling spends credits on each clip. Its [credits policy](https://kling.ai/docs/point-policy) sets how they work, so read it before you buy a membership.
- Kling blocks some topics. Wikipedia, citing a 2024 TechCrunch report, says it refuses prompts on sensitive subjects such as politics, protests or criticism of the government.
- API access for enterprise customers and developers was listed as coming soon in Kling's 15 October 2026 post. Check whether it has arrived before you plan an app on it.
- A photo of a real person needs that person's consent.

## YouTube tutorials

- [Kling AI Tutorial | The Complete Guide (Beginner to Pro)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpPSYsbSuGU) (Jason Gandy)
- [Kling 3.0 for Beginners: Step-by-Step Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ZdUrE6pfA) (AI Savvy)
- [Kling AI 4.0 Tutorial | How to Make Cinematic AI Videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzOH1v5GaW0) (FILM CRUX)
- [Meet KLING 4.0 | You Call the Shots](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlM7kL3kv_Y) (Kling AI)

## Learn more about Kling AI

- [Best AI video generator in 2026: which one to use for each job](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-tools/best-ai-video-generator)
- [How to make AI videos with Gemini and Google Flow](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-images-video/make-ai-video)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kling AI free?

Partly. Kling's payment policy says non-members must keep Kling's brand and logo on what they make, which means clips exist without a membership, and members get watermark removal and video extension. The policy pages read for this site state no free allowance, so check the sign-up screen for the current one.

### Who makes Kling AI?

Kuaishou, a Chinese technology company founded in 2011, makes Kling. It also operates a popular short video platform, and Kling first opened for public testing inside its KuaiYing editing app in June 2024.

### How long can a Kling video be?

It depends on the model. Kling's launch video lists native 30-second generation for Kling 4.0, and a tutorial on Kling 3.0 covers clips up to 15 seconds.

### Can I use Kling videos in ads?

Members can. Kling's payment policy says members' commercial use is not restricted. Non-members must keep Kling's brand and logo on the clip, so a free clip is a poor fit for an ad.

### Can Kling make videos with sound?

Yes, in version 4.0. Its launch video lists high-quality stereo audio and more accurate lip sync, and its tutorials show an avatar tool and a lip-sync tool. Check the settings of the model you pick.

### Is the Kling AI website safe?

Kling.ai is the company's international site, but fake Kling sites and ads spread malware in 2025. Type kling.ai yourself, and do not download a Kling app from an ad.

### What is the difference between kling.ai and klingai.com?

[Kling.ai](https://kling.ai/) is the international site and [klingai.com](https://klingai.com/) is the one for China, according to Wikipedia. Create your account on the one that matches where you are.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Kling AI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kling_AI) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Kling AI: Payment policy](https://kling.ai/docs/payment-policy) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Kling AI: Credits policy](https://kling.ai/docs/point-policy) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Google: Google AI plans (US)](https://gemini.google/us/subscriptions/?hl=en) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Runway: Pricing](https://runway.com/pricing) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Adobe: Firefly plans](https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly/plans.html) (read 2026-11-06)
- [GitHub: Wan-Video/Wan2.2](https://github.com/Wan-Video/Wan2.2) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Kling AI on X, 15 October 2026](https://x.com/Kling_ai/status/2110747537187709424) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Kling AI on YouTube: Meet KLING 4.0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlM7kL3kv_Y) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Jason Gandy on YouTube: Kling AI Tutorial, The Complete Guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpPSYsbSuGU) (read 2026-11-06)
- [AI Savvy on YouTube: Kling 3.0 for Beginners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ZdUrE6pfA) (read 2026-11-06)
- [FILM CRUX on YouTube: Kling AI 4.0 Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzOH1v5GaW0) (read 2026-11-06)

[Start the lesson](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-tools/best-ai-video-generator)