If you manage a WordPress site, your Media Library is likely a "black hole" of missing metadata.
We all know the drill: You upload a dozen images for a post, promise yourself you’ll add the alt text later for SEO and accessibility, and then... you never do. Fast forward a year, and you have thousands of images with filenames like IMG_5839.jpg and zero descriptive text.
The Problem: Manual Doesn't Scale
Writing high-quality alt text manually takes about 30–45 seconds per image.
- 100 images = ~1 hour of mind-numbing work.
- 1,000 images = A full workday lost.
I decided to stop ignoring the problem and automate it. Here is how I processed 160 images in under 5 minutes.
Why Alt Text Actually Matters
Alt text isn’t just an "accessibility checkbox." It serves three critical functions:
- Search Engine Context: Google uses alt text to understand the subject matter of an image. No text = lost rankings in Image Search.
- User Experience: If an image fails to load, the alt text maintains the page's layout and context.
- Accessibility (WCAG): For the 15% of users who rely on screen readers, alt text is the only way they can "see" your content.
The Solution: Alt Audit WordPress Plugin
After solving this for several clients, I built Alt Audit. It’s an all-in-one accessibility and SEO tool designed specifically for WordPress.
Key Features:
- Site-Wide Audit: Instantly find every image missing alt text.
- Bulk Generation: Fix hundreds of images at once using AI or rule-based patterns.
- Set and Forget: Automatically generate alt text for new uploads.
My Strategy: The Two-Layer Approach
I don’t use AI for everything. To save credits and maintain consistency, I use a hybrid system within the plugin:
1. Rule-Based Generation (Fast & Free)
For structured pages like WooCommerce products, patterns work best.
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Pattern:
{Page Title} – {Image Name} | {Brand} - Result: "Summer Collection 2024 – Blue Linen Dress | Fashion Store"
2. AI-Powered Generation (Contextual)
For blog posts and complex visuals, the plugin uses the Google Gemini AI engine to "see" the image.
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Before:
man-on-laptop.jpg(No alt text) - After: "A developer wearing headphones working on a React project in a modern coffee shop."
Pricing & Free Credits
I wanted to make this accessible for developers and small site owners:
- 🎉 Free Forever Plan: You get 25 AI credits every single month for free. No credit card required.
- Unlimited Rule-Based Generation: Use patterns for free on as many images as you want.
- Affordable Scaling: For massive legacy libraries, plans start at for 5$ you get 800 credits/month, for 19$ you get 3,000 credits/month, for 39$ you get 8,000 credits/month
Final Thoughts
Accessibility shouldn't be a chore that we "get to eventually." With the current state of AI, there is no longer a technical or time-based excuse to have an inaccessible website.
How are you handling image SEO right now? Are you still writing them one by one, or have you tried automation?
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