Connor Bulmer

AI Auto Alt Text Generator is a lightweight, privacy-conscious plugin that uses OpenAI vision-capable models (defaulting to GPT-5.4 nano, with GPT-5.4 mini and legacy GPT-4o mini options) to create meaningful, screen-reader-friendly alt text and SEO-friendly titles for your images. Whether you add a single image, bulk-process your library, or just want a one-click fix in the Media Library, the plugin handles it all – no manual effort required.
This solution is far cheaper than many alternatives because it cuts out the middle-person. You’ll just need to bring your own OpenAI API key.
<h3>✨ Key features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Automatic alt text on upload – set-and-forget accessibility.</li>
<li>Optional automatic image titles – improve SEO with descriptive titles.</li>
<li>One-click manual generation – “Generate Alt Text & Title” button in the Media Library.</li>
<li>Bulk update tool – batch-process existing images, including those that only have filename-based alt text, with a configurable pause between batches.</li>
<li>Prompt fine-tuning – supply site-wide context and optionally include the image file name.</li>
<li>Model selection – default to GPT-5.4 nano (fastest & cheapest) or switch to GPT-5.4 mini for higher quality; legacy GPT-4o mini and GPT-5 mini/nano remain available.</li>
<li>Image size & detail control – choose the resolution and level of visual detail sent.</li>
<li>Developer-friendly – filters and actions to customise prompts, models and output, plus optional outgoing webhooks.</li>
<li>WordPress Abilities API – registers a <code>generate-alt-text</code> ability (WordPress 6.9+/7.0) so core AI, agents and automation tools can generate alt text.</li>
<li>No extra servers – data flows only between your site and OpenAI; nothing is stored off-site.</li>
<li>Multilingual output – choose English (UK), English (US) or other popular languages. (English US is the default.)</li>
</ul>
<h3>🧭 Where to find the bulk tool</h3>
<ul>
<li>Tools → Bulk Alt Text Update</li>
<li>Media → Bulk Alt Text Update (shortcut that redirects to the Tools page)</li>
<li>Settings → Alt Text Generator includes a button linking straight to the bulk page</li>
</ul>
<h3>🧠 How it works</h3>
<ol>
<li>When an image is uploaded (or manually chosen), the plugin creates a temporary public URL for that image.</li>
<li>It sends the image – plus optional context such as the parent post title, your custom site context and the file name – to your selected OpenAI vision model.</li>
<li>OpenAI returns a concise description.
<ul>
<li>Alt text is stored in WordPress’ native <code>_wp_attachment_image_alt</code> field.</li>
<li>(Optional) The returned title is stored as the attachment post title.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Nothing is cached or stored on OpenAI’s side; only the final strings live in your database.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Settings overview</h3>
<ul>
<li>OpenAI API Key – Required to connect to OpenAI.</li>
<li>OpenAI Model – GPT-5.4 nano (default), GPT-5.4 mini, or legacy GPT-4o mini / GPT-5 mini / GPT-5 nano.</li>
<li>Image Size to Send – Thumbnail, Medium, Large, or Full.</li>
<li>Image Detail Quality – ‘Low’ or ‘High’ (Low uses fewer tokens).</li>
<li>Bulk batch size – Number of images per batch (lower values reduce rate-limit risk).</li>
<li>Site Context – Optional free-form prompt guidance (brand voice, niche, etc.).</li>
<li>Send Image File Name – Include file name in the prompt for extra context.</li>
<li>Automatically Generate Title – Add descriptive titles alongside alt text.</li>
<li>Use full context for image titles – When enabled, title generation includes site context and file name (uses more tokens).</li>
<li>Bulk optimiser delay (seconds) – Pause between batches during bulk runs.</li>
<li>OpenAI request timeout (seconds) – Max wait time for OpenAI responses (10–120s) to reduce timeout failures on slower hosts.</li>
<li>Output Language – Default English (US). Choose English (UK) for British spellings or another popular language; outputs (alt text and titles) will be generated in the selected language.</li>
<li>Webhook URL & signing secret – Optionally POST generated alt text/titles to an external endpoint (with an optional HMAC-SHA256 signature) for automation and logging.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Developers</h3>
The plugin is extensible via standard WordPress hooks, an outgoing webhook, and the WordPress Abilities API.
Filters
<ul>
<li><code>aatg_alt_text_prompt</code> ( $prompt, $post_ID, $context ) – customise the alt-text prompt.</li>
<li><code>aatg_image_title_prompt</code> ( $prompt, $post_ID, $context ) – customise the title prompt.</li>
<li><code>aatg_openai_request_payload</code> ( $payload, $context, $messages ) – customise the full OpenAI request (model, messages, reasoning effort).</li>
<li><code>aatg_generated_alt_text</code> ( $alt_text, $post_ID ) – filter alt text before it is saved.</li>
<li><code>aatg_generated_title</code> ( $title, $post_ID ) – filter the title before it is saved.</li>
<li><code>aatg_is_low_quality_alt</code> ( $is_low, $alt, $post_ID ) – control which existing alt text the bulk tool regenerates.</li>
<li><code>aatg_webhook_payload</code> ( $payload, $post_ID, $result ) – customise the outgoing webhook body.</li>
<li><code>aatg_supported_image_extensions</code> ( $extensions ) – customise which image formats are sent to OpenAI (default: PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP).</li>
</ul>
Actions
<ul>
<li><code>aatg_after_alt_text_generated</code> ( $post_ID, $alt_text )</li>
<li><code>aatg_after_title_generated</code> ( $post_ID, $title )</li>
<li><code>aatg_after_generation</code> ( $post_ID, $result )</li>
</ul>
Outgoing webhook
Set a Webhook URL under Settings → Integrations & Webhooks to receive a non-blocking JSON POST after each generation. If a signing secret is set, requests include an <code>X-AATG-Signature: sha256=…</code> header (HMAC-SHA256 of the body) so your endpoint can verify authenticity.
WordPress Abilities API
On WordPress 6.9+ the plugin registers the ability <code>ai-auto-alt-text/generate-alt-text</code> (input: <code>attachment_id</code>) so WordPress core AI, agents, MCP servers and automation tools can generate alt text programmatically. Execute it with <code>wp_get_ability( 'ai-auto-alt-text/generate-alt-text' )->execute( array( 'attachment_id' => 123 ) )</code>.
<h3>External services</h3>
This plugin connects to the OpenAI API to generate alt text and (optionally) image titles.
<ul>
<li>Endpoint: <code>https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions</code></li>
<li>When called:
<ul>
<li>On image upload (automatic)</li>
<li>Via “Generate Alt Text & Title” button in Media Library (manual)</li>
<li>Via Tools → Bulk Alt Text Update (bulk)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Data sent: image URL, optional file name, optional site context, optional parent post title</li>
<li>Terms: <a href="https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use" rel="nofollow ugc">https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use</a></li>
<li>Privacy: <a href="https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy" rel="nofollow ugc">https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy</a></li>
</ul>
If you configure a Webhook URL, generated alt text/titles (and the image URL) are also sent to that endpoint you control.

AI Auto Alt Text Generator

Automatically generates alt text and image titles for your WordPress media uploads with selectable OpenAI models (defaulting to GPT-5.

ishor

Ishor Ale Magar

Smart Alt Manager is a comprehensive solution for managing image alt text across your entire WordPress website. It helps you improve accessibility, boost SEO, and ensure compliance with WCAG standards.
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bulk Alt Text Management – Edit alt text for multiple images at once</li>
<li>Bulk Actions – Delete auto-generated alt text or copy from titles in one click</li>
<li>Smart Filters – Quick filter chips to view all, missing, manual, or generated alt text</li>
<li>Quality Checker – Real-time quality scoring with visual badges (Good/Fair/Poor)</li>
<li>Dashboard Widget – See alt text coverage and statistics at a glance</li>
<li>Admin Bar Notifications – Get notified about missing alt text with quick access</li>
<li>Smart Search – Find images by filename, title, or existing alt text</li>
<li>Context-Aware Suggestions – Get intelligent suggestions based on image usage and metadata</li>
<li>Auto-Generation – Automatically generate alt text from image titles, captions, and descriptions</li>
<li>Visual Status Indicators – Color-coded interface shows which images need attention</li>
<li>Usage Tracking – See where each image is used across your site</li>
<li>Frontend Patch – Automatically adds alt text to images missing it on the frontend</li>
<li>Page Builder Support – Works with Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and more</li>
<li>WooCommerce Integration – Patches product description images automatically</li>
<li>ACF Integration – Full support for Advanced Custom Fields image fields</li>
<li>Modern Material Design – Beautiful, intuitive interface with smooth animations</li>
</ul>
<h4>Why Alt Text Matters</h4>
<ul>
<li>Accessibility: Screen readers use alt text to describe images to visually impaired users</li>
<li>SEO: Search engines use alt text to understand and rank your images</li>
<li>User Experience: Alt text displays when images fail to load</li>
<li>Legal Compliance: Many countries require accessible websites (ADA, Section 508, WCAG)</li>
</ul>
<h4>Frontend Patch</h4>
The plugin automatically ensures all images on your website have proper alt text, even if it’s missing in the HTML:
<ul>
<li>Scans all frontend images</li>
<li>Pulls alt text from the database</li>
<li>Works with WordPress core, Gutenberg, and custom HTML</li>
<li>No content modification – reads only</li>
</ul>
<h4>Supported Page Builders & Platforms</h4>
<ul>
<li>Elementor</li>
<li>Divi Builder</li>
<li>Beaver Builder</li>
<li>WPBakery (Visual Composer)</li>
<li>Avada (Fusion Builder)</li>
<li>Oxygen Builder</li>
<li>Revolution Slider</li>
<li>Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)</li>
<li>WooCommerce (Product descriptions)</li>
</ul>
<h4>Modern Material Design Interface</h4>
<ul>
<li>Beautiful gradient header with glassmorphism effects</li>
<li>Filter chips for quick access (All, Missing, Manual, Generated)</li>
<li>Modern dropdown menus with smooth animations</li>
<li>Quality badges with visual scoring system</li>
<li>Responsive design for all devices</li>
<li>Intuitive color-coded status system</li>
<li>Full-width layout for maximum productivity</li>
<li>Dashboard widget with statistics</li>
<li>Admin bar notifications</li>
</ul>
<h4>Quality Checker</h4>
The built-in quality checker analyzes your alt text and provides:
<ul>
<li>Quality Score – 0-100 rating for each image</li>
<li>Visual Badges – Good (green), Fair (orange), Poor (red)</li>
<li>Issue Detection – Identifies generic phrases, filenames, and length problems</li>
<li>Inline Warnings – Shows specific issues below each input field</li>
<li>Best Practice Tips – Helps you write better, more accessible alt text</li>
</ul>
<h4>Bulk Actions</h4>
Save time with powerful bulk operations:
<ul>
<li>Delete Auto-Generated – Remove all auto-generated alt text at once</li>
<li>Copy from Title – Automatically copy image titles to alt text for missing images</li>
<li>Filter + Action – Combine filters with bulk actions for targeted operations</li>
</ul>
<h4>Dashboard Integration</h4>
<ul>
<li>Dashboard Widget – View alt text coverage percentage and statistics</li>
<li>Admin Bar Notification – See missing alt text count with one-click access</li>
<li>Real-time Updates – Statistics update automatically when you make changes</li>
<li>Quick Access – Click notifications to jump directly to filtered views</li>
</ul>
<h3>Best Practices</h3>
Writing Good Alt Text:
<ul>
<li>Be descriptive but concise (125 characters or less)</li>
<li>Describe what’s in the image, not just the subject</li>
<li>Include context relevant to surrounding content</li>
<li>Don’t start with “Image of” or “Picture of”</li>
<li>For decorative images, use empty alt text</li>
<li>Include text that appears in the image</li>
</ul>
Examples:
❌ Bad: “image123.jpg” 
❌ Bad: “Picture of a dog” 
✅ Good: “Golden retriever playing fetch in a park”
SEO Tips:
<ul>
<li>Include relevant keywords naturally</li>
<li>Don’t keyword stuff</li>
<li>Make it useful for users first, search engines second</li>
</ul>
Accessibility Guidelines:
<ul>
<li>Follow WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards</li>
<li>Test with screen readers when possible</li>
<li>Consider the image’s purpose in context</li>
</ul>
<h3>Support</h3>
For support, feature requests, or bug reports, please visit the plugin support forum.
<h3>Privacy</h3>
This plugin does not collect or transmit any user data. All processing happens locally on your WordPress installation.

Smart Alt Manager


I didn't realize how inconsistent my alt text was until I started using this regularly. Some images had good descriptions, others had filenames, and many had nothing.



Instead of fixing everything at once, I just started cleaning things up gradually. A few images per session. It adds up faster than you'd think.



The dashboard widget helps in a subtle way. I don't obsess over it, but seeing the coverage improve over time is motivating.



Also, the suggestions help when I'm tired or not in the mood to think too much. I adjust them slightly and move on.



It's one of those tools that works best when you don't overthink it.






Awesome

Bulk manage alt text for images with intelligent suggestions, frontend patching, page builder and WooCommerce support.

AI Auto Alt Text Generator vs Smart Alt Manager