AI Fixed 160 WordPress Images in 5 Minutes: Here’s How

Source: Dev.to

Overview

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:

1. Search Engine Context – Google uses alt text to understand the subject matter of an image. No text = lost rankings in Image Search.
2. User Experience – If an image fails to load, the alt text maintains the page’s layout and context.
3. 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, 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.

   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.

   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 – 25 AI credits every month, no credit card required.
• Unlimited Rule‑Based Generation – Use patterns for free on as many images as you want.
• Affordable Scaling
  • $5 / month → 800 credits
  • $19 / month → 3,000 credits
  • $39 / month → 8,000 credits

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?