# Encourage/enforce adding image descriptions
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** composer, ai
**Created:** [October 2, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017 "2020-10-02T14:11:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@debryc](https://meta.discourse.org/u/debryc)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/1 "2020-10-02T14:11:34Z")
We have a practice of always adding image descriptions in order to make Discourse accessible to people who use screen readers. What are some best ways to support adding image descriptions?
For example, is it possible for help text to show up that tells people to add an image description?
> “You’ve added an image! Please add an image description before you create the topic.”
And, how do we add alt-text?
More on image descriptions
[https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546](https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546)
[https://livingwithdisability.tumblr.com/post/124066767358/all-about-image-descriptions](https://livingwithdisability.tumblr.com/post/124066767358/all-about-image-descriptions)
[https://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/how-write-alt-text-and-image-descriptions-visually-impaired](https://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/how-write-alt-text-and-image-descriptions-visually-impaired)
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/2 "2020-10-02T14:42:42Z")
Good question.. I’ve wondered about this myself. It appears that the filename is used to create a description for the image. Then after uploading, you can tweak it in the markdown. When viewing a post with an image, you can mouse over it or click on it to look at the image bigger, and it includes the description at bottom. But I don’t know how that description works in screen readers.
If this can work, then for communities where this is especially important you can develop a culture around improving these descriptions, and moderators can also keep an eye out and edit posts to improve descriptions or send PMs to educate users.
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### Author:  [@BryanV](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BryanV)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/3 "2021-05-17T19:56:37Z")
I’d like to bump this.
@codinghorror is there a place to make specific requests for technical improvements here? Requiring users to rename files or supply markup is simply a non-starter. Those techniques are completely non-discoverable, but even if they weren’t, are also a bigger hurdle than most users will climb. Adding alt text need to be _obvious, simple, and (critically) **part of the normal process** _ for uploading images, so that users who rely on assistive technologies can participate. IMO the best solution would be to have a pop-up on image upload that asks for descriptive text to be supplied. And at least for our forum I would even like a configuration to make supplying non-empty text _mandatory_.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/4 "2021-05-17T23:16:42Z")
OK, I think you’d need a plugin for that, perhaps start in #Marketplace ?
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### Author:  [@BryanV](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BryanV)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/5 "2021-05-17T23:34:10Z")
@codinghorror I meant to convey that accessibility needs to be a first-class concern that is built directly in to Discourse, not bolted on as an afterthought. (Apart from that, after a recent _very_ bad experience with a non-official plugin and a botched upgrade, we _only_ install official plugins).
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/6 "2021-05-18T01:16:44Z")
pop-ups rarely improve usability, so I am not sure I agree with that.
At the moment when pasting from clipboard we do this:
A theme component could be built (no need for a plugin here)
- That adds a big red popup
- That highlights the word image after upload
- That introduces an interstitial page.
I suggest starting with a theme component here prior to considering any core changes.
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### Author:  [@debryc](https://meta.discourse.org/u/debryc)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/7 "2021-05-21T17:41:29Z")
> [@sam](#):
>
> A theme component could be built (no need for a plugin here)
>
> - That adds a big red popup
> - That highlights the word image after upload
> - That introduces an interstitial page.
>
> I suggest starting with a theme component here prior to considering any core changes.
Could you point me to a theme component that has these elements? I’d like to play around with one so that I can perhaps sketch out what an alt text / image description theme component workflow would be like.
I do think a plug-in like how events works would be best though, where you insert an image and a form opens up where you type in the alt text and the image description. Then when you hit submit the image is automatically properly formatted.
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### Author:  [@BryanV](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BryanV)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/8 "2021-07-01T23:16:21Z")
> I suggest starting with a theme component here prior to considering any core changes.
Sorry for the delayed reply. I have always regarded Discourse development as both thoughtful and thorough, and my perception from other threads as also led me to believe that accessibility is a priority.
Which is why I am frankly struggling to understand the reluctance here. I would describe the current situation for users as _“nearly impossible to add, even if they want to / remember to”_ and the situation for admins as _“completely impossible to remind / encourage”_. Making alt-tags simpler and easier seems like incredibly low-hanging fruit that would benefit accessibility on every Discourse instance. It should be built-in, everywhere. $0.02
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/9 "2021-07-09T19:31:15Z")
You could certainly build a blocking interstitial which prevents posting.. I think you could do this with watched words – since we know the default image description is equal to the filename?
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### Author:  [@MentalNomad](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MentalNomad)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2024, 12:50am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/10 "2024-07-13T00:50:47Z")
This might be an interesting target for an AI Auto labeler.
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### Author:  [@BryanV](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BryanV)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2024, 6:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/11 "2024-07-22T18:57:49Z")
IMO these settings would be present
- Prompt for descriptions on image uploads (default ON)
- Attempt to auto-fill image descriptions using AI service (default OFF)
I would not personally want automated AU labels submitted without human review.
All that said, after three years now, I am somewhat skeptical that Discourse is going to build in functionality to streamline accessibility options for image uploads.
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### Author:  [@ToddZ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ToddZ)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/12 "2024-10-29T16:53:45Z")
> [@BryanV](#):
>
> I would describe the current situation for users as _“nearly impossible to add, even if they want to / remember to”_ and the situation for admins as _“completely impossible to remind / encourage”_. Making alt-tags simpler and easier seems like incredibly low-hanging fruit that would benefit accessibility on every Discourse instance.
We’re not an image-heavy forum, but I just had occasion to post an image, and I had to come to Meta to look up alt-text functionality to be certain of how it works. It’s not very obvious.
My awareness has been raised by an increasing emphasis on accessibility in general webdev today. I’d love to see Discourse prompt for alt-text on upload, and provide an option to make it mandatory.
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/13 "2024-10-29T18:13:31Z")
> [@ToddZ](#):
>
> I’d love to see Discourse prompt for alt-text on upload, and provide an option to make it mandatory.
Slightly related, Discourse AI now prompts users _once_ when detecting alt-text less images in their posts to enable AI-generated automatic image captions.
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### Author:  [@ToddZ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ToddZ)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/14 "2024-10-29T19:52:13Z")
That’s something, but I’d still like to see a prompt for authors on non-AI-enabled forums.
(Not to pick on Discourse AI, but so far I’m not a fan of AI alt text in general, as I’ve seen it provide really banal and/or inaccurate content that ignores context. AI may have a place in things like bulk operations on large back-catalogs. But in an article or a conversation, I’d rather have the author compose alt text that expresses the narrative point of the image, not just a visual description.)
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/15 "2024-10-29T20:14:24Z")
> [@ToddZ](#):
>
> I’d still like to see a prompt for authors on non-AI-enabled forums.
Best way going forward is for the community to develop a theme component that does this. If it is well received it may eventually be adopted in core.
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### Author:  [@BryanV](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BryanV)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/16 "2025-02-02T16:40:32Z")
Why? Accessibility, specifically, is an area where Discourse should _lead_.
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/17 "2025-03-18T15:19:13Z")
Discourse does provide a way to add image descriptions. Just because you don’t like the implementation does not mean that we are not leading! 😉
If you want to have a different implementation, then you are welcome to implement it as a theme component or pay someone in #Marketplace to do it. If it works better than what we have now then it will be added to core. This is how alot of improvements end up in core.
That said, as part of the new composer work we are going to have to revisit this area of the UI. It’s on the list.
> [@Test our new composer!](https://meta.discourse.org/t/test-our-new-composer/352347/1):
>
> ### 🔴 Missing features
>
> - Image UI to resize, caption, or grid added images
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### Author:  [@icaria36](https://meta.discourse.org/u/icaria36)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 11:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/18 "2025-03-18T23:58:54Z")
> [@tobiaseigen](#):
>
> Discourse does provide a way to add image descriptions.
Do you mean to add a footer or something more like ALT? I landed here because I am looking for the currently expected way to add descriptions to images especially for blind people, if there is any.
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### Author:  [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/19 "2025-03-19T00:09:38Z")
> [@icaria36](#):
>
> Do you mean to add a footer or something more like ALT?
The alt attribute is the image description, that you can add inside the image markdown syntax, or directly from the image thumbnail in the post preview 🙂
Markdown example:
``
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### Author:  [@ToddZ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ToddZ)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2026, 11:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017/20 "2026-01-14T11:11:51Z")
> [@ToddZ](#):
>
> I’d rather have the author compose alt text that expresses the narrative point of the image, not just a visual description.
I went on to refine my thinking on this detail. `alt` text, which is somewhat hidden from sighted viewers, should contain _at least_ a visual description, while narrative context should ideally be expressed inline using `figcaption` – a feature not (yet?) available in Discourse: [Support image captions - in addition to alt text](https://meta.discourse.org/t/support-image-captions-in-addition-to-alt-text/333922).
But since we currently only have “image description” which is actually `alt` text, it would still be good to prompt for this.
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/encourage-enforce-adding-image-descriptions/166017.md?page=2)