=== ShortPixel AI Alt Text Generator ===
Contributors: ShortPixel
Tags: alt text, image seo, ai alt text, image accessibility, alt ai text
Requires at least: 5.5
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

AI-powered ALT text, captions, and image descriptions. Boost SEO, improve accessibility, and support 100+ languages, automatically.

== Description ==

### 🤖 AI-Powered Image SEO for WordPress ###

**⚡ Automatically generate ALT text, captions, titles, and descriptions for every image on your site — powered by AI, in seconds.**

Poor or missing image SEO data hurts your SEO rankings, degrades accessibility, and costs you visitors. The <a href="https://shortpixel.com" target="_blank">ShortPixel AI Alt Text Generator</a> solves all of this in one lightweight, install-and-forget WordPress plugin.

Whether you're running a blog, an online store, or a large media-heavy website, this plugin analyses your images with AI and generates accurate, SEO-optimised image data, automatically on upload, or in bulk for your entire library.

== 💡 Why ShortPixel AI Alt Text Generator? ==

### 🧠 AI-Powered Image SEO ###

* **Automatically generate ALT tags** – The AI analyses each image and writes a relevant, descriptive ALT text, improving both SEO and screen-reader accessibility.
* **Generate image captions** – Create human-readable captions for every image without any manual effort.
* **Generate image descriptions** – Produce rich, contextual descriptions stored in WordPress's native description field.
* **Update image titles with SEO-friendly ones** – Automatically replace generic image titles with SEO-friendly alternatives.

### ⚙️ Smart Settings & Control ###

* **Generate image SEO data on upload** – Automatically trigger AI generation the moment an image is uploaded to your Media Library, based on your configured settings.
* **Preserve existing Image SEO data** – When enabled, all existing ALT tags, captions, and descriptions are retained. Disabling this option allows AI-generated data to overwrite existing metadata.
* **Use parent Post / Page title for image SEO data** – Optionally pass the title of the image's parent post or page to the AI model for more accurate, context-aware results.
* **General site context** – Provide a detailed description of your website to give the AI model additional context, resulting in more relevant and targeted metadata.

### 🌍 Multilingual Support ###

* **100+ languages supported** – Select the output language for all generated metadata. The AI will produce ALT texts, captions, and descriptions in the language of your choice, making it ideal for multilingual websites.

### 📦 Bulk Mode ###

* **Generate AI Image SEO in bulk for your entire library** – Process all images in your WordPress Media Library at once.
* **Preview mode** – Test and fine-tune AI results before applying new ALT texts and descriptions in bulk. Review what the AI generates for a sample of images before committing to a full library update.

### 🛒 WooCommerce Support ###

* Seamless support for WooCommerce product images.
* AI-generated ALT text and descriptions for product gallery images improve product discoverability in search engines.

### ♿ Accessibility ###

* Improve website accessibility by ensuring all images have properly generated ALT text and metadata.
* Helps your website comply with WCAG accessibility guidelines.

---

== Installation ==

1. Upload the `shortpixel-ai-alt-text-generator-text` folder to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory, or install directly through the WordPress plugin directory.
2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress.
3. Go to **Settings → ShortPixel AI Alt Text Generator** and enter your ShortPixel API Key or create an account.
4. Configure which metadata fields to generate (ALT tag, caption, description, title).
5. Optionally add a general site context description to improve AI output.
6. Choose your preferred output language.
7. Enable **Generate image SEO data on upload** to start generating metadata automatically, or use **Bulk Mode** to process your existing library.

Don't have an API key? <a href="https://shortpixel.com/free-sign-up" target="_blank">Get one for free!</a>.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Do I need a ShortPixel account to use this plugin? =

Yes, you would need a ShortPixel API Key. You can <a href="https://shortpixel.com/free-sign-up" target="_blank">create a free account</a> and get started immediately.

= Will this plugin overwrite my existing ALT text? =

Only if you allow it to. The **Preserve existing Image SEO data** setting ensures that any existing ALT tags, captions, and descriptions are kept intact. Note that WordPress always stores an image title, so the title field may still be updated even when preservation is enabled.

= Can I review AI Image SEO results before applying them? =

Yes. Use **Preview mode** to test and fine-tune AI results on a sample of images before running a bulk update across your full Media Library.

= What languages are supported? =

The plugin supports over 100 languages. You can select your preferred output language from the settings page under the **Language** dropdown.

= Is WooCommerce supported? =

Yes. The plugin seamlessly handles WooCommerce product images, including product gallery images.

= Can I use this on a large Media Library? =

Yes. Bulk mode is designed to process large libraries efficiently. For best results, combine bulk mode with preview mode to validate output before committing to a full run.

= What happens if I disable "Preserve existing Image SEO data"? =

The AI-generated SEO data will overwrite any existing ALT tags, captions, and descriptions. Use this option carefully if you have manually written metadata you want to keep.

= Does the plugin use my server's resources for AI processing? =

No. All AI processing is performed via the ShortPixel Cloud, so your hosting resources are unaffected.

== External services ==

This plugin connects to ShortPixel services to validate your API key, check your available quota, generate AI-based image SEO data, and optionally create a ShortPixel account or send deactivation feedback when you choose those actions.

= ShortPixel API and AI service =

Service: `https://api.shortpixel.com/` and `https://capi-gpt.shortpixel.com/`

Used for: validating your API key, checking available quota, and generating AI image SEO data such as ALT text, captions, titles, and descriptions.

Data sent:

* Your ShortPixel API key
* The plugin version, and during API key validation the WordPress and PHP versions
* A plugin source identifier used by ShortPixel to route plugin-originated AI requests
* The image URL that should be analyzed
* The ShortPixel remote request ID when retrieving generated results
* The generation settings you selected, such as requested fields, selected language, retry flag, and optional site context / parent title data when enabled
* For API key validation and quota checks, the site URL, site host/domain, and, when configured by the site owner, HTTP authentication credentials needed to access protected images

When sent:

* When you save or validate an API key
* When the plugin refreshes account/quota data needed to operate
* When you manually request AI generation, enable automatic generation on upload, or run bulk generation

Why it is needed:

* The plugin cannot validate your account or generate AI-based image SEO data without contacting ShortPixel's remote services

= ShortPixel account sign-up service =

Service: `https://shortpixel.com/free-sign-up-plugin`

Used for: creating a ShortPixel account and issuing an API key when you explicitly request one from the plugin.

Data sent:

* Your email address
* The plugin version
* Your IP address

When sent:

* Only when you submit the "request new key" action from the plugin settings

Why it is needed:

* ShortPixel must create your account and return an API key

= ShortPixel deactivation feedback service =

Service: `https://api.shortpixel.com/v2/feedback.php`

Used for: sending feedback if you choose to submit a deactivation reason.

Data sent:

* The plugin name and version
* The selected deactivation reason
* Any feedback text you enter
* Your email address and name only if you explicitly choose the non-anonymous feedback option

When sent:

* Only when you submit the deactivation feedback form

Why it is needed:

* To deliver the feedback you explicitly chose to send to ShortPixel

Terms of Service: `https://shortpixel.com/tos`
Privacy Policy: `https://shortpixel.com/privacy`

== Screenshots ==

1. **Account & Settings – Account area, upload behaviour and data preservation** – Configure whether SEO data is generated automatically on upload and whether existing metadata is preserved.
2. **AI Image SEO** – Choose which fields to generate (ALT tag, caption, description, title) and provide a general site context for improved AI accuracy.

== Screenshots ==

1. Account Settings

2. AI Settings

3. AI SEO Preview

4. Help Center

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =

* Initial release.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release of ShortPixel AI Alt Text Generator.
