This article outlines how to bring every image on a Finalsite site into alt text compliance, including how to generate missing alt text in bulk with AI and how to require alt text before images display.
💡 Quick answers
- How do I find out how many images are missing alt text? Navigate to Resources > Settings; under Resources in Resource Elements, a yellow box displays the number of uploaded images without alt text. The Not Alt Text filter in the All Resources view lists those images.
- Can AI generate alt text for the whole media library at once? Yes; click Generate Alt Text in Resources > Settings to auto-generate alt text for every image missing it.
- Will I be notified when bulk alt text generation is finished? Yes; when using the bulk generation tool for pre-existing images, an email confirmation arrives once the process is complete.
- Can a bulk run of AI-generated alt text be undone? No; there is no "Undo" or "Revert" button once bulk generation is complete, so review high-traffic images afterward and edit or regenerate any descriptions that need it.
- What happens when alt text is required? Images without alt text are not shown on the site, so generate missing alt text in bulk before turning on the requirement.
- Does using AI-generated alt text meet ADA Title II requirements? It helps, but human review is still recommended; alt text must accurately describe the image for screen reader users, and the AI may not capture context specific to the school community.
- Is there a limit to how long the alt text should be? The recommended length for the best accessibility and SEO results is 125 characters.
- Do constituent profile images need alt text generated? No; profile images stored in File Manager, such as staff directory photos, automatically use the constituent's full name as alt text. See "Add alt text to images" for details.
- How do I add or generate alt text for one image at a time? See "Add alt text to images," which covers Resources, the Content element, navigation dropdown images, and decorative images.
🚨Compliance Extension Update: ADA Title II
Per the April 2026 Department of Justice (DOJ) Interim Final Rule, compliance dates for the ADA Title II mandate have been extended by one year. All school district web content, including PDFs and electronic documents, must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards by these revised deadlines:
- Districts 50,000+: Must be compliant by April 26, 2027.
- Districts < 50,000 & Special Districts: Must be compliant by April 26, 2028.
To learn more about how Finalsite is helping our users reach compliance under this new timeline, check out the article, "ADA WCAG 2.1 Accessibility at Finalsite."
In this article
- Site-wide compliance workflow
- Find images missing alt text
- Generate alt text in bulk with AI
- Review and fix bulk results
- Ensure ADA compliance by requiring alt text
Site-wide compliance workflow
Work through these steps in order to bring an existing site into compliance and keep it there.
| Step | What to do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1: Find images missing alt text | Check how many images are missing alt text and list them. | Resources > Settings; All Resources view, Not Alt Text filter |
| Step 2: Generate missing alt text in bulk | Use AI to generate alt text for every image missing it. | Resources > Settings, Generate Alt Text |
| Step 3: Review and fix the results | Check high-traffic images and edit or regenerate descriptions as needed. | All Resources view, Has Alt Text filter |
| Step 4: Require alt text | Turn on the alt text requirement so images without alt text are not shown. | Resources > Settings |
| Step 5: Keep new images compliant | Generate alt text as new images are uploaded, in bulk or one at a time. | Bulk Upload window; for single images, see "Add alt text to images" |
Find images missing alt text
Two places show which images in Resources are missing alt text:
- Resources Settings: In Resources > Settings, under Resources in Resource Elements, a yellow box displays the number of uploaded images without alt text.
- All Resources view: Use the Not Alt Text filter to list images without alt text.
Generate alt text in bulk with AI
Finalsite's AI Alt Text Generator uses AI-powered image recognition to write alt text for every image that's missing it, either for images already in Resources or as multiple images are uploaded.
Generate alt text for existing images
- Step 1: Navigate to Resources > Settings.
-
Step 2: Find the number of images without alt text.
- Under Resources in Resource Elements, a yellow box displays the number of uploaded images without alt text.
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Step 3: Auto-generate alt text in bulk.
- Click Generate Alt Text to use AI to auto-generate alt text for these images in bulk.
- Look for an email confirming that the process has been completed. Depending on the number of resources that need alt text generated, it may take a while for the process to complete.
⚠️ Important Note
There is currently no "Undo" or "Revert" button once the bulk generation process has been completed and saved. Because the AI writes the description directly to the image record, review high-traffic images after a bulk run to ensure the descriptions match the school's specific context.
Generate alt text when uploading multiple images
- Step 1: Go to the Resources module.
- Step 2: Select multiple files to upload.
- Step 3: In the Bulk Upload window, select the Generate AI captions for images checkbox to generate alt text for all uploaded images.
- Step 4: Save the changes.
Review and fix bulk results
AI-generated alt text may not always be contextually perfect. While a bulk run can't be undone, images that need a human touch are easy to identify and update:
- Use the filter: In the Resources module, use the Has Alt Text filter to see every image the AI just updated.
- Regenerate: If a description is off, click Regenerate Alt Text on that specific image for a new AI suggestion.
- Manual edit: Click into the Alt Text field and type a new description to ensure 100% accuracy.
For best results, use clear, descriptive language that reflects the image's purpose on the page, and keep alt text to the recommended length of 125 characters. For best practices on writing alt text, visit Best Practice: Writing alt text for images. For step-by-step instructions on editing or regenerating alt text for one image at a time, see "Add alt text to images."
Ensure ADA compliance by requiring alt text
Resources settings are available to help ensure ADA compliance on the site by requiring alt text in order for images to be shown on the site. There are separate toggles for Resource elements and the content editor. A warning box will display the number of images that will be affected by enabling the alt text requirement for Resource elements.
⚠️ Important Note
Images without alt text are not shown once the requirement is on, so the number in the warning box is the number of images in Resource elements that would stop displaying. Generate missing alt text in bulk before turning on the requirement.
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