Description
Polly Alt is an accessibility-first WordPress plugin that analyzes media library uploads using live Gemini AI models to generate concise, active-voice, descriptive alternative text (alt text) variations around 125 characters. It introduces purposeful “benevolent friction” via automated compliance guards to prevent publishing or leaving media screens with missing alt text, combined with keyboard-friendly selection menus and educational context for administrators.
Core Features
- Multi-Subject AI Variations: Automatically queries Gemini AI to produce multiple distinct alt text angles focusing on separate visual elements for users to choose between, rather than assuming a single “correct” answer.
- Exit & Upload Compliance Guards: Warns you if you are navigating away from media rows, Gutenberg image blocks, or Elementor panels while an image lacks alternative descriptions.
- Smooth Keyboard Interactivity: Crafted with total
:focus-visiblecompatibility. Modals capture, trap, and restore structural keyboard focus seamlessly for screen reader and keyboard-only users. - Educational Training Advisories: Displays assistive structural context alongside generated suggestions to train site admins on proper visual description standards.
- Clean Decks Mode: Optionally wipes messy camera-generated attachment Titles (like
IMG_4829.jpg) when an explicit AI description selection is made.
External services
This plugin connects to external APIs to analyze image media and generate descriptions:
- Google Gemini API: Sends image data and surrounding post text to Google’s Gemini models when generating alt text suggestions.
- Terms of Service: https://policies.google.com/terms
- Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Screenshots


Installation
Getting Started
- Upload the
polly-altfolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install directly via the WordPress admin area. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Navigate to Settings > Polly Alt in your WordPress sidebar.
- Click the link to secure a free Gemini API key via Google AI Studio (up to 15 requests per minute completely free, no credit card or billing configuration required).
- Paste your API key into the input field, select your preferred live model variant from the dropdown, and click Save Changes.
FAQ
-
Do I need a paid Google Cloud account to use this?
-
No. Google AI Studio offers a generous free tier that is perfect for standard content management workflows without needing a credit card or subscription plan.
-
Does this plugin automatically modify images without my consent?
-
Never. Polly Alt operates on a strict human-in-the-loop review architecture. The AI makes suggestions, but an administrator must explicitly review, polish, and approve a choice before the database fields are updated.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Polly Alt” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate “Polly Alt” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- Launching Polly Alt v1.0.0 — Complete integration with Gutenberg and Elementor modalities.
