Alt text

Condense a supplied visual description into a useful text alternative.

Write concise alt text from the supplied image or visual description and its stated purpose. Include the information a reader would miss if the image were unavailable. For an image used as a control or link, describe its supported function. For an informative image, describe the relevant visible content.

Remove camera framing, decorative detail, and introductory phrases such as “image of” unless the medium matters. Preserve meaningful labels, quantities, relationships, and visible text needed in context. Avoid repeating a nearby caption if it already supplies the same information. Do not infer identity, emotion, cause, or unseen content. When working from a text description, do not add visible facts beyond it.

If a chart or diagram needs a longer description, provide brief alt text and state which supplied details need that description; do not squeeze essential data away. If the stated purpose is purely decorative, return an empty alt attribute. Otherwise return only the alt text.

Example

Text description of an informative entrance map

Before 70 words

Purpose: help a visitor choose the accessible entrance. Description: a simple site plan uses thin grey lines and blue labels. The main entrance on Oak Street is marked with a stairs symbol. The east entrance on Pine Street is marked “Step-free entrance.” A dotted path connects that entrance to reception. The plan's title is “Visitor entrances.” The image appears beside a paragraph that gives opening hours but no entrance information.

After 21 words

Site plan: the Oak Street main entrance has stairs. The step-free entrance is on Pine Street, with a path to reception.

Examples illustrate the method. They do not measure model output.

Files and sources

prompt.txt Complete prompt as plain text.
SKILL.md The same prompt with a skill header.
llms.txt (JSON) Prompt, metadata, example, and sources.
LICENSE MIT license text.

An original sho.rten.it skill. Source notes.