Automate Alt Text with Screaming Frog + OpenAI

In the ever-evolving world of SEO, accessibility and efficiency are key. Screaming Frog, a staple for technical SEO audits, just upped its game with a groundbreaking OpenAI integration. The highlight? Automatically generating alt text for images with the power of AI.

Alt text isn’t just a minor SEO detail—it improves accessibility for users with visual impairments and helps search engines understand your images. However, writing alt text for thousands of images is time-consuming. With Screaming Frog’s new feature, you can now let ChatGPT do the heavy lifting.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

Why Automate Alt Text with AI?

Manually creating alt text is tedious, prone to human error, and often overlooked in large-scale SEO audits. Automating this process with Screaming Frog and OpenAI offers several benefits:

1. Saves Time: Generate alt text for hundreds or thousands of images in minutes.
2. Improves Accessibility: Meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards effortlessly.
3. Boosts SEO: Descriptive alt text enhances image search rankings and improves on-page SEO.

Step-by-Step Guide to Automatically Generate Alt Text with Screaming Frog

1. Update Screaming Frog

Ensure you’re running at least version 21.0 or above of Screaming Frog, including the OpenAI integration. 

Staying updated is crucial to access the latest features and enhancements. 

You can download the latest version directly from the official website. For detailed information about what’s new in each release, visit the release history page.

2. Set Up the OpenAI API Connection

To use OpenAI for alt text generation, you’ll need to connect your API key.

1. Open Screaming Frog.
2. Navigate to Configuration > API Access > AI > OpenAI.

1. Enter your OpenAI API key in the API Key field. (You can get your key from OpenAI’s platform.)

How to set API Keys?

Save your settings.

Make sure to copy the key and save it in somewhere.

3. Configure the Alt Text Generation Prompt

Screaming Frog provides a simple way to set up your prompts for AI tasks.

1. Go to the Prompt Configuration tab.

2. Click Add from Library and select a predefined prompt for alt text generation, or create your own.

• • Example prompt: “Generate descriptive alt text for the following image based on its file name, URL, and context: {insert image data here}.”

3. Use the dropdown editor to customize the prompt as needed.

4. Test Your Prompt

Before running a full crawl, ensure your prompt is working correctly:

1. Click the Play icon to open the testing form.

2. Enter a sample URL containing images.

3. Review the AI-generated alt text for accuracy and adjust the prompt if needed.

5. Run the Crawl

To generate alt text using Screaming Frog’s OpenAI integration, there are two methods based on your needs:

Method 1: Run a Full Website Crawl

1. Set Screaming Frog to Spider Mode as shown in the image above.
2. Enter your website’s URL in the search bar and start the crawl.
3. Screaming Frog will scan the entire site, extract all image data, and send it to OpenAI to generate alt text for images without it.
4. Check the results in real time in the AI Sidebar, located at the bottom-right of the interface.

Method 2: Upload a List of Image URLs

1. Switch to List Mode by selecting it under the “Mode” dropdown (refer to the image above).
2. Prepare a CSV or TXT file containing the image URLs that need alt text.
3. Upload the file to Screaming Frog.
4. Start the crawl, and Screaming Frog will process only the specified URLs, sending them to OpenAI for alt text generation.
5. View the alt text suggestions in the AI Sidebar.

Best Practices for AI-Generated Alt Text

Alt text is an essential element of image optimization. It not only improves web accessibility for visually impaired users but also helps search engines understand the context of images. When using Screaming Frog’s OpenAI integration for generating alt text, it’s crucial to follow best practices that align with Google’s image optimization guidelines.

Here’s how you can ensure that the AI-generated alt text aligns with Google’s standards:

1. Be Descriptive and Concise

According to Google, alt text should accurately describe the image’s content in a clear and concise manner. Avoid overly detailed descriptions or irrelevant information.

Best Practice:
Instead of writing:

• “A beautiful picture of a serene sunset over the ocean with orange, pink, and red hues filling the sky as a single bird flies across the horizon.”

Use:

• “Serene sunset over the ocean with a flying bird.”

This provides enough detail for accessibility and SEO without being excessive.

2. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

While including keywords in alt text is important for SEO, overloading the alt text with keywords can be seen as spam by Google.

What to Avoid:

• “Red running shoes, red sneakers, red athletic shoes for women, running shoes for women, women’s sneakers.”

What to Do Instead:

• “Red running shoes for women.”

Focus on a natural, user-friendly description.

3. Context Matters

Google advises using alt text that reflects the image’s role on the page. Alt text should match the surrounding content and the purpose of the image.

Example:
For a product image of a red mug on an eCommerce page, use:

• “Red ceramic mug with a matte finish.”

For the same image in a blog post about gift ideas, use:

• “Red mug, a perfect holiday gift.”

This ensures the alt text is relevant to the context in which the image appears.

4. Skip Decorative Images

Not all images need alt text. If an image is purely decorative and does not add value to the content, Google recommends leaving the alt attribute empty (alt=””). This prevents screen readers from announcing unnecessary information.

Example:
For decorative icons, borders, or design elements:

• Use alt=”” instead of adding redundant descriptions like “decorative line.”

5. Include Essential Keywords Naturally

While avoiding keyword stuffing, it’s good practice to include primary keywords when they fit naturally. This helps search engines associate the image with relevant queries.

Example for SEO Optimization:

• For an article about hiking gear, an image of boots could have the alt text: “Durable hiking boots for rough terrain.”

This naturally integrates a relevant keyword while providing value to the user.

6. Don’t Use “Image of…” or “Picture of…”

Google advises against starting alt text with phrases like “image of” or “picture of,” as it’s unnecessary. Screen readers already identify the content as an image.

What to Avoid:

• “Image of a blue car.”

What to Use Instead:

• “Blue car with chrome detailing.”

7. Maintain Accessibility Standards

Alt text is primarily an accessibility tool, so ensure it provides enough detail for visually impaired users to understand the content and purpose of the image.

Pro Tip: Test your alt text by imagining how it would sound read aloud by a screen reader. If it makes sense and provides value, you’re on the right track.

8. Test and Refine AI-Generated Alt Text

AI-generated alt text can sometimes lack context or be too generic. Before publishing, review the results to ensure they meet these best practices:

• Is the description accurate?
• Does it match the image’s purpose on the page?
• Is it concise and free from unnecessary keywords?

Using Screaming Frog’s testing feature for prompts can help you refine the AI’s output to meet these standards.

9. Include Alt Text for Critical Images Only

Google recommends focusing alt text efforts on critical images like product photos, infographics, or diagrams that provide essential context. For purely decorative images or thumbnails, empty alt attributes are perfectly fine.

10. Regularly Audit Alt Text

Even after implementing AI-generated alt text, it’s a good idea to periodically audit your site. Tools like Screaming Frog can help identify:

• Missing alt attributes
• Duplicate alt text
• Over-optimized or irrelevant alt text

Regular audits ensure your site remains optimized for both users and search engines.

How This Streamlines SEO Workflows

Before this update, generating alt text often involved:

• Downloading image data manually.
• Using external tools or custom scripts to create alt text.
• Re-uploading alt text to your CMS.

Now, with Screaming Frog’s OpenAI integration, the process is automated and seamless. Here’s what you gain:

• Efficiency: Generate and apply alt text in one workflow.
• Accuracy: AI can analyze image names, URLs, and surrounding content to produce relevant descriptions.
• Scalability: Handle alt text for hundreds or thousands of images in one go.

Final Thoughts

Screaming Frog’s OpenAI integration makes alt text generation faster, easier, and more accurate than ever. By automating this often-overlooked task, you can improve accessibility, enhance your SEO strategy, and save countless hours.

Ready to try it? Update Screaming Frog, configure your API, and let AI transform your image SEO workflow. Accessible, efficient, and optimized—what’s not to love?

Let us know how this feature has improved your alt text strategy in the comments below!