Section 6 — Images / ADA Tab

The Images / ADA tab displays accessibility-optimized metadata generated for each product image. This information is machine-read first and is primarily consumed by screen readers, search engines, and accessibility tools—not by shoppers directly.

What This Tab Represents

For each image, CatalogPilot generates three core accessibility fields:

  • Image Title – a concise identifier for the image
  • Alt Text – a descriptive sentence used by screen readers and accessibility software
  • Caption – optional contextual description that may be used by assistive technologies and structured data

These fields are produced using image-to-content mapping, where CatalogPilot analyzes the image in the context of:

  • The parent product
  • Approved product metadata
  • Variants and attributes
  • Category relationships

This ensures descriptions are accurate, consistent, and non-generic, even across large catalogs.

Why This Matters

Most platforms either:

  • Leave image alt text empty, or
  • Reuse product titles automatically

CatalogPilot instead treats each image as its own accessibility record, allowing:

  • WCAG-compliant screen reader output
  • Improved image discovery in search
  • Cleaner, more reliable structured data for AI and assistive systems

This is a major contributor to accessibility compliance and long-term discoverability.

Editing Guidance (Important)

While editing is available, manual changes to Image Alt Text or Captions are generally discouraged unless something is clearly incorrect.

You’ll see a warning indicator when editing these fields because:

  • Small wording changes can reduce accessibility quality
  • Over-specific or stylistic edits may confuse screen readers
  • Inconsistent edits across images can introduce compliance drift

In most cases, the generated content here is already at a high-accuracy baseline and does not benefit from manual rewriting.

When Editing Is Appropriate

You may consider editing only if:

  • An image contains a critical visual element that is missing from the description
  • The generated description is factually incorrect
  • A compliance review explicitly requires a change

If you do edit:

  • Changes apply immediately
  • You can always revert to the previous value using the restore icon

Key Takeaway

The Images / ADA tab exists to ensure your catalog is:

  • Accessible by default
  • Consistent across thousands of images
  • Optimized for machines, not just humans

Most merchants will review this tab briefly and move on—confidence here is a feature, not an omission.

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