New: img2text – AI-Powered Alt Text Generation for WordPress

After 8 months of intensive development, it’s finally here: img2text is live! Our first digital product from the House of realmaker automates alt text generation for WordPress images with AI – making SEO optimization and accessibility child’s play.

The idea behind img2text

Everyone who runs a WordPress website knows the problem: images get uploaded, but the alt texts stay empty. What sounds like a minor detail has far-reaching consequences – for search engine optimization, for accessibility and, in the worst case, even for legal protection.

As a creative agency we work with WordPress every day. We have seen clients upload hundreds of images without alt texts to their media library. We have experienced how time-consuming it is to fill them in afterward. And we asked ourselves: Why is there no better solution for this?

We didn’t want to build yet another SEO tool. We wanted to solve a problem we run into ourselves every day – and in a way that really works.

Michael Rademacher, Founder of realmaker

The problem: empty alt texts everywhere

Alt texts are invisible to most visitors – but essential for three important areas:

1. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Google can’t “see” images the way humans do. The alt text is the primary source of information for search engines to understand what an image shows. Without alt text you give away valuable SEO potential – especially in image search, which is an important source of traffic for many industries.

2. Accessibility (WCAG)

People with visual impairments use screen readers that read web pages aloud. If an image has no alt text, the screen reader skips it – or reads out the meaningless file name. That is not only frustrating, it violates the WCAG guidelines for accessibility.

3. Legal requirements

With the BFSG (German Accessibility Strengthening Act), which applies in Germany from 2025, accessibility requirements for many websites become mandatory. Missing alt texts can then lead not only to cease-and-desist letters but also to hefty fines.

The solution: AI-powered alt text generation

img2text uses GPT-4o Vision – one of the most advanced AI models for image understanding – to automatically generate precise, SEO-optimized alt texts. Unlike simple image recognition tools, GPT-4o understands the context and the meaning of an image.

The result: an alt text that not only describes what can be seen in the image, but also contains relevant keywords and sounds natural – perfect for SEO and screen readers alike.

The long road to a finished platform

What lies in front of you today as a finished product was a real challenge. Development of img2text began more than a year ago – and the road was anything but straight.

1. Phase 1: The plugin (8 months ago)

   It all began with an internal tool. We needed a solution for our own client projects. The first WordPress plugin was functional, but still far from being a product.

2. Phase 2: The AI integration

   Integrating GPT-4o Vision was technically demanding. We had to find a way to process images efficiently without hurting WordPress performance.

3. Phase 3: The platform (last 6 months)

   A plugin alone isn’t enough. We needed a subscription system, API key management, usage tracking and a client portal. That was the most time-consuming part.

4. Phase 4: Testing & optimization

   Months of beta testing with real websites. Every edge case had to be handled: large images, exotic formats, slow servers.

5. Phase 5: Launch (today!)

   After 8 months of development, img2text is ready for the world. The first digital product from the House of realmaker is launching!

Features at a glance

img2text is more than just an alt text generator. It is a complete solution for image optimization in WordPress:

Three ways to generate alt texts

All metadata in one go

img2text doesn’t just generate alt texts, but all the important image metadata:

Premium AI: GPT-4o Vision

We deliberately rely on the best model available. GPT-4o Vision understands not only what is shown in an image, but also why it is relevant. The result is alt texts that are:

• Contextual and precise
• Natural-sounding (no “Image shows…”)
• Rich in SEO-relevant keywords
• Optimized for screen readers

GDPR compliance: Made in Germany

Privacy mattered to us from the start. All images are processed anonymously on German servers. No personal data is stored, no images are archived and no profiles are created.

Multilingual out of the box

img2text supports over 20 languages and is fully compatible with the common translation plugins:

• WPML – The market leader for multilingual WordPress sites
• Polylang – The popular free alternative
• TranslatePress – For visual translations

Alt texts are generated automatically in the language of the respective page – without additional configuration.

The client portal

A large part of the development time went into the client portal – because we wanted to do more than sell a plugin. We wanted to create an experience.

Client portal features

img2text.net/dashboard/
├── Übersicht/
│   ├── Credit-Verbrauch (aktueller Monat)
│   ├── Verbleibende Credits
│   └── Nächste Verlängerung
├── API-Keys/
│   ├── Key generieren
│   ├── Key widerrufen
│   └── Nutzung pro Key
├── Websites/
│   ├── Verbundene Domains
│   ├── Verbrauch pro Website
│   └── Website hinzufügen/entfernen
├── Abonnement/
│   ├── Aktuelles Paket
│   ├── Upgrade/Downgrade
│   └── Rechnungen
└── Support/
    ├── Dokumentation
    ├── FAQ
    └── Ticket erstellen

In the client portal you have everything at a glance:

Plans and pricing

We decided on a fair, transparent pricing model. No hidden costs, no surprises. All prices are annual prices including 19 % VAT (net €41.18, €83.19 and €251.26 respectively, plus VAT).

Which plan is right for you?

1. Starter – for small websites

   Perfect for blogs, portfolio sites or small business websites. 250 images per month are more than enough for most single sites.

2. Professional – for content creators

   Ideal for websites with regular content: magazine blogs, e-commerce shops or company websites with a lot of imagery. Up to 3 websites included.

3. Agency – for agencies & power users

   Built for agencies that look after several client projects. 5,000 images and 10 websites cover even large requirements.

Launch offer: 20% off

To celebrate, we have prepared something special:

Conclusion: a milestone for realmaker

img2text is more than just a plugin. It is the first digital product we have developed and released as an agency. A product that grew out of a real problem and that we use ourselves every day.

The last 8 months were intense. There were moments when we weren’t sure we would make it. There were technical hurdles that drove us to the brink of despair. But there were also those moments when everything came together – and we knew: This is it.

With img2text we prove that we can not only develop for clients, but also bring our own products to market. That is an important step for the future of realmaker.

Michael Rademacher

We look forward to your feedback and are curious how img2text helps you with your projects. If you have questions or need support – we are here for you.

img2text is a product of realmaker – your creative agency for film, web and AI solutions.