PhotoShelter Alt Text AI: Making Digital Assets Accessible at Scale

The Challenge

Organizations using PhotoShelter for digital asset management faced a massive accessibility challenge. With libraries containing tens of thousands of images, manually writing alt text for each image was:

  • Time-consuming: Weeks or months of manual work
  • Expensive: Requiring dedicated staff resources
  • Inconsistent: Varying quality across different writers
  • Never-ending: New images added daily

Our client needed an automated solution that could handle their entire 90,000+ image library while maintaining high-quality, contextual descriptions.

Our Solution

We developed an intelligent batch processing system that leverages OpenAI’s Vision API to generate accurate, contextual alt text at unprecedented scale.

Intelligent Processing Engine

Batch Management System

  • Smart Queuing: Process up to 500 images simultaneously
  • Priority Processing: Handle urgent galleries first
  • Progress Tracking: Real-time status updates for all batches
  • Error Recovery: Automatic retry for failed images

AI-Powered Generation

  • Computer Vision: OpenAI Vision API for image analysis
  • Contextual Understanding: Considers image metadata and gallery context
  • Quality Assurance: Built-in validation for generated descriptions
  • Human Review Interface: Easy approval workflow for generated text

Scalable Architecture

Frontend: Next.js 15 + React 19 + TypeScript
Backend: Node.js + Express
Database: SQLite (dev) / PostgreSQL (production)
Background Jobs: Trigger.dev
AI: OpenAI Vision API
Deployment: Kubernetes on Google Cloud

PhotoShelter Integration

Seamless API Connection

  • Gallery Discovery: Automatic scanning of PhotoShelter instance
  • Metadata Preservation: Maintains existing image information
  • Bulk Updates: Efficient batch application of alt text
  • Version Control: Track changes and allow rollbacks

Technical Innovation

Background Processing at Scale

We solved the challenge of processing 90,000+ images without timeouts:

  1. Job Queue System: Trigger.dev manages long-running tasks
  2. Chunked Processing: Breaks large galleries into manageable batches
  3. Rate Limiting: Respects API limits while maximizing throughput
  4. Status Persistence: Maintains progress across system restarts

Database Architecture

// Efficient tracking of processing status
interface ImageRecord {
  id: string
  photoShelterId: string
  galleryId: string
  originalAltText?: string
  generatedAltText?: string
  status: 'pending' | 'processing' | 'generated' | 'pushed' | 'error'
  processedAt?: Date
  pushedAt?: Date
}

Results & Impact

Quantifiable Success

  • 90,000+ Images Processed: Entire library completed in days, not months
  • 95% Time Savings: Reduced from 6 months manual work to 1 week automated
  • 99% Accuracy Rate: Generated descriptions meet accessibility standards
  • $100,000+ Saved: Eliminated need for manual alt text contractors

Accessibility Improvements

  • WCAG 2.1 Compliance: All images now meet Level AA standards
  • Better User Experience: Screen reader users can navigate galleries effectively
  • SEO Benefits: Improved search engine indexing and rankings
  • Legal Compliance: Meets ADA and Section 508 requirements

Client Success Story

“We were facing a compliance deadline and the prospect of manually writing alt text for 90,000 images was overwhelming. Fruition’s AI solution not only met our deadline but exceeded our quality expectations. The system processed our entire library in under a week.” — Digital Asset Manager, Major University

Key Features

1. Intelligent Dashboard

  • Gallery overview with processing status
  • Batch creation and management
  • Real-time progress monitoring
  • Analytics and reporting

2. Quality Control

  • Preview generated descriptions
  • Bulk approval workflows
  • Edit individual descriptions
  • Rollback capabilities

3. Automation Features

  • Scheduled scanning for new images
  • Automatic processing of new galleries
  • Smart retry for failed images
  • Email notifications on completion

4. Enterprise Features

  • Multi-user support with roles
  • Audit logging
  • API access for integration
  • Custom deployment options

Security & Reliability

Data Protection

  • Encrypted data transmission
  • Secure credential storage
  • No image data retention
  • GDPR compliant processing

System Reliability

  • 99.9% uptime SLA
  • Automatic failover
  • Data backup and recovery
  • Performance monitoring

Deployment Options

Cloud Deployment

  • Fully managed Kubernetes cluster
  • Auto-scaling based on load
  • Global CDN for performance
  • 24/7 monitoring and support

On-Premise Option

  • Docker containerization
  • Custom security policies
  • Private cloud deployment
  • Full source code access

ROI Analysis

Cost Comparison

  • Manual Process: $50/hour × 2,000 hours = $100,000
  • AI Solution: One-time setup + minimal operational costs
  • Payback Period: Less than 3 months

Ongoing Benefits

  • Process new images automatically
  • Consistent quality standards
  • Freed staff for strategic work
  • Improved user satisfaction

Future Enhancements

Roadmap

  • Multi-language alt text generation
  • Custom training for specific domains
  • Integration with more DAM platforms
  • Advanced analytics and insights

Get Started

Ready to make your image library accessible? Our Alt Text AI solution is available for:

  • PhotoShelter Users: Direct integration with your instance
  • Other DAM Platforms: Custom integrations available
  • Standalone API: For custom implementations

Contact Us

Making the visual web accessible to everyone, one image at a time.