ALT Fix (Bulk) – SQL Robust

A powerful WordPress plugin that automatically detects and fixes missing image ALT attributes across your entire media library using a robust SQL approach. Perfect for improving SEO and web accessibility compliance.

Features

• Robust SQL detection of images with missing, NULL, empty, or whitespace-only ALT text
• Flexible ALT generation modes:
  • Attachment title only
  • Attachment title with fallback to filename (recommended)
  • Filename only
• Advanced text normalization:
  • Replace dashes and underscores with spaces
  • Collapse multiple spaces into single spaces
  • Optional Title Case formatting
• Configurable batch processing (50-1000 images per batch)
• Real-time progress tracking with visual progress bar and statistics
• Safe execution with transient locks preventing concurrent processing
• Comprehensive logging with timestamped activity records
• Clean admin interface with modern card-based design
• Memory efficient batch processing for large media libraries

Installation

Method 1: Upload via WordPress Admin (Recommended)

1. Download the latest release ZIP file from this repository
2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New
3. Click Upload Plugin
4. Choose the downloaded ZIP file and click Install Now
5. Click Activate Plugin

Method 2: Manual FTP Upload

1. Download and extract the plugin files
2. Upload the alt-fix-bulk folder to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory
3. Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress

Method 3: Git Clone (Development)

cd /path/to/wp-content/plugins/
git clone https://github.com/fachu-dev/alt-fix-bulk.git

Then activate through the WordPress admin.

Usage

1. After activation, go to Tools > ALT Fix (Bulk) in your WordPress admin
2. Review statistics: See how many images need ALT text
3. Configure settings:
   • Choose ALT generation mode (title, title+filename fallback, or filename only)
   • Set batch size (300-500 for normal hosting, 800-1000 for powerful servers)
   • Enable text normalization options as needed
4. Run processing:
   • Click "Procesar 1 lote" to process one batch and review results
   • Click "Procesar hasta terminar" to automatically process all batches
   • Use "Pausar" to stop processing at any time
5. Monitor progress: Watch the real-time progress bar and review the activity log

Configuration Options

ALT Generation Modes

• Título del adjunto (solo): Uses only the attachment title
• Título → fallback a nombre de archivo: Uses attachment title, falls back to filename if title is empty (recommended)
• Nombre de archivo (solo): Uses only the filename

Text Normalization

• Normalize dashes: Replace - and _ with spaces
• Collapse spaces: Convert multiple consecutive spaces to single spaces
• Title Case: Apply Title Case formatting (optional)

Batch Size

• 50-300: Conservative for shared hosting
• 300-500: Recommended for most hosting environments
• 500-1000: For powerful servers or VPS/dedicated hosting

Technical Details

SQL Approach

The plugin uses direct SQL queries to efficiently identify images with missing ALT attributes:

SELECT p.ID
FROM wp_posts p
LEFT JOIN wp_postmeta pm ON pm.post_id = p.ID AND pm.meta_key = '_wp_attachment_image_alt'
WHERE p.post_type = 'attachment'
  AND p.post_status = 'inherit'
  AND p.post_mime_type LIKE 'image/%'
  AND (pm.post_id IS NULL OR pm.meta_value IS NULL OR TRIM(pm.meta_value) = '')

Safety Features

• Transient locks: Prevents multiple instances from running simultaneously
• Batch processing: Avoids memory exhaustion on large libraries
• Non-destructive: Only affects images with missing/empty ALT text
• Progress preservation: Safe to stop and resume processing

Performance

• Processes 300-1000 images per batch depending on server capacity
• Direct SQL operations for maximum efficiency
• Minimal memory footprint with batch-based processing
• Real-time statistics and progress tracking

Use Cases

SEO Optimization

• Improve search engine rankings with proper image ALT attributes
• Ensure all images contribute to SEO value
• Standardize ALT text formatting across the site

Accessibility Compliance

• Meet WCAG accessibility guidelines
• Prepare for accessibility audits
• Improve screen reader compatibility

Site Maintenance

• Clean up after content migrations
• Fix bulk imports with missing ALT text
• Standardize media library metadata

Requirements

• WordPress: 5.0 or higher
• PHP: 7.4 or higher
• Memory: Standard WordPress memory limits (batch processing prevents issues)
• Permissions: manage_options capability required

Support

For issues, feature requests, or contributions:

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• Documentation: This README and inline plugin documentation
• Author: fachu.dev

License

This project is licensed under the GPL v2 or later - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Changelog

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Robust SQL-based ALT attribute detection
• Configurable batch processing system
• Three ALT generation modes
• Advanced text normalization options
• Real-time progress tracking
• Comprehensive logging system
• Modern admin interface
• Safety features and transient locks