Every file in your Media Library can carry a few words about what it is. Fill those in and your images start working for you — search engines can read them, screen readers can describe them, and visitors see a caption under the picture instead of a bare file name.

## Before you start

- A file already uploaded to your Media Library
- Permission to upload files on the site (Administrators, Editors, Authors, and Contributors all have it)

## Steps

### Step 1: Open the file you want to describe

In the left-hand menu, select **Media**, then **Library**. Your uploads appear as a grid, newest first — click the file you want to update and its **Attachment details** panel opens on top of the grid.

![Open the file you want to describe](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6OTQ0NywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--74f265fdc4efaf42ee0a2a509fafc6b81c5f6a1d/block_open-media-item.png)

### Step 2: Write the alternative text

In the **Alternative Text** box, describe what the picture shows for people who can't see it. Keep it to a short phrase — "A golden retriever catching a ball on a beach" tells a screen reader everything it needs. Leave it empty when the image is decorative and adds nothing to the words around it.

![Write the alternative text](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6OTQyNywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--2dc6b465693a986f836bf8a182c2fa6096a9a3cb/block_add-alt-text.png)

### Step 3: Fill in the title, caption, and description

Use **Title** for the name you'll recognise the file by in your library, **Image Caption** for the line shown underneath the picture on your site, and **Description** for longer notes about the file. There's nothing to save — your changes are stored as soon as you click outside the panel. A small **Saved.** message near the top of the panel confirms it.

## Tips for good details

- Write alternative text the way you'd describe the picture to someone on the phone: what's in it, and what matters about it.
- Captions are for your visitors; descriptions are mostly for you and your team. Nothing is lost by filling in both.
- For audio, video, and document files the caption box is labelled **Short Description** instead — it does the same job.
- You can change any of this later by opening the file from **Media** > **Library** again.

## Summary

Your media files now say what they are: a title you can find them by, alternative text that describes them out loud, and a caption your visitors will read. Open any file from the Media Library whenever you want to refine it.