AI & Machine Learning · AltTextLab + Claude
AltTextLab MCP with Claude: Accessible Image Descriptions at Scale
The short answer
Claude works with AltTextLab through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that acts as a secure adapter between the two. Once connected, Claude can ask AltTextLab to generate alt text, audit image accessibility and prepare image metadata, all from plain-English requests, with permissions your organisation controls.
What is AltTextLab?
AltTextLab is an AI service that writes accessible, search-friendly alt text for images. Alt text is the short written description that screen readers read aloud for people who cannot see an image, and that search engines use to understand it. Content teams, e-commerce managers, publishers, marketing departments and accessibility officers use AltTextLab to describe large libraries of images consistently and to help published content meet accessibility expectations.
How Claude connects to AltTextLab through MCP
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets Claude securely use other software. Think of it as a universal adapter between Claude and a tool. Through it, Claude can read information from AltTextLab and carry out actions there, but only within the access your organisation grants.
Once connected, Claude can, for example, pass images to AltTextLab for description, review the alt text it returns, flag images with missing or weak descriptions, and prepare the accessible image metadata your team needs. Staff can simply describe the outcome they want in everyday language, such as checking all product photos in a category.
Permissions and approvals keep people in charge. Access is limited to the functions each workflow needs, and actions that publish or overwrite content can be set to require a person's sign-off. Activity can be logged so that every change is traceable.
What you can automate
Product catalogue descriptions
An online retailer has thousands of product photographs with no alt text. Claude can request descriptions from AltTextLab in batches, check that each one names the product, colour and key features, and send weaker results to a merchandiser for review. Descriptions that are accurate and specific help customers using screen readers and can support search visibility.
Newsroom image accessibility
A publisher's editors upload photographs each day. Claude can check each new image against AltTextLab, draft alt text, and attach it to the article draft so the editor can confirm it before publication. This keeps accessibility checks part of the normal publishing routine rather than a last-minute task.
Accessibility audits of existing sites
An accessibility officer needs to know where images lack descriptions across a website. Claude can use AltTextLab to audit image accessibility, summarise gaps by section, and produce a prioritised list for the content team, helping focus effort where it matters most.
SEO-aware image metadata for marketing
A marketing team wants image descriptions that support both accessibility and search. Claude can ask AltTextLab for SEO-aware descriptions, compare them with the brand's terminology, and prepare metadata for the team to approve before it is added to campaign pages and asset libraries.
Digital asset library clean-up
A company with years of archived images wants them searchable and accessible. Claude can work through the library in stages, generate missing descriptions, report images that need human judgement, and keep a log of what was changed so the digital asset manager can track progress.
An end-to-end workflow: New product launch image preparation
TriggerA product manager uploads a batch of new product photographs to the shared asset folder.
Claude picks up the new images and sends each one to AltTextLab to generate alt text.
Claude checks each description against the product name and specification held in the company's product information system.
Claude flags any description that is vague, missing a key feature or inconsistent with the specification.
The product manager reviews the flagged items and approves or edits them in a single list.
Claude writes the approved alt text and metadata back into the e-commerce platform and the asset library, and records each change in the audit log.
OutcomeLaunch pages go live with complete, accurate image descriptions on the first day, reducing manual data entry and the risk of missing accessibility information. Results vary by catalogue size and review workload.
How we set it up
Free automation audit
We review your image workflows with you and identify where AltTextLab would save the most time, such as product catalogues, publishing or asset libraries.
Secure connection with an API key
We connect Claude to AltTextLab using the API key sign-in method that the service supports. The key is stored securely and access is limited to the functions each workflow needs.
Workflow design
We design the end-to-end process across AltTextLab and your other systems, such as Microsoft 365, your CRM or e-commerce platform, deciding where people approve changes before they go live.
Testing against real cases
We test the workflow using real images and past content from your organisation, checking the quality of descriptions and the accuracy of flags before anything is published.
Launch, monitoring and training
We launch with audit logs and monitoring in place, then train your content, marketing and accessibility teams to use the workflow confidently.
Who benefits
- Accessibility officers
- Gain a clear, prioritised view of image accessibility gaps across the organisation.
- E-commerce and merchandising managers
- Publish complete product image descriptions faster, with fewer manual edits.
- Editors and content managers
- Check accessibility as part of normal publishing, rather than as a separate task.
- Digital asset managers
- Bring large archives up to standard in stages, with a record of every change.
Security and control
- Least-privilege access, so Claude can only use the AltTextLab functions each workflow requires.
- Human approval before any description is published or overwrites existing content.
- Audit logs that record what was generated, reviewed and changed, and by whom.
- Monitoring and periodic sampling to check description quality over time.
- Clear guidance that generated descriptions should be reviewed for accuracy, particularly for sensitive or high-stakes images.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can use this workflow with data handling aligned to their own accessibility and privacy obligations. In India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs personal data, and workflows are designed to respect it. For organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, local data protection laws shape where and how image data is processed. We choose the hosting region for your Claude workflows to meet your specific legal and contractual requirements.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the AltTextLab MCP server do?
The AltTextLab MCP server is the bridge that lets Claude use AltTextLab in a controlled way. Through it, Claude can request alt text for images, review image accessibility and prepare metadata. The server only exposes the functions your workflow needs, so the connection stays focused and predictable.
Is connecting AltTextLab to Claude secure?
Security depends on how the connection is set up, and we design it carefully. The API key is stored securely, access is limited to necessary functions, and sensitive actions can require human approval. Audit logs record activity so you can see what happened and when.
What can Claude do with AltTextLab once it is connected?
Typically, Claude can generate alt text for images, audit a set of images for missing or weak descriptions, suggest SEO-aware wording and prepare accessible image metadata. Actions that publish or overwrite content can be set to wait for a person's approval.
How long does setup take?
Timing depends on the number of workflows and the systems involved. A focused workflow with one or two integrations is often ready within a few weeks, including testing and training. Larger programmes covering several teams and platforms take longer, and we agree the timeline after the free audit.
Which plan or permissions do I need?
You need an AltTextLab account that supports API key access, and an API key with permissions suited to the workflow. The exact plan and access level depend on your AltTextLab arrangement and your volume of images, so we confirm these during the free automation audit.