Image Description¶
The Image type is defined in ActivityStreams Vocabulary.
In this support table, we only consider how the image description, commonly called AltText is handled. Image descriptions are important from an accessibility standpoint, see WCAG 2.2. Text Alternatives.
It seems that certain implementations, e.g. firefish, store the image description on a per image URL basis and not for every instance of an image reference.
Examples¶
Example 1¶
activity
{
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
{
"Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
"sensitive": "as:sensitive"
}
],
"type": "Create",
"actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/yeBoy6D19JI",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:22Z",
"object": {
"type": "Note",
"attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/qc2DU29hd6c",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:22Z",
"content": "no description",
"attachment": {
"type": "Document",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png"
}
}
}
mastodon
{
"id": "114829867262916868",
"created_at": "2025-07-10T16:25:22.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"in_reply_to_account_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/qc2DU29hd6c",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/qc2DU29hd6c",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"edited_at": null,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"content": "no description",
"filtered": [],
"reblog": null,
"account": {
"id": "114829860566519273",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"discoverable": false,
"indexable": false,
"group": false,
"created_at": "2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z",
"note": "",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"followers_count": 0,
"following_count": 0,
"statuses_count": 34,
"last_status_at": "2025-07-10",
"hide_collections": true,
"emojis": [],
"fields": []
},
"media_attachments": [
{
"id": "114829867255612306",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/255/612/306/original/0efc149c0631ee68.png",
"preview_url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/255/612/306/small/0efc149c0631ee68.png",
"remote_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
"preview_remote_url": null,
"text_url": null,
"meta": {
"original": {
"width": 40,
"height": 40,
"size": "40x40",
"aspect": 1.0
},
"small": {
"width": 40,
"height": 40,
"size": "40x40",
"aspect": 1.0
}
},
"description": null,
"blurhash": "U11c~Pl.fQl.l.fkfQfkfQfQfQfQl.fkfQfk"
}
],
"mentions": [],
"tags": [],
"emojis": [],
"quote": null,
"card": null,
"poll": null
}
Example 2¶
activity
{
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
{
"Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
"sensitive": "as:sensitive"
}
],
"type": "Create",
"actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/f4gqgyEHrJs",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:23Z",
"object": {
"type": "Note",
"attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/Sm0cW1ao6zE",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:23Z",
"content": "text",
"attachment": {
"type": "Document",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
"name": "name",
"summary": "summary",
"content": "content"
}
}
}
mastodon
{
"id": "114829867325524677",
"created_at": "2025-07-10T16:25:23.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"in_reply_to_account_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/Sm0cW1ao6zE",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/Sm0cW1ao6zE",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"edited_at": null,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"content": "text",
"filtered": [],
"reblog": null,
"account": {
"id": "114829860566519273",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"discoverable": false,
"indexable": false,
"group": false,
"created_at": "2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z",
"note": "",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"followers_count": 0,
"following_count": 0,
"statuses_count": 35,
"last_status_at": "2025-07-10",
"hide_collections": true,
"emojis": [],
"fields": []
},
"media_attachments": [
{
"id": "114829867320061714",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/320/061/714/original/032b379b0d1602be.png",
"preview_url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/320/061/714/small/032b379b0d1602be.png",
"remote_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
"preview_remote_url": null,
"text_url": null,
"meta": {
"original": {
"width": 40,
"height": 40,
"size": "40x40",
"aspect": 1.0
},
"small": {
"width": 40,
"height": 40,
"size": "40x40",
"aspect": 1.0
}
},
"description": "summary",
"blurhash": "U1Oepd~6fQ~6~6j@fQj@fQfQfQfQ~6j@fQj@"
}
],
"mentions": [],
"tags": [],
"emojis": [],
"quote": null,
"card": null,
"poll": null
}
Example 3¶
activity
{
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
{
"Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
"sensitive": "as:sensitive"
}
],
"type": "Create",
"actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/nSaqrCHonSs",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:24Z",
"object": {
"type": "Note",
"attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/8iNPZmFDapM",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:24Z",
"content": "text",
"attachment": [
{
"type": "Document",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
"name": "name",
"imageType": "image/jpeg"
}
]
}
}
mastodon
{
"id": "114829867399541472",
"created_at": "2025-07-10T16:25:24.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"in_reply_to_account_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/8iNPZmFDapM",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/8iNPZmFDapM",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"edited_at": null,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"content": "text",
"filtered": [],
"reblog": null,
"account": {
"id": "114829860566519273",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"discoverable": false,
"indexable": false,
"group": false,
"created_at": "2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z",
"note": "",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"followers_count": 0,
"following_count": 0,
"statuses_count": 36,
"last_status_at": "2025-07-10",
"hide_collections": true,
"emojis": [],
"fields": []
},
"media_attachments": [
{
"id": "114829867385530958",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/385/530/958/original/59220b98b45cd113.png",
"preview_url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/385/530/958/small/59220b98b45cd113.png",
"remote_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
"preview_remote_url": null,
"text_url": null,
"meta": {
"original": {
"width": 1548,
"height": 1548,
"size": "1548x1548",
"aspect": 1.0
},
"small": {
"width": 480,
"height": 480,
"size": "480x480",
"aspect": 1.0
}
},
"description": "name",
"blurhash": "UOEVB2.}4.T=}fjEEVw[4=K[RUw~9,TJV?bW"
}
],
"mentions": [],
"tags": [],
"emojis": [],
"quote": null,
"card": null,
"poll": null
}
Example 4¶
activity
{
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
{
"Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
"sensitive": "as:sensitive"
}
],
"type": "Create",
"actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/PJEEZOefLNY",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:25Z",
"object": {
"type": "Note",
"attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"to": [
"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
"http://mastodon/users/hippo"
],
"id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/u-GNaRMd1u8",
"published": "2025-07-10T16:25:25Z",
"content": "no comment in attachment",
"attachment": [
{
"type": "Document",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png"
}
]
}
}
mastodon
{
"id": "114829867460871767",
"created_at": "2025-07-10T16:25:25.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"in_reply_to_account_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/u-GNaRMd1u8",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/u-GNaRMd1u8",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"edited_at": null,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"content": "no comment in attachment",
"filtered": [],
"reblog": null,
"account": {
"id": "114829860566519273",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"discoverable": false,
"indexable": false,
"group": false,
"created_at": "2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z",
"note": "",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
"avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
"header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
"followers_count": 0,
"following_count": 0,
"statuses_count": 37,
"last_status_at": "2025-07-10",
"hide_collections": true,
"emojis": [],
"fields": []
},
"media_attachments": [
{
"id": "114829867449195116",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/449/195/116/original/f9915c2d0071a329.png",
"preview_url": "http://localhost:2970/system/cache/media_attachments/files/114/829/867/449/195/116/small/f9915c2d0071a329.png",
"remote_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
"preview_remote_url": null,
"text_url": null,
"meta": {
"original": {
"width": 1548,
"height": 1548,
"size": "1548x1548",
"aspect": 1.0
},
"small": {
"width": 480,
"height": 480,
"size": "480x480",
"aspect": 1.0
}
},
"description": null,
"blurhash": "UOEVB2.}4.T=}fjEEVw[4=K[RUw~9,TJV?bW"
}
],
"mentions": [],
"tags": [],
"emojis": [],
"quote": null,
"card": null,
"poll": null
}