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": [
    "http://hollo/@john",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/69dQp4EzTh4",
  "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:19Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://hollo/@john"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/xhXmNCjRU6c",
    "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:19Z",
    "content": "no description",
    "attachment": {
      "type": "Document",
      "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png"
    },
    "tag": [
      {
        "type": "Mention",
        "href": "http://gotosocial/users/cookie"
      }
    ]
  }
}

hollo

{
  "id": "0198c165-9dd8-799a-8d2e-e197053566a0",
  "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:15:19.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/xhXmNCjRU6c",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/xhXmNCjRU6c",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "pinned": false,
  "content": "no description",
  "reblog": null,
  "quote_id": null,
  "quote": null,
  "application": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "0198c164-5533-77de-a4eb-f37417679c26",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:13:54.812Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 0,
    "moved": null,
    "last_status_at": null,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [
    {
      "id": "0198c165-9ed4-7af7-94d7-17ce72c7d771",
      "type": "image",
      "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
      "preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
      "remote_url": null,
      "text_url": null,
      "meta": {
        "original": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "small": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "focus": {
          "x": 0,
          "y": 0
        }
      },
      "description": null,
      "blurhash": null
    }
  ],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "card": null,
  "emojis": [],
  "emoji_reactions": [],
  "poll": null,
  "filtered": 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": [
    "http://hollo/@john",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/nbYtzjDzPz8",
  "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:19Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://hollo/@john"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/HXkbhcwaCo0",
    "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:19Z",
    "content": "text",
    "attachment": {
      "type": "Document",
      "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
      "name": "name",
      "summary": "summary",
      "content": "content"
    },
    "tag": [
      {
        "type": "Mention",
        "href": "http://gotosocial/users/cookie"
      }
    ]
  }
}

hollo

{
  "id": "0198c165-9dd8-799a-8d2e-e19789aa8af3",
  "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:15:19.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/HXkbhcwaCo0",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/HXkbhcwaCo0",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "pinned": false,
  "content": "text",
  "reblog": null,
  "quote_id": null,
  "quote": null,
  "application": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "0198c164-5533-77de-a4eb-f37417679c26",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:13:54.812Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 0,
    "moved": null,
    "last_status_at": null,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [
    {
      "id": "0198c165-a1b1-74f1-b37b-c3ed56788cf0",
      "type": "image",
      "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
      "preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/100.png",
      "remote_url": null,
      "text_url": null,
      "meta": {
        "original": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "small": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "focus": {
          "x": 0,
          "y": 0
        }
      },
      "description": "summary",
      "blurhash": null
    }
  ],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "card": null,
  "emojis": [],
  "emoji_reactions": [],
  "poll": null,
  "filtered": 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": [
    "http://hollo/@john",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/DXlzHsjWDBk",
  "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:20Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://hollo/@john"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/kzpxrRC8vjs",
    "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:20Z",
    "content": "text",
    "attachment": [
      {
        "type": "Document",
        "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
        "name": "name",
        "imageType": "image/jpeg"
      }
    ],
    "tag": [
      {
        "type": "Mention",
        "href": "http://gotosocial/users/cookie"
      }
    ]
  }
}

hollo

{
  "id": "0198c165-a1c0-7529-a267-acebd52b4587",
  "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:15:20.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/kzpxrRC8vjs",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/kzpxrRC8vjs",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "pinned": false,
  "content": "text",
  "reblog": null,
  "quote_id": null,
  "quote": null,
  "application": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "0198c164-5533-77de-a4eb-f37417679c26",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:13:54.812Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 0,
    "moved": null,
    "last_status_at": null,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [
    {
      "id": "0198c165-a4a3-7aea-aa0a-2550841ffcb6",
      "type": "text",
      "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
      "preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
      "remote_url": null,
      "text_url": null,
      "meta": {
        "original": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "small": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "focus": {
          "x": 0,
          "y": 0
        }
      },
      "description": "name",
      "blurhash": null
    }
  ],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "card": null,
  "emojis": [],
  "emoji_reactions": [],
  "poll": null,
  "filtered": 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": [
    "http://hollo/@john",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/BUDMmDrv9Hw",
  "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:21Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://hollo/@john"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/jAlNxM8rJf8",
    "published": "2025-08-19T08:15:21Z",
    "content": "no comment in attachment",
    "attachment": [
      {
        "type": "Document",
        "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png"
      }
    ],
    "tag": [
      {
        "type": "Mention",
        "href": "http://gotosocial/users/cookie"
      }
    ]
  }
}

hollo

{
  "id": "0198c165-a5a8-70e5-8e15-4cd1a0502a86",
  "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:15:21.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/jAlNxM8rJf8",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/jAlNxM8rJf8",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "pinned": false,
  "content": "no comment in attachment",
  "reblog": null,
  "quote_id": null,
  "quote": null,
  "application": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "0198c164-5533-77de-a4eb-f37417679c26",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "created_at": "2025-08-19T08:13:54.812Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://hollo/image/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://hollo/image/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 0,
    "moved": null,
    "last_status_at": null,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [
    {
      "id": "0198c165-a7ce-7340-9b5a-27ff5e159147",
      "type": "text",
      "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
      "preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
      "remote_url": null,
      "text_url": null,
      "meta": {
        "original": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "small": {
          "width": 512,
          "height": 512,
          "size": "512x512",
          "aspect": 1
        },
        "focus": {
          "x": 0,
          "y": 0
        }
      },
      "description": null,
      "blurhash": null
    }
  ],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "card": null,
  "emojis": [],
  "emoji_reactions": [],
  "poll": null,
  "filtered": null
}