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. misskey, 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/xhvxgQKIG8I",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:36Z",
"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/hV92LJ7DMao",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:36Z",
"content": "no description",
"attachment": {
"type": "Image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/c6fae24f-ea5b-4b21-ab42-86b98265edf8.png"
},
"tag": [
{
"type": "Mention",
"href": "http://hollo/@john"
}
]
}
}
hollo
{
"id": "019a9afd-8000-7854-958f-d2a672df5bc8",
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:21:36.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/hV92LJ7DMao",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/hV92LJ7DMao",
"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": "019a9afb-3559-79a4-887c-114083a4b131",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:19:05.764Z",
"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": "019a9afd-842d-7903-bd32-93034ad572e1",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/c6fae24f-ea5b-4b21-ab42-86b98265edf8.png",
"preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/c6fae24f-ea5b-4b21-ab42-86b98265edf8.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/c5_F6hDngFY",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:37Z",
"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/OsNI8lM0sQk",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:37Z",
"content": "name, summary and content",
"attachment": {
"type": "Image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/891aba70-9fcc-43e7-a706-db68473afeca.png",
"name": "name",
"summary": "summary",
"content": "content"
},
"tag": [
{
"type": "Mention",
"href": "http://hollo/@john"
}
]
}
}
hollo
{
"id": "019a9afd-83e8-750e-8773-a94d00c5c3b7",
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:21:37.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/OsNI8lM0sQk",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/OsNI8lM0sQk",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"pinned": false,
"content": "name, summary and content",
"reblog": null,
"quote_id": null,
"quote": null,
"application": null,
"account": {
"id": "019a9afb-3559-79a4-887c-114083a4b131",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:19:05.764Z",
"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": "019a9afd-8695-7cf4-9898-307089cf948e",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/891aba70-9fcc-43e7-a706-db68473afeca.png",
"preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/891aba70-9fcc-43e7-a706-db68473afeca.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/9Buy69lqkt0",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:38Z",
"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/XvrKUQ2ZdAY",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:38Z",
"content": "only name",
"attachment": [
{
"type": "Image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png",
"name": "name",
"imageType": "image/jpeg"
}
],
"tag": [
{
"type": "Mention",
"href": "http://hollo/@john"
}
]
}
}
hollo
{
"id": "019a9afd-87d0-7e1b-af53-e6e09f693a7a",
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:21:38.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/XvrKUQ2ZdAY",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/XvrKUQ2ZdAY",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"pinned": false,
"content": "only name",
"reblog": null,
"quote_id": null,
"quote": null,
"application": null,
"account": {
"id": "019a9afb-3559-79a4-887c-114083a4b131",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:19:05.764Z",
"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": "019a9afd-8900-7e80-8471-d3a81e7fe2df",
"type": "image",
"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/vQpCO59TaPU",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:39Z",
"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/7h67ZVUOVbQ",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:39Z",
"content": "only summary",
"attachment": {
"type": "Image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/68750ed8-4013-4b1f-bad0-3d1c1d31738d.png",
"name": "name",
"summary": "summary",
"content": "content"
},
"tag": [
{
"type": "Mention",
"href": "http://hollo/@john"
}
]
}
}
hollo
{
"id": "019a9afd-8bb8-7048-b730-8d8699e31d2f",
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:21:39.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/7h67ZVUOVbQ",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/7h67ZVUOVbQ",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"pinned": false,
"content": "only summary",
"reblog": null,
"quote_id": null,
"quote": null,
"application": null,
"account": {
"id": "019a9afb-3559-79a4-887c-114083a4b131",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:19:05.764Z",
"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": "019a9afd-8db5-7096-b6da-a41a487eb7a7",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/68750ed8-4013-4b1f-bad0-3d1c1d31738d.png",
"preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/68750ed8-4013-4b1f-bad0-3d1c1d31738d.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 5¶
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/PEEiBvtaEeg",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:40Z",
"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/A4-f3NSASq8",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:40Z",
"content": "only content",
"attachment": {
"type": "Image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/74c89e62-78f3-402f-b907-8c944e4a5be1.png",
"content": "content"
},
"tag": [
{
"type": "Mention",
"href": "http://hollo/@john"
}
]
}
}
hollo
{
"id": "019a9afd-8fa0-7125-808b-6050f2e2ac8b",
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:21:40.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/A4-f3NSASq8",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/A4-f3NSASq8",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"pinned": false,
"content": "only content",
"reblog": null,
"quote_id": null,
"quote": null,
"application": null,
"account": {
"id": "019a9afb-3559-79a4-887c-114083a4b131",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:19:05.764Z",
"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": "019a9afd-9047-77c4-be23-eb42db0fb69e",
"type": "image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/74c89e62-78f3-402f-b907-8c944e4a5be1.png",
"preview_url": "http://pasture-one-actor/images/74c89e62-78f3-402f-b907-8c944e4a5be1.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 6¶
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/mXVcmZFlnIA",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:40Z",
"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/sFJfhZvN21c",
"published": "2025-11-19T07:21:40Z",
"content": "no comment in attachment; reused image",
"attachment": [
{
"type": "Image",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/assets/FediverseLogo.png"
}
],
"tag": [
{
"type": "Mention",
"href": "http://hollo/@john"
}
]
}
}
hollo
{
"id": "019a9afd-8fa0-7125-808b-60519f5b2c14",
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:21:40.000Z",
"in_reply_to_id": null,
"sensitive": false,
"spoiler_text": "",
"visibility": "public",
"language": null,
"uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/sFJfhZvN21c",
"url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/sFJfhZvN21c",
"replies_count": 0,
"reblogs_count": 0,
"favourites_count": 0,
"favourited": false,
"reblogged": false,
"muted": false,
"bookmarked": false,
"pinned": false,
"content": "no comment in attachment; reused image",
"reblog": null,
"quote_id": null,
"quote": null,
"application": null,
"account": {
"id": "019a9afb-3559-79a4-887c-114083a4b131",
"username": "actor",
"acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
"display_name": "Test Actor",
"locked": false,
"bot": false,
"created_at": "2025-11-19T07:19:05.764Z",
"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": "019a9afd-92d2-7476-b287-09b9bf6c5212",
"type": "image",
"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
}