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DeveloperIgniti's avatar
DeveloperIgniti
Community Member
3 days ago

How to prevent getting unhelpful image Alt text?

Hi,

I've noticed when importing PowerPoint files, objects are being given unhelpful Alt text, and I cannot find the source of it.

For example, images have Alt text like "039d0b233321.png"

Examining the PowerPoint source file, this particular object does not have any Alt text, and it's filename in the PPTX file is also nothing like the Alt text.

So it seems this "039d0b233321.png" is being generated within Storyline.

To compound this issue further, if this particular object is decorative, and I untick "Object is visible to accesbility tools", the unhelpful Alt text still appears in the translation XLF, and I am concerned about the "unfinished" appearance of this when forwarding our files to out client's translation agency.

So, there are two issus at play here, and the only way to solve this seems to be to manually replace all the unhelpful Alt text with whitespace, which is tediuos to say the least.

Can you please confirm if this is no better solution to this?

Many thanks in advance.

1 Reply

  • StevenBenassi's avatar
    StevenBenassi
    Staff
    2 hours ago

    Hi DeveloperIgniti​,

    Happy to help, and please let me address each of your concerns separately.

    Hidden Alt Text is still visible on XLIFF Export:

    I understand how this behavior could impact your translation workflow, especially if it’s increasing cost or effort.

    In Storyline, objects include Alt Text by default to support accessibility. This helps ensure that people using assistive technologies, like screen readers, can understand visual content. Even if an object is set to be hidden from accessibility tools, previously entered Alt Text may still be included in the XLIFF export.

    At this time, that behavior is expected. The export includes available text content to help preserve accessibility information and avoid unintentionally removing descriptions that may be needed. If your goal is to reduce translation volume, one helpful approach is to keep decorative or non-essential objects to a minimum or ensure that only meaningful visuals are included in your slides. This can help limit the amount of text that appears in the export while still supporting an accessible experience.

    We understand this may not fully align with your workflow, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention. I’ve shared your feedback with our product team for consideration as they continue to improve translation and accessibility support.

    When importing PowerPoint files, objects are given unhelpful Alt Text:

    I'd like our support engineers to have a closer look at this issue, so I've opened a support case on your behalf. You're in excellent hands working one-on-one with them, and they should be connecting with you via email soon. We can continue the conversation there!