gen-alt-text

Bluesky Alt Text Generator

An intelligent, AI-powered solution for generating accessible alt text and captions for images and videos. Make the web more accessible with Google Gemini AI integration across multiple platforms.

🌟 Available Platforms

🌐 Web Application (Recommended for quick use)

Live at: https://alttext.symm.app

• Drag-and-drop interface for images and videos
• No installation required, works on any device
• Advanced video compression with FFmpeg
• Progressive Web App (PWA) with offline support

Repository: alt-text-web

🧩 Browser Extension (Seamless Bluesky integration)

Available on:

• Firefox: Mozilla Add-ons
• Chrome: Chrome Web Store

Adds a ✨ button directly to Bluesky's alt text fields for instant generation.

Repository: alt-text-ext

🏗️ Project Architecture

This project consists of four specialized repositories working together:

📱 alt-text-ext - Browser Extension

Cross-browser extension built with WXT.dev framework

• Features: Seamless Bluesky integration, advanced video processing, FFmpeg compression
• Platforms: Chrome, Firefox, Safari
• Technology: TypeScript, Manifest V3, FFmpeg.wasm

🖥️ alt-text-web - Web Application

Progressive Web App for standalone use

• Features: Drag-and-drop interface, real-time compression, offline support
• Deployment: Railway (https://alttext.symm.app)
• Technology: Vanilla JavaScript, PWA, Express.js

⚙️ alt-text-server - Backend API

Centralized AI processing server for all clients

• Features: Google Gemini integration, specialized AI instructions, large file handling
• Deployment: Railway with automatic scaling
• Technology: Node.js, Express, @google/genai SDK

📚 gen-alt-text (This Repository) - Project Hub

Central coordination, documentation, and releases

• Contents: Project assets, comprehensive documentation, release management
• Purpose: Single source of truth for the entire project

✨ Key Features

• 🤖 AI-Powered Generation: Advanced Google Gemini AI with specialized instructions
• 📹 Video Processing: Automatic compression with multiple codec support (H.264, VP8, VP9)
• 📱 Cross-Platform: Browser extension + web app for maximum accessibility
• 🔒 Privacy-Focused: Secure processing with no permanent data storage
• 🎯 Accessibility-First: Purpose-built for screen reader compatibility
• ⚡ Real-time Feedback: Live progress indicators and compression logs

🚀 Quick Start

For Immediate Use:

1. Web App: Visit alttext.symm.app
2. Extension: Install from Chrome or Firefox stores

For Developers:

1. Documentation: Complete guides in /docs
2. Development: See Development Guide
3. Architecture: Review Technical Architecture

📖 Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the /docs directory:

• 📋 Current State Analysis - Project status and roadmap
• 🏗️ Technical Architecture - System design and data flow
• 🧩 Browser Extension Guide - Extension development and deployment
• ⚙️ Backend Server Guide - API documentation and deployment
• 👨‍💻 Development Guide - Local setup and debugging
• 🛣️ Project Roadmap - Future development plans

📊 Project Status

Component	Version	Status	Deployment
Web App	1.0.0	✅ Production	alttext.symm.app
Backend	1.0.0	✅ Production	Railway
Extension	1.0.0 dev / 0.3.1 store	⚠️ Store Update Needed	Chrome & Firefox Stores
Documentation	1.0.0	✅ Complete	This repository

🔗 Links & Resources

• 🌐 Live Web App: alttext.symm.app
• 🧩 Chrome Extension: Chrome Web Store
• 🦊 Firefox Extension: Mozilla Add-ons
• 📱 Bluesky Profile: @symm.app
• 🐛 Issues & Support: GitHub Issues

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! This project spans multiple repositories:

• 🧩 Extension issues: alt-text-ext issues
• 🖥️ Web app issues: alt-text-web issues
• ⚙️ Server issues: alt-text-server issues
• 📚 General/documentation: gen-alt-text issues

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Making the web more accessible, one image at a time. 🌟