When to use this checklist
- A contractor, clinic, agency, consultant, property manager, or local business is adding project photos, before/after galleries, portfolio pages, or proof blocks.
- AI is drafting captions, alt text, schema, case-study snippets, or social posts from images.
- Images could imply customer permission, outcome, location, material, service type, date, compliance, warranty, or guarantee details.
- You want AI-search pages to be more quotable without inventing visual proof.
Copy/paste photo caption source card
Paste this into a spreadsheet, CMS note, Google Doc, Notion database, or project CRM before asking AI to write captions.
| Field | What to record | Human review rule |
|---|---|---|
| Photo file / page URL | Exact filename, gallery URL, or CMS asset ID. | Do not rely on an AI guess from the image alone. |
| Approved source note | Work order, case-study note, project brief, service ticket, invoice summary, or owner-approved description. | If no source exists, write NEEDS OWNER REVIEW. |
| Customer permission | Public permission, anonymized permission, internal only, or do not publish. | Do not imply permission from the presence of a photo. |
| Location detail | City/region, neighborhood, property type, or no location. | Use only the level approved for public use. |
| Service / product shown | What the image actually documents. | Do not add extra services, materials, brands, or certifications unless sourced. |
| Before/after claim | What changed and what proof supports it. | Do not invent measurable results, savings, rankings, recovery time, or performance. |
| Caption wording | One plain-English caption approved for the page. | Keep it specific, modest, and source-backed. |
| Alt text | Describe the image for accessibility without stuffing keywords. | Alt text should not make claims the picture does not prove. |
| Schema / AI-search note | Facts allowed in ImageObject, Article, Service, or FAQ support copy. | Never add fake dates, ratings, awards, prices, or customer outcomes. |
| Owner review | Name, date, and stop-rule decision. | Any sensitive photo gets owner/legal/customer review before publishing. |
AI caption drafting prompt
You are helping a small business write proof-safe photo gallery captions for AI search and website visitors.
Use only the source card below. Do not infer project location, customer permission, materials, timeline, warranty, results, before/after impact, price, compliance status, rating, or guarantee from the image.
Return:
1. A short public caption.
2. Accessibility-focused alt text.
3. Optional image schema facts that are explicitly sourced.
4. Missing proof questions.
5. STOP PUBLISHING if any caption would require unsourced claims or customer permission.
Source card:
[Paste photo caption source card here]Safer caption examples
- Use: “Completed cabinet refinishing project in a residential kitchen; final color approved by the homeowner.”
- Avoid: “Our team transformed this kitchen in one day and increased home value.”
- Use: “Technician documenting replaced part before system test; customer details removed.”
- Avoid: “Emergency repair fixed the issue permanently with full warranty coverage.”
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting AI identify brands, materials, damage causes, dates, or locations from pixels without source proof.
- Publishing customer faces, addresses, license plates, or private property details without permission.
- Turning a photo into an unsupported case study or guarantee claim.
- Keyword-stuffing alt text instead of describing the image accessibly.
- Forgetting to update captions when services, warranties, or before/after claims change.
Make visual proof safer for AI search
Pair this with the AI Search Image Alt Text Checklist, Before/After Photo Checklist, and AI Search Source Link Map.
For the full implementation system, see SEO After AI. For internal approval workflows and prompt guardrails, use The Small Business AI Profit Kit.