Naming and describing Media Library items
Filename and Name fields
Filename and Name fields are different data but should be named the same.
The above image shows locations of the Name field display (blue) and the Filename (red) in a downloadable PDF document.
The file should already have been sensibly named - see Naming files in general. Copy the Filename into the Name field.
Note: when creating an Internal Link to this document, the Name field should be overwritten with something more readable in the flow of text. If this is not done, note the consequences of changing this Name field later.
Description field
In the Description field for images, enter a description of the subject of the image - this important field is displayed on the web page as the 'alt text'. For documents, just summarise the contents as a meaningful reminder.
Image files
This mandatory alternative text to describe the image is mainly for accessibility purposes, but also helps with search engine optimisation. For example:
- Description: Three Geography students walking on a hillside in the Highlands.
- Description: Ben Nevis and Fort William from the air.
- Description: A group of University of the Highlands and Islands students wearing gowns at graduation.
More information on alternative text for images:
- Alternative Text (Web Accessibility In Mind)
- What is Alternative Text? (moz.com)
- How to Create Alternative Text for Images for Accessibility and SEO (TechSmith blog)
Document files
Enter a short Description of the contents of the document, to complement any meaning that's already included in the filename. This can be useful when browsing lists of documents in the Media Library.
Further reference
See also: