Installation 

Install with Composer 

Run the command from the root directory of the Composer-based TYPO3 project:

composer require autoaltai/alt-text-generator

Composer installs the package and publishes its TYPO3 public assets. If the extension is not activated automatically, activate all newly installed extensions:

vendor/bin/typo3 extension:setup

Apply the database schema 

The extension stores its configuration, generation history, error log, and rename history in TYPO3 database tables. Apply the database changes before opening the module:

• In the TYPO3 backend, open Admin Tools > Maintenance > Analyze Database Structure and apply the suggested changes; or

• Run the following command, which activates newly installed extensions and performs their database migrations:

  vendor/bin/typo3 extension:setup

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Open the module 

Sign in as a TYPO3 administrator. In the backend navigation, open:

Media > AutoAlt.ai > Extension Configuration

The first page shows the connection card and the current configuration.

Connect an existing AutoAlt.ai account 

1. Obtain an API key from your AutoAlt.ai account.
2. In the Connect with API key card, paste the API key.
3. Select Connect & Save.
4. Check that the status changes to Connected and that a credit balance is displayed.

Register or sign in with email 

If you do not already have an API key:

1. Open Media > AutoAlt.ai > Extension Configuration.
2. In the Login / Register card, enter your email address.
3. Select Send verification code.
4. Enter the six-digit code sent to your email.
5. Select Verify code.

The extension creates or connects the account and saves the resulting API key in its TYPO3 configuration.

First-run checklist 

Before processing a complete media library:

1. Review the options in Configuration/Index, especially the allowed image types, overwrite setting, title/description generation, and keywords.
2. Start with a small set of test images using Bulk Alt Text Generator.
3. Review the generated values in the TYPO3 File List or Alt Text History.
4. Adjust your instructions if needed.
5. Enable automatic generation on upload only after you are satisfied with the output.

Security of API keys 

Never commit an AutoAlt.ai API key to Git, a deployment script, a screenshot, or a support ticket. If it has been exposed, revoke or rotate it in AutoAlt.ai and save a replacement in the extension configuration.

Upgrading 

For every extension update:

1. Update the Composer package.
2. Run vendor/bin/typo3 extension:setup.
3. Review and apply any proposed changes in the Database Analyzer.
4. Flush TYPO3 caches if the backend does not show the new assets or module changes.

See Troubleshooting/Index when an update does not complete as expected.

Uninstalling 

Uninstalling AutoAlt.ai removes all data owned by the extension. This includes the configuration, generation history, rename history, error-log tables, legacy extension configuration, and AutoAlt.ai entries in TYPO3's system log. It does not undo generated values in sys_file_metadata or rename files, because those records and files are owned by TYPO3 and may have been edited after generation.

For a Composer installation, register the following root-project Composer script. Composer intentionally runs only scripts declared by the root project, not scripts from dependencies. This project already contains the registration. Other Composer projects should add it before running composer remove autoaltai/alt-text-generator:

{
  "scripts": {
    "pre-package-uninstall": "AutoAltAi\\AltTextGenerator\\Composer\\UninstallCleanup::onPrePackageUninstall"
  }
}

The bridge calls vendor/bin/typo3 autoalt:cleanup while the extension is still available, before Composer deletes its package files.

In TYPO3 13, Extension Manager deactivation invokes the same cleanup through the package-deactivation event. If an installation has disabled Composer scripts, run the command manually before removing the package:

vendor/bin/typo3 autoalt:cleanup

The command is idempotent: it succeeds when some or all AutoAlt.ai tables have already been removed. A later installation followed by the normal schema setup creates empty tables, so no previous AutoAlt.ai history is restored.