How to Insert an Image into a Portable Text Block with Alt Text and Caption Predefined

Newbie Question: Is it possible to configure an image object in Sanity Studio so editors can select and insert an image into a portable text block as an inline image and have the alt text and caption predefined? The perfect scenario would be if the caption and alt text were set when the image is first uploaded, then editors have the ability to override the original values where required in subsequent uses of the image.

i would say yes ... but i think it depends on what you mean by predefined
you can make an inline image component that can be inserted into portable text for sure, and you can add fields for alt and caption to that component.

you can also have initial values for new objects ... this is where i'm not 100% sure what you're asking

do you want to have all new images use a predefined value for alt and caption?

or just that you want the user to add those the first time the image is used?

I'm looking to try to recreate the way that WordPress handles media: the first time an image is uploaded, it's given a unique caption and alt text. When the image is subsequently inserted as an inline image, the caption and alt text are used, with the ability to change / override where required.

mmm, yeah
sanity definitely thinks about content, images included much differently than WP

because reusing an image doesn't bring along your alt and caption

Exactly

I wonder if there is a way to do it?

you'd almost need to create document type of Image
and then do a reference to that Image in your portable text

Is that possible?

but even that isn't the same

since its still only giving you the option of alt/caption usage a single time

so if you update alt/caption, it would be updated everywhere

That would still be better than what I have now!

well, then, yes... you could make a document type and create an object for your portable type to reference that document

Are there any docs on how I can add a reference to another document inside a portable text block?

not sure ... just seems doable in theory

you'd need to create an object component, with a reference inside of it, but that should be possible

actually, i've done something similar but with Videos

Thanks. I'm going to do some more research!

i have a Video document type where i add video with captions and other details

and then i reference that as an Insert for my body copy on articles

That sounds very close to what I'm after!

cool.. yeah the only "downside" i see is again that if you edit the content of your Image document, it will get updated anywhere that document is referenced

I can live with that

here's what my Body Copy in the Article looks like

its the third item in the

of

reference to video

Gotcha. Thanks much appreciated!

yep! good luck... let me know if you have questions

I will. It's great to know that there is a helpful community here. I've been on a journey trying to find the best alterantive to WordPress and i think I may have found it!

same! i've been a WP developer for most of my career (and i still love it), but sometimes you just need more or something different ... and i've been loving sanity since finding it

It was Gutenberg that finally drove me away. I've tried ClassicPress which is okay but I found myself using it headless more and more. I'm in the process of settling on Sanity / Gatsby for clients who need a GUI and MDX / Gatsby for everyone else. Thanks again for your help! 😁