The image should earn its place by helping the reader understand something.
Choose the image’s job
An image can demonstrate a workflow, show a physical feature, explain a relationship, or establish a scene. Name that job before generating or commissioning it. A generic futuristic illustration may suit a mood but provide no evidence for the article’s claims.
For technical guidance, use a diagram or current interface capture only when it improves understanding. For product comparisons, avoid imagery that implies a tested result you have not measured. Label illustrative renders and mockups where readers could mistake them for a real product state.
Keep the explanation in the page
Write the important point in the body and explain what the image adds. Use an accurate caption for conditions or context. Provide alternative text appropriate to the image’s purpose rather than turning it into a keyword list.
If a chart contains data, include its units, source, date range, and method. Do not invent a rising trend to communicate success. A schematic process diagram can convey a method without implying measured performance.
Review the asset’s accuracy
Check product names, labels, interface states, and permissions. An old screenshot can imply a feature or plan condition that changed. AI-generated imagery may contain distorted text or unrealistic details, so inspect the final asset rather than approving the prompt alone.
Preserve rights and provenance for assets through your normal publishing workflow. A publicly accessible image is not automatically available for reuse. Use owned, licensed, or otherwise appropriately permitted material.
Maintain the relationship to the text
When the article changes, review its visuals too. Replace or qualify obsolete screenshots and revise diagrams when the process changes. Keep the image loading efficiently and check it at the layouts your audience actually uses.
The goal is a page that remains understandable and trustworthy even if the reader does not see the image. Evaluate assistant discovery separately from the image’s clear editorial purpose.
