SmartDescribe Lite Bulk Product

Bulk Product Optimisation Guide

1. Overview

SmartDescribe Lite allows you to optimise multiple WooCommerce product featured images using Google Gemini AI.

Instead of processing products individually, you can select multiple products and run bulk optimisation from the SmartDescribe Lite Products screen.

This is particularly useful for store owners with large product catalogues, including handmade businesses, artists, craft sellers and independent retailers.

Bulk optimisation helps reduce repetitive work by generating alt text for multiple products in one workflow.

Important: SmartDescribe Lite optimises the alt text associated with product featured images. It does not automatically optimise every image in a product gallery.

2. Before You Begin

Before running a bulk operation, confirm that:

  • WooCommerce is installed and activated.
  • SmartDescribe Lite is activated.
  • Your Google Gemini API key is configured and saved.
  • The API connection test succeeds.
  • The products you want to optimise have appropriate featured images.

If you have not configured your API key, follow the SmartDescribe Lite — AI Provider Setup and API Configuration guide first.

3. Understand What Bulk Optimisation Changes

Bulk optimisation generates and saves new alt text for the selected products’ featured images.

The plugin uses Google Gemini AI to generate descriptions based on available product information and the image.

Your selected writing tone and character limit settings influence the generated text.

Existing alt text may be replaced. Before running a large operation, consider recording the current descriptions if you may need to restore them manually.

SmartDescribe Lite does not include the dedicated optimisation history and undo features available in SmartDescribe Pro.

4. Open the Products Screen

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to SmartDescribe Lite → Products.
  3. Review the product table.

The screen displays up to 50 published WooCommerce products.

Each row provides product information, current alt text, status and an individual optimisation action.

The selection controls allow you to choose products for bulk processing.

5. Select Products for Optimisation

You can choose the products you want to process.

Select Individual Products

  1. Locate a product in the table.
  2. Select its checkbox.
  3. Repeat for each additional product you want to optimise.
  4. Review your selections before continuing.

This method is useful when you want to update a particular group of products.

Select All Products Displayed

If you want to process every product currently displayed:

  1. Use the Select All checkbox.
  2. Check that the intended products are selected.
  3. Proceed only when you are satisfied with your selection.

Important: Select All applies to the products displayed in the current list. It should not be interpreted as selecting every product in your entire WooCommerce catalogue.

6. Run Bulk Optimisation

Once you have selected your products:

  1. Locate the bulk optimisation control.
  2. Click Optimise Selected.
  3. Allow the plugin to begin processing the selected products.
  4. Monitor the displayed progress and status information.
  5. Allow the operation to finish before starting another bulk run.

Each selected product must be processed through the AI generation workflow. The time required depends on the number of products, provider response times and server conditions.

Avoid repeatedly clicking the bulk action while a run is underway.

7. Monitor Progress and Results

During a bulk run, monitor the information displayed on the Products screen.

Use the status information to identify whether products have been processed successfully or encountered an error.

When the operation finishes:

  1. Review the final status of the selected products.
  2. Identify any products that failed.
  3. Check a sample of the generated alt text.
  4. Open important products in WooCommerce to verify that the saved text is correct.

If an error occurs, resolve the underlying issue before retrying the affected product.

Do not assume that every product succeeded simply because the bulk operation started.

8. Review the Generated Alt Text

AI-generated descriptions should be checked for accuracy, even when processing products in bulk.

Pay particular attention to products where visual details matter, such as:

  • Handmade and one-of-a-kind items.
  • Artwork and decorative pieces.
  • Products with distinctive colours or patterns.
  • Products with similar names but different appearances.
  • Items where the image conveys important information not obvious from the product title.

Check that the generated alt text accurately describes the featured image and does not invent materials, colours, dimensions or product features.

For example, if two handmade ornaments look similar but have different colours, ensure that their descriptions distinguish them correctly.

For larger stores, avoid selecting the entire catalogue for your first bulk run.

A staged approach is safer and easier to review.

Stage 1 — Test a small selection

Choose a handful of products with different image types.

Run bulk optimisation and inspect the results.

Stage 2 — Refine your settings

If the results are too long, too short or inconsistent with your brand, adjust the writing tone and character limit.

Save the settings before running another operation.

Stage 3 — Process additional products

Select another manageable group and repeat the process.

Stage 4 — Check quality

Review the generated descriptions and correct any inaccuracies.

Stage 5 — Continue through your catalogue

Repeat until you have processed the products you want to optimise.

This approach helps you identify problems early rather than discovering them after processing a large number of products.

10. Common Problems

Some Products Fail During Bulk Optimisation

Possible causes:

  • An unavailable or invalid API key.
  • Provider usage limits.
  • Temporary network or server problems.
  • Missing or inaccessible featured images.
  • Individual generation requests failing.

What to do:

  1. Review the status information for the affected products.
  2. Confirm that their featured images are available.
  3. Check your Google Gemini API configuration.
  4. Review any error messages.
  5. Retry the affected products after resolving the problem.

Bulk Optimisation Takes Longer Than Expected

Processing multiple products requires multiple generation requests.

The duration can vary depending on the number of selected products, API response times and server conditions.

Allow the operation to finish and check the displayed status before starting another run.

The Wrong Products Were Selected

Review the selection before clicking Optimise Selected.

If you have not started the operation, correct the selection first.

If optimisation has already begun, review the affected products and their saved alt text when the operation finishes.

Products without an appropriate featured image may not be suitable for optimisation.

Add the correct featured image in WooCommerce, save the product and retry the optimisation if necessary.

Existing Alt Text Has Been Replaced

Replacing existing alt text is part of the optimisation process.

The Lite version does not provide the Pro version’s dedicated history and undo functionality. If preserving the original descriptions is important, record them before running bulk optimisation.

11. Bulk Optimisation and SEO

Good alt text supports accessibility and helps search engines interpret product images.

However, bulk optimisation does not guarantee improved search rankings.

The quality of the result depends on the accuracy of the image descriptions, the relevance of the product information and the wider SEO quality of your store.

Avoid treating alt text as a place to insert repeated keywords. Prioritise clear, useful descriptions that accurately represent each image.

12. Final Checklist

Before completing a bulk run, confirm that:

  • Your Google Gemini API key is configured.
  • Your writing tone and character limit are appropriate.
  • You have reviewed the products selected for processing.
  • You understand that existing alt text may be replaced.
  • You have tested the process on a small selection.
  • You have monitored the operation’s status.
  • You have reviewed the generated descriptions.
  • You have investigated any failed products.

13. Summary

SmartDescribe Lite’s bulk optimisation workflow makes it easier to generate alt text for multiple WooCommerce product featured images.

Select the products you want to process, run Optimise Selected, monitor the results and review the generated descriptions.

For the best results, begin with a small selection, refine your settings and expand your bulk runs once you are satisfied with the quality.

Next guide: SmartDescribe Lite — Settings and Configuration.