A Practical Website Image Decision Record: What to Track and When to Review It

A website image decision record is a short note that captures why an image was chosen for a page, what is known about its source and rights information, whether its AI-generation status is known, and how its accessibility description serves the page. It helps preserve context as a site changes. It does not establish permission, prove provenance, or verify information that is unknown.

This record supports the wider process in building a consistent website image library: retain the reasons behind a selection alongside the asset.

The useful distinction is between what you have recorded and what has actually been checked. Label unknown or unchecked details plainly; do not fill gaps with assumptions.

Start with the image’s job on the page

Record the page and section where the image appears, then describe what it is meant to communicate there. For example, an image might set the subject of an article, explain a step, or provide a visual break. Note why this particular image fits that role—not just that it looks appealing.

That context makes the record more useful later. If the page changes direction, you can reconsider whether the image still supports its purpose instead of treating the original choice as permanent.

Keep source and provenance details traceable

Note where the image came from, using the source name and a link or reference when available. Record provenance details only when you have a basis for them. If you do not know who created the image, how it was made, or where it was first published, mark that information as unknown or not checked. A source reference is useful context, but it does not by itself verify an image’s history.

Track rights information separately

For each image, keep a reference to the applicable license or terms and list any rights details that still need checking. A note that says “license reviewed” records a decision; it is not a substitute for reading the terms that apply to that specific image. For Picdrome-owned originals, refer to Picdrome’s current image license. Do not apply that license to third-party works.

For a practical checklist before publishing, see the image rights pre-publish check. Keep the rights reference distinct from the source and provenance fields: they describe related but different parts of the image’s context.

Note AI-generation status honestly

Use a clear status such as known AI-generated, known not AI-generated, unknown, or not checked. Only record a status as known when the information you have supports it; do not infer how an image was made from its appearance alone.

When a scene is AI-generated, describe it as an illustration—not as a documentary photo, a real customer, or an endorsement. See Picdrome’s AI image disclosure for the site’s disclosure guidance.

Preserve the accessibility context

Record the image’s alt text, or note why it is decorative in that particular context. Connect the description to the image’s role on the page; do not use it as a place to insert unrelated keywords. If the page purpose changes, revisit whether the existing description still fits. The guide to writing image alt text offers related practical guidance.

Review the record when something changes

A lightweight record is most useful when revisited after a meaningful change. Consider reviewing it when the image is replaced, its page or section changes purpose, new source or rights information becomes available, or the accessibility description no longer reflects the image’s role. A review can also confirm that an item previously marked unknown or unchecked has not silently been treated as verified.

Reusable website image decision record

Copy these fields into the place where you maintain website asset notes:

• Page and section:
• Image purpose on this page:
• Why this image fits that purpose:
• Source and reference:
• Known provenance:
• Rights or license reference:
• Rights checks still needed:
• AI-generation status:
• Alt text, or why the image is decorative here:
• Review trigger:

Mark each field unknown, not checked, or not applicable when appropriate. For example, if a page’s purpose changes, revisit the image-purpose and accessibility fields rather than assuming the existing choice and description still serve the page. This is an illustrative review scenario, not a report about a particular site or image.

The goal is not to create paperwork for its own sake. It is to retain enough context to make a considered image choice again—and to see clearly which details are known, which have been checked, and which remain open. For more related guidance, visit Picdrome’s image guides.