This guide is for you who will be adding images and videos to pages in W4. It covers where to find approved images, how to upload them, which fields you need to fill in, what alt text is and why it matters, and how to add videos.

Part 1: Images

When should you use images?

Images can make pages more engaging, but only if they’re relevant. Always consider whether the page actually needs an image before adding one.

Avoid images when:

  • The page is short or purely functional.
  • You can’t find a relevant image of good quality. A missing image is better than a poor or irrelevant one.

Use images when:

  • The image illustrates the page content directly.
  • The page requires a main image, such as articles or events.
  • The image shows people at UiB in activity, presence, and engagement.

Do not use: images generated by artificial intelligence (AI), images where text is the main element (especially as a main image), or outdated stock photos.

Where can you find images?

Always use images you have the right to use.

  • UiB’s image archive: The primary source for images for uib.no. Contains a selection of illustration images cleared for use. Available via the profile and web manual. You must still credit the photographer in the Photo credit field.
  • Colourbox: UiB has a subscription to this stock photo service. Can be used to a limited extent when no suitable UiB photo exists, but stock images should be avoided. Employees and students can register as Colourbox users.

GDPR: New privacy regulations often require documented consent for using images showing identifiable people. See www.uib.no/fotosamtykke.

How to upload an image

  1. Go to the image field on your page (e.g. “Media element” or “Main image”) and click “Add media”.
  2. A dialog box opens. Make sure “Image” is selected in the left-hand panel.
  3. Click “Choose File” and select the image from your computer. Allowed file types: PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, AVIF, WEBP. Max file size: 128 MB.
  4. Fill in all required fields (see next section).
  5. Click “Save”. The image will then appear in the image field on the page.

Fields to fill in when you upload the image:

  • Title (required): The technical name of the image in the media library. Use a descriptive name that includes the unit or project name, so you and your colleagues can easily find the image again. Example: MatNat_students_campus
  • Alternative text / alt text (required): A short description of what’s shown in the image. Used by screen readers. Example: “Three students standing outside in Muséhagen, smiling and talking together.”
  • Adapt to landscape format: Turn on this toggle if the image should always be shown in landscape format across all language versions. Note: This also applies every time that version of the image is reused elsewhere on the website.
  • Description: Optional internal note. Not visible to the public.
  • Photo credit (required): Name of the photographer or unit that owns the image. Example: Eivind Senneset. An image can only be used if both the rights holder and the people depicted have given permission.
  • Media description (caption): The visible caption shown under the image on the published page. Not the same as the alt text.

Alt text – why is it important?

Alt text is one of the most important accessibility features on a website. It’s read aloud by screen readers for users who are blind or have low vision, and is shown in place of the image if it can’t load.

How to write good alt text:

  • Describe the content of the image, not its appearance as a design element.
  • Be concise but informative — one or two sentences is usually enough.
  • Don’t start with “Image of…”. Screen readers already announce that it’s an image.
  • Purely decorative images that don’t convey information can have empty alt text. For all other images, alt text is required.
  • Always write alt text in the correct language for that language version. Mixing languages breaks universal design requirements.

Translating image title and alt text for top images

If the page has both a Norwegian and an English version, the alt text must be translated for both.

  1. Click the pencil icon (✏️) on the image in the Media element field.
  2. The image editing panel opens with the current title and alt text.
  3. Click “Translate” at the top of the panel to switch to the other language version.
  4. Update the Title and alt text in the target language.
  5. Click “Save”.

The Photo field (photo credit) does not need to be translated. It’s shared across all language versions.

Finding an image you’ve uploaded before

All images are uploaded to a shared media library used by all editors on uib.no. Here’s how to find your own images again:

  1. Click “Add media” and select “Image” in the left-hand panel.
  2. Use the “Name” search field to search for the image title, your username, or the project name.
  3. Use the “Migrated from w3” filter to separate W4 content from content migrated from the old W3 site.
  4. Click “Apply filter”. Switch between grid and table view using the buttons above the results.
  5. Select the image and click “Insert selected”.

Name your images with a unit abbreviation, e.g. Geo_fieldwork_spring, so they’re easier to find again, and you avoid uploading the same image multiple times.

NB! Only use images you have uploaded yourself or have explicit permission to use.

Part 2: Videos

When should you use videos?

Use videos when:

  • The content benefits from visual demonstration or spoken explanation.
  • You have a recorded lecture, presentation, or promotional film relevant to the page.
  • The video is captioned and audio described as required by accessibility legislation.

Avoid videos when:

  • The content can be conveyed just as effectively through text and images.
  • The video doesn’t meet the required accessibility standards.

All videos on uib.no must meet the legal requirements for audio description. See the guide to audio description and captioning.

Supported video platforms

Panopto and Vimeo are preferred over YouTube when traditional audio description with a separate audio track is needed. Videos must be published before they can be added to a W4 page.

  • Panopto (recommended): UiB’s own video platform at mitt.uib.no. Recommended for lectures and instructional videos.
  • Vimeo: Recommended for content with traditional audio description.
  • YouTube: Note that YouTube currently does not support uploading a separate audio track for traditional audio description, and is therefore not recommended when full accessibility compliance is required.

How to add a video

  1. Click “Add media” in the Media element field and select “Panopto/YouTube/Vimeo” in the left-hand panel.
  2. Search for an existing video in the library, or paste the URL into the URL field and click “Add”.
  3. Select the video and click “Insert selected”.

Caption for videos (Media description)

Under the Media element field you’ll find a field called “Media description”. Here you write a caption that’s shown visibly under the video on the published page.

Use this field to give context for the video. Write the text in the same language as the language version you’re editing.

Useful links