Images and media
Search Unsplash and Pexels, upload custom images, manage alt text, and set featured images.
Images and media
Images make articles more engaging, improve time-on-page, and contribute to SEO rankings. IANews gives you three ways to add images: search Unsplash, search Pexels, or upload from your device. All three methods are available directly inside the editor. This guide covers each method, image settings, featured images, and optimization best practices.
Three ways to add images
Search the Unsplash library of free, high-resolution photographs without leaving the editor.
- Click the image button in the toolbar and select Unsplash
- Enter a search term (e.g., "artificial intelligence", "European parliament", "climate data")
- Browse the results grid and click an image to insert it at the cursor position
- Attribution is added automatically per Unsplash licensing requirements
Unsplash images are free for commercial use. No separate license purchase is needed.
When you generate an article, IANews also auto-suggests relevant images based on the article's topic and keywords. You can accept or replace these suggestions in the editor.
Inserting an image step by step
Open the image dialog
Click the image button in the editor toolbar, or type /image on an empty line. The image dialog opens with three source tabs: Unsplash, Pexels, and Upload.
Select your source and choose an image
- Unsplash / Pexels: Type a search query and press Enter. A grid of results appears. Click the image you want.
- Upload: Click "Choose file" or drag a file into the drop zone. The image uploads immediately and a preview appears.
Review the auto-generated alt text
IANews generates descriptive alt text for every image automatically. Review it in the image settings popover and edit if needed. Good alt text describes the image content and includes a relevant keyword for SEO. See the SEO guide for alt text best practices.
Adjust image settings
After insertion, click the image to open the settings popover:
- Alt text -- Edit the auto-generated description
- Caption -- Add an optional visible caption below the image
- Alignment -- Choose left, center (default), or right alignment
- Size -- Select full-width, medium (75%), or small (50%) display size
Auto-suggested images
When you generate an article in Agent or Gateway mode, IANews automatically suggests images that match the article's content. Suggestions appear in the editor sidebar under the Suggested Images section.
How auto-suggestion works:
- The system extracts key topics and entities from the generated article.
- It queries Unsplash and Pexels for each extracted term.
- Results are ranked by relevance and visual quality.
- The top 3--5 suggestions are displayed. Click any suggestion to insert it at the cursor position.
You can dismiss suggestions or search manually at any time.
Featured image
The featured image (hero image) is displayed at the top of the article and used as the social media preview when the article is shared on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Open the metadata panel
Click the gear icon below the editor to expand the metadata panel.
Set the featured image
Click Set featured image. The image dialog opens with the same three source tabs (Unsplash, Pexels, Upload).
Choose an image
Select an image using any of the three methods. The image appears as a preview in the metadata panel.
Review the result
The featured image is automatically included in Open Graph (og:image) and Twitter Card (twitter:image) meta tags when you publish. It appears as the hero banner on the article page and as a thumbnail preview in social feeds and search results.
Choose a featured image that is visually compelling at both large (1200x630) and thumbnail (200x200) sizes. Avoid images with small text -- it becomes unreadable at thumbnail scale. Bold compositions with a clear subject work best.
Image optimization
For the best performance and SEO results, follow these guidelines:
| Aspect | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| File size | Keep uploads under 5 MB. Compress large images with TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading. |
| Dimensions | 1200px wide for full-width images, 800px for in-content images. IANews resizes automatically, but correct source dimensions avoid quality loss. |
| Format | WebP offers the best compression-to-quality ratio. JPEG works well for photographs. PNG is ideal for graphics with transparency. |
| Alt text | Always provide meaningful alt text. Describe the image content and include a relevant keyword. This improves both accessibility and image search rankings. |
| File names | When uploading, use descriptive file names (eu-ai-act-timeline.jpg instead of IMG_4532.jpg). |
| Featured image | Always set one. Articles without a featured image show a blank preview when shared on social media. |
Oversized images increase page load time, which negatively affects Core Web Vitals, SEO rankings, and user experience. Always optimize before uploading.
Image quotas by plan
| Plan | Unsplash + Pexels searches per month | Custom uploads |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 50 | Unlimited |
| Pro | 500 | Unlimited |
| Business | 2,000 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Unlimited |
The quota applies to Unsplash and Pexels searches combined. Images uploaded from your device do not count against this quota. You can view your current image usage on the Usage dashboard.
What's next?
- SEO optimization -- Optimize alt text, file names, and featured images for search engines
- AI editor -- Learn all editor features including image insertion shortcuts
- Generation modes -- Understand how auto-suggested images vary between Gateway and Agent modes