Write Captions That Add Information
Added 2026-11-02
A caption should not describe the image again; it should add context from outside it.
Here are my article and image descriptions. Write a caption for each: 1) one line on why the image is here and how it relates to the text; 2) add one piece of information not visible in the frame — time, place, data source; 3) do not repeat the alt text; 4) keep it under 40 words; 5) say which image does not need a caption and is better without one.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
图注的职责是补充，不是重复。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three openings in different tones, then pick one.
- Replace "make it better" with concrete limits: length, reader, facts to keep.
What you should get
- A publishable draft, not an outline
- A short changelog: what changed and why
Common mistakes
- Letting it guess the facts, so plausible-looking sources get invented.
- Dumping the whole text with just "polish it" — the result still has no point.
How to check the output
- The conclusion comes first; deleting the opening paragraph does not break it.
- Every fact, number and quote traces back to the source text.
Where it works
- Good for: turning a rambling draft into a conclusion-first, shorter version.
- Watch out: keep sources and figures verbatim — do not let it invent citations.