Description

Axolotl AI Act Image Labeling lets you mark individual images in your WordPress Media Library as “AI-generated” – either as a lightweight on-screen overlay or permanently burned into a copy of the image file.

Since 2 August 2026, the transparency obligations of the EU AI Act (Article 50) require the labeling of AI-generated or AI-manipulated content. This plugin is a technical tool that helps you apply a visible label. It does not constitute legal advice – whether and how you must label in a specific case is for you to determine, if necessary with qualified counsel.

Free features

Media Library checkbox: “Label this image as AI-generated” (opt-in – nothing happens automatically).
Position: any of the four corners.
Three sizes: small, medium, large.
Two modes:
- Overlay – the label is placed over the image via HTML/CSS on display (the file stays unchanged).
- Burn into the image – the label is written permanently into a copy of the image file; the original is kept.
Live preview that updates instantly.
Works with classic images, the Gutenberg image block and Elementor image widgets.
An “AI” status column in the Media Library list.

Premium (optional add-on)

A separate premium add-on unlocks custom label text, an icon or your own uploaded label image, colors, shape, opacity, free sizing, a diagonal tiled watermark, IPTC/XMP metadata (Digital Source Type), an optional invisible watermark, automatic alt text, a labeling log and bulk labeling. The free plugin is fully usable on its own.

Screenshots

Settings page with live preview and tabbed layout.

The Media Library checkbox to flag an image. — Settings page with live preview and tabbed layout.

Installation

Upload the plugin to /wp-content/plugins/ or install it from the Plugins screen.
Activate the plugin.
Open the plugin’s menu entry and choose mode, position and size.
In the Media Library, tick the checkbox on the images you want to label.

FAQ

Does the overlay change my image file?: No. The overlay is purely visual (HTML/CSS) and leaves the file untouched. If you need the label inside the file itself, choose the “Burn into the image” mode, which creates a labeled copy and keeps the original.
Is a visible label legally sufficient?: This plugin is a technical aid, not legal advice. Please assess your own obligations, if necessary with qualified counsel.
Does it work with Gutenberg and Elementor?: Yes. Labeled images are handled in the classic content, the Gutenberg image block and Elementor image widgets.
Which image formats are supported for burning in?: JPEG, PNG, GIF and WebP, using the PHP GD library.

Reviews

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Contributors & Developers

“Axolotl AI Act Image Labeling” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

medienvirus

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Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.7.6

New admin menu icon: a bold axolotl head glyph that reads clearly at menu size and matches the other WordPress menu icons.

1.7.5

Fix: In grids that position the image absolutely inside a fixed aspect-ratio box (e.g. Elementor Posts and Portfolio widgets), a labeled image no longer collapses into an empty tile. The overlay wrapper now fills the box, so the image keeps its size and the label sits in the visible image.

1.7.4

Admin menu icon: switched to a clean line-art axolotl (SVG).

1.7.3

Admin menu icon: solid, filled glyph that fills the icon like the other menu icons.

1.7.2

Admin menu icon: bolder glyph and correct size/alignment to match the other menu icons.

1.7.1

Fix: the admin menu icon is now loaded as an image file so it displays reliably.

1.7.0

New branding: the plugin now has an axolotl mascot. Refreshed the settings header and replaced the admin menu icon.

1.6.4

The output buffer used to label theme-rendered featured images is now closed explicitly on wp_footer instead of relying on the PHP shutdown phase, avoiding any misalignment with other output buffers.

1.6.3

WooCommerce: the featured-image fallback no longer runs on product pages (the gallery already labels the main image), so a small gallery thumbnail is no longer labeled through that path. Added a thumbnail-size guard to the fallback as well.

1.6.2

WooCommerce: the label is no longer added to small product thumbnail sizes (woocommerce_thumbnail / woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail) at all – gallery navigation thumbnails, catalog tiles and related products stay clean. The large main product image (woocommerce_single) still carries the label.

1.6.1

WooCommerce: on a single product page the label is no longer added to the small gallery navigation thumbnails (which use the woocommerce_thumbnail size). The large main image still carries the label, so the thumbnail duplicate is avoided.

1.6.0

Premium-only functionality (custom shapes, TTF fonts, overwrite mode) is no longer part of the free plugin; the free plugin now ships only its own default label. The “Premium features” tab shows a plain feature overview instead of locked controls.
Hardened output escaping in the overlay badge and content filters.
Admin notices are no longer displayed inside the header banner.
Small preview thumbnails (e.g. WooCommerce gallery thumbnails) are no longer labeled in overlay mode.

1.5.6

Initial public release.