How to label a simulated chat clearly
A good label takes a few words and protects you and your viewers. See where to put it, what to say and when it is needed for images, video and slides.
Try it: start from this sample
Did the package arrive?
Yes, but the box was upside down.
Typical. Take a photo for the story.
When a label is needed
Label a chat whenever there is a reasonable chance viewers take it for a real conversation, whenever it features a recognisable public figure, and whenever it could be read as evidence. Obvious comedy or parody may not need one if the context is clear, but a label is cheap and rarely wrong.
A quick test: show the image to someone with no context for three seconds. If they could say "who is that texting?" without smiling, add the label before you publish.
Words you can use
Keep it short and plain. Three wordings that work: "Simulated conversation for illustrative purposes", "Not an actual conversation" and "Parody / fictional scenario". Choose the one that fits what you made, and avoid vague notes such as "for fun" that do not say the chat is invented.
Where to put it for each format
On a still image, place the label inside the picture, below the chat, in a size a person can read on a phone. A label only in the surrounding post can be lost when the image is shared on its own.
In a video, show the label in the first seconds and again at the end, and repeat it in the description. On a slide, add it under the image on the slide itself, not only in the notes.
Captions and alt text
Write the caption so the first line states what it is, for example a fictional text exchange about a late delivery. In the alt text, describe the chat and include the word simulated so that people using a screen reader get the same information as everyone else.
Tips
- Put the label where it cannot be cropped without cropping the chat.
- Use plain language and avoid legal jargon, because viewers skim past it.
- Repeat the label in the caption, description or alt text.
- Make the label readable at phone size, not only on a large screen.
- Label even when you think it is obvious.
Questions
Does the watermark replace a label?
Not fully. The visible watermark on Free exports helps, but it can be cropped out of a shared image. Add your own label too.
Do I always need a label?
Not for obvious parody where the context is clear, but you do whenever people could take the chat for real or evidence. When in doubt, label it.
What if the platform adds its own tag?
Keep your label as well. Platform tags differ and can be removed or hidden, and your wording stays with the content.
Should the label appear on every slide?
Put it on every slide that shows a simulated chat. People often see single slides out of context.
Use it for simulated, labelled content. ChatsRat makes mock-ups and fictional conversations for creators, designers and teachers. Do not use it to pass off a made-up conversation as a real one, to impersonate a real person, or as proof of anything. See the Acceptable Use policy.
About the watermark. Exports on the Free plan carry a visible ChatsRat watermark, and every export carries an invisible mark that the verify page can read. Plans list what changes on paid plans.
ChatsRat is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any messaging app. App names on this page describe a style only.