Alt text (alternative text) is a written description you add to images on your website or blog. It tells people and search engines what an image shows when they can’t see it directly.
Think of it like this: if someone is using a screen reader because they’re blind or visually impaired, they hear your alt text read aloud instead of seeing the picture. If an image fails to load on a slow internet connection, alt text appears where the image should be. Search engines also read alt text to understand your images and rank your content better.
Alt text solves a real problem. About 253 million people worldwide have vision loss. If your images have no descriptions, these visitors can’t use your site properly. You’re also missing out on search visibility because Google can’t see images the way you do. Alt text helps both groups.
The Difference Between Alt Text and Image Titles
People often confuse alt text with image titles. They’re not the same thing.
Alt text appears in the HTML code using the alt attribute. It’s hidden from most sighted visitors unless the image fails to load. Screen readers read it aloud. Search engines use it.
Image title is the text that appears when someone hovers their mouse over an image. Most websites don’t use image titles anymore because they’re less useful and can clutter the user experience.
You should write both, but they serve different purposes. Focus on alt text first because it reaches more people and helps with accessibility and SEO.
How to Write Good Alt Text
Start With What You Actually See
Look at your image carefully. Describe what’s in it, not what you wish was in it or what the image represents symbolically.
If you have a photo of a woman holding a coffee cup at a desk, write: “Woman holding a coffee cup while working at a desk” not “Success” or “Morning motivation.”
If you have a chart showing sales growth from 2022 to 2024, describe the chart itself: “Bar chart comparing quarterly sales from 2022 to 2024” not just “Sales growth.”
Keep It Short and Direct
Alt text should be under 125 characters when possible. This doesn’t mean every alt text needs to be that short, but it’s a good target.
Aim for one or two sentences at most. Long paragraphs are hard to navigate with screen readers. People listening to alt text don’t want to hear a novel.
Good example: “Three dogs playing fetch in a grassy park”
Bad example: “An image of three dogs that are having a great time playing with a ball in what appears to be a beautiful green park on a sunny day during what looks like spring or summer when the weather is nice and warm”
Be Specific, Not Generic
Generic alt text defeats the purpose. “Image” or “Picture” or “Photo” tells people nothing new.
Weak alt text: “Team meeting”
Strong alt text: “Four employees sitting around a conference table during a budget planning meeting”
The second one actually tells you what’s happening, who’s involved, and why it might matter.
Include Important Text That Appears in Images
If your image contains text, include that text in your alt text.
A logo with words: “TechFlow Solutions company logo with blue shield design”
A screenshot of a quote: “Quote: ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.’ attributed to Chinese proverb”
A chart with a title: “Pie chart titled ‘Website Traffic Sources’ showing social media at 45%, organic search at 35%, and direct traffic at 20%”
Don’t Stuff Keywords
Don’t write alt text to game search engines. This is called keyword stuffing and it doesn’t work anymore.
Bad: “best affordable running shoes for men cheap online sales”
Good: “Red and black Nike running shoes displayed on white background”
Write for humans first. Search engines reward natural, honest descriptions. If your image is about running shoes, the word “running shoes” will probably appear naturally in good alt text anyway.
Consider Context
What comes before and after the image matters. You don’t need to repeat information that’s already in the surrounding text.
If your article already says “Let me show you how to install drywall” and then you have a photo, you don’t need to repeat “installing drywall” in the alt text. You could write: “Worker using power drill to secure drywall to wooden studs” because the installation context is already clear.
If an image stands alone, be more complete in its description.
When to Write Different Types of Alt Text
For Decorative Images
Some images purely decorate your page and don’t add information. Think of dividers, background patterns, or small icons used just for visual appeal.
These images should either have empty alt text (alt=””) or very minimal alt text. Never write “Decorative image divider” because that’s annoying for screen reader users. Just leave it blank.
Tools will flag blank alt text as an error, but it’s actually the right choice for purely decorative images. Most accessibility guidelines agree with this.
For Logos
Include the company name and what it is.
Alt text: “Mailchimp logo featuring the Freddie mascot”
Alt text: “Apple Inc. logo”
Short and clear. Don’t try to describe the visual design unless it’s important to your content.
For Charts and Graphs
This is where many people struggle. A chart image needs more description than a simple photo because it contains data.
You have two good options:
First option: Provide a complete alt text summary of the chart’s key findings.
“Line graph showing website traffic grew from 5,000 monthly visitors in January 2023 to 22,000 in December 2023”
Second option: Write shorter alt text and provide a data table below the image.
Alt text: “Line graph of monthly website traffic for 2023”
Then include an HTML table below the chart that shows the actual numbers. This helps screen reader users and also helps sighted visitors who want exact data.
The second option is often better for complex charts because it separates the visual from the data. This Microsoft article on accessible charts explains this approach well.
For Infographics
Infographics cram lots of information into one image. Alt text alone isn’t enough.
Write brief alt text summarizing the main topic, then provide the full information in text form elsewhere on the page.
Alt text: “Infographic showing 5 steps to reduce plastic waste at home”
Then below, write out those 5 steps in regular paragraphs or a bulleted list.
This way, people who can’t see the infographic aren’t left out, and your information is also more useful for search engines.
For Screenshots
Describe what the screenshot shows, not technical details about the screenshot itself.
“Screenshot showing Gmail inbox with 47 unread messages” is better than “Screenshot of email software interface.”
If the screenshot shows important text, include the key text in your alt text.
For Product Images
E-commerce sites need detailed alt text for products.
Include the product type, brand, color, and important features visible in the image.
Good for shoes: “Nike Air Force 1 sneaker in white with black toe cap, shown from the side”
Good for clothing: “Gray wool cardigan with five buttons worn by model from the front”
This helps both accessibility users and search visibility. People searching for “gray wool cardigan” might find your product page partly because of this alt text.
For Images in Articles
If you use images in blog posts or news articles, connect the alt text to the article topic.
If your article is about growing tomatoes and you show a photo of ripe tomatoes on the vine, write: “Ripe red tomatoes hanging on green vine in garden”
Include enough context so someone reading just the alt text understands how it relates to your article.
How to Add Alt Text in Different Platforms
WordPress
In WordPress, add alt text directly in the media library.
Steps:
- Go to Media in your dashboard
- Click on the image you want to edit
- Look for the “Alternative Text” field
- Type your alt text (do not copy the filename)
- Update and save
If you’re editing a page or post and want to add alt text to an image already inserted, click the image and edit it inline. Most WordPress themes and page builders make this simple.
Squarespace
Squarespace has alt text fields built into every image block.
- Click your image
- Click the Settings gear icon
- Under “Alt Text” enter your description
- Click outside to save
Wix
In Wix:
- Right-click the image on your page
- Select “Edit Image”
- Go to the “Alt Text” tab
- Enter your description
Shopify
For product images in Shopify:
- Go to Products
- Click the product
- Under the product image, click “Alt text”
- Enter your description
- Save
For uploaded images in Shopify pages, click the image and look for alt text options in the properties panel.
HTML Websites
If you code by hand, add alt text like this:
<img src="photo.jpg" alt="Woman holding coffee cup at office desk">The alt attribute is where your alt text goes. Keep it inside the img tag.
If you’re working with a developer or using a custom CMS, ask them where to add alt text. Every platform has a place for it.
Social Media
Most social media platforms now support alt text.
Instagram: When uploading, tap “Advanced Settings” and add alt text in the “Accessibility” section. Many users skip this, but people using screen readers appreciate it.
Twitter/X: Click “Add description” below the image before tweeting. Twitter shows a small ALT label on images with alt text.
Facebook: Upload the image, then click Edit to add alternative text.
LinkedIn: When posting with an image, you can add alt text before publishing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Writing Alt Text Like a Robot
Bad: “Image of person in business attire seated at table”
Good: “Woman in navy blazer sitting at conference table reviewing documents”
The second one sounds like how a person actually talks. Avoid awkward phrasing.
Being Too Vague
Bad: “Marketing strategy diagram”
Good: “Diagram showing how content marketing leads to increased sales through three stages: awareness, engagement, and conversion”
Give enough detail that someone who can’t see the image understands it.
Including Redundant Phrases
Bad: “Image of a sunset over the ocean”
Good: “Sunset over the ocean with orange and pink clouds reflected in water”
Drop “image of” because the alt text attribute already means it’s an image. Every word matters in alt text.
Ignoring Images in Buttons or Links
Alt text matters here too.
Bad:
<a href="/cart"><img src="shopping-cart.png" alt=""></a>Good:
<a href="/cart"><img src="shopping-cart.png" alt="Shopping cart"></a>The link purpose becomes clear with the alt text. Screen reader users will understand where the link goes.
Writing Alt Text That’s Too Long
If you’ve written more than two sentences, edit it down. People using screen readers have to listen to every word. Respect their time.
Forgetting Alt Text Entirely
This is the most common mistake. Audit your site for images without alt text. Many images go unnoticed and untagged.
Use free tools like WAVE (WebAIM’s accessibility evaluation tool) to scan your pages and find missing alt text.
How Alt Text Helps With SEO
Search engines use alt text as a ranking signal, but not in the way many people think.
Google has said that alt text is used to understand images and rank them better in image search. If someone searches for “blue hiking boots” on Google Images, your alt text saying “blue hiking boots” helps Google show your image.
Alt text also makes your page more crawlable and understandable to search engines. When Google understands your images, it understands your page better overall.
But here’s the key: this only works if your alt text is honest and accurate. Keyword stuffing or writing alt text that doesn’t match the image will hurt you more than help.
Write alt text for accessibility first. If it’s good for people, it’s good for SEO.
Tools and Resources
Automated Alt Text Tools
Some tools generate alt text automatically using artificial intelligence.
Cloudinary’s AI alt text generator analyzes images and suggests descriptions. This gives you a starting point, but always review and edit the suggestions.
Microsoft’s Designer and other AI image tools now auto-generate alt text. It’s useful for batch processing, but human review is essential.
Never publish auto-generated alt text without checking it. AI still makes mistakes and sometimes misses important details.
Accessibility Checkers
WAVE (wave.webaim.org) scans your website and flags images with missing alt text. It’s free and one of the most reliable tools.
Lighthouse is built into Chrome DevTools. Run an accessibility audit and Lighthouse shows alt text issues.
Axe DevTools is a browser extension that checks for accessibility problems including alt text issues.
These tools won’t write alt text for you, but they’ll tell you where it’s missing.
Manual Audit Checklist
Do this quarterly to keep alt text quality high:
- Check one page at a time using WAVE or Lighthouse
- Go through every image
- Read the alt text aloud and ask: does this make sense?
- Check that alt text matches the image
- Make sure it’s not generic or stuffed with keywords
- For charts and graphs, ensure the alt text includes key data
- Update weak alt text
Why Alt Text Matters Beyond Compliance
You might think alt text is just a checkbox to satisfy accessibility laws. It’s not.
People use alt text for reasons besides visual impairment. Someone on a slow mobile connection with images disabled will see your alt text. Someone at work in a quiet office might have images turned off. Parents of children with ADHD sometimes turn off images to reduce distractions.
Alt text also helps you write better descriptions overall. When you practice describing your images accurately, you become a better content creator. You notice details you’d otherwise miss.
More importantly, alt text shows respect for your audience. Not everyone experiences your content the way you do. Writing good alt text means you’ve thought about different needs.
Summary
Alt text is a simple but powerful tool. It describes images in words so people using screen readers, slow connections, or assistive technology can understand your content. Search engines use it to index and rank images. Most importantly, it’s the right thing to do.
Here’s what you need to remember:
Write alt text that describes what you actually see in the image. Keep it short and specific. Avoid keyword stuffing and generic descriptions. Include relevant text that appears in the image. Use different approaches for different image types like charts, logos, and products.
Add alt text to all images on your site using your platform’s built-in tools. Check your work with accessibility scanners. Review and update weak alt text regularly.
Start with one page. Pick a post or page you care about and write good alt text for every image. Then expand from there. You don’t need to do everything at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should alt text be?
Alt text should be concise and under 125 characters when possible. Usually one or two sentences is right. Long paragraphs frustrate screen reader users. If you need to explain complex information, use a text description below the image instead.
Is alt text visible to regular website visitors?
No, most visitors won’t see alt text unless the image fails to load or they hover over it (depending on how the website is coded). Alt text is primarily for accessibility and search engines, not for sighted visitors. This is intentional because it keeps the page clean and uncluttered.
Should I include the word “image” in alt text?
No. The alt attribute already indicates it’s an image. Writing “Image of a coffee cup” is redundant. Just write “Coffee cup on wooden table.” Your alt text is cleaner and more useful this way.
Can I use the same alt text for multiple images?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Each image deserves its own accurate description. If you have ten photos of different products, they need different alt text. Reusing the same alt text confuses screen reader users and provides no real value.
What if I use an image as a link?
The alt text should describe where the link goes, not just what the image looks like. If you have a button with an image of a shopping cart that links to your cart page, write “Go to shopping cart” not just “Shopping cart icon.” The alt text should clarify the link’s purpose.
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