Images play a vital role in web design. They make content more engaging, break up text-heavy pages, and often convey essential information. But what happens when someone can’t see those images? For blind and visually impaired users who rely on screen readers, images without alt text create frustrating gaps in content, preventing them from fully experiencing the web. That’s where alternative text, or alt text, comes in.
Alt text is more than just a convenience—it’s an accessibility necessity. Whether you’re a web developer, designer, content creator, or business owner, understanding and properly implementing alt text is crucial for creating an inclusive digital experience. Let’s dive into what alt text is, why it matters, and how you can use it effectively.
What Is Alt Text?
Alt text (short for “alternative text”) is a written description of an image embedded in the HTML of a webpage. When an image cannot be displayed—whether due to a technical issue or because a user is utilizing a screen reader—the alt text ensures that the content and function of the image are conveyed through text instead.
Here’s what alt text looks like in HTML:
<img src="example.jpg" alt="A golden retriever playing fetch in a sunny park." />A well-written alt text provides context and ensures that visually impaired users can understand the meaning of the image just as sighted users do.
Why Alt Text Matters
1. Accessibility and Inclusivity
The internet should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. According to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), providing text alternatives for non-text content is a fundamental requirement. Alt text ensures that users with visual impairments have equal access to information, whether they’re browsing a news website, shopping online, or reading an educational resource.
2. Compliance with Accessibility Laws
Many countries have accessibility regulations in place, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 in the U.S., as well as the European Web Accessibility Directive. Failing to provide alt text can lead to legal repercussions, including lawsuits and fines. Ensuring your website is compliant isn’t just the right thing to do—it also protects your organization from potential legal risks.
3. Improved SEO
Alt text isn’t just beneficial for users—it also helps search engines. Search engines like Google rely on alt text to understand the content of images, which can improve your website’s ranking in search results. This is especially valuable for e-commerce sites, where descriptive alt text can help products appear in image searches and drive more traffic to your site.
4. Better User Experience
Images sometimes fail to load due to slow internet connections or technical issues. When this happens, alt text ensures that users still receive important information instead of being left with a broken image icon. This contributes to a better user experience overall.
How to Write Effective Alt Text
Writing alt text is both an art and a science. It should be descriptive, concise, and contextually relevant. Here are some best practices:
1. Be Descriptive but Concise
Alt text should clearly describe the image’s content without being overly verbose. Aim for a natural, succinct description.
Example:
- ✅ “A woman in a red dress holding a cup of coffee and smiling.”
- ❌ “A woman wearing a red dress with white polka dots, holding a white ceramic coffee cup in her right hand, standing next to a window with green curtains, smiling with her teeth visible.”
The second example is too detailed—alt text should provide necessary context without unnecessary clutter.
2. Convey the Image’s Purpose
Not all images require the same level of detail. Think about why the image is there and what information it conveys.
- If the image is decorative and doesn’t add meaning (like a background texture), it should have a blank alt attribute (
alt=""), which tells screen readers to skip it. - If the image conveys important information, describe what makes it relevant to the content.
3. Avoid Using ‘Image of’ or ‘Picture of’
Screen readers already announce that the content is an image, so phrases like “image of” or “picture of” are redundant.
Example:
- ✅ “A cat sleeping on a windowsill.”
- ❌ “An image of a cat sleeping on a windowsill.”
4. Include Keywords Naturally
Since alt text contributes to SEO, it’s good practice to include relevant keywords—but don’t overstuff them. Make sure your description sounds natural and not forced.
5. Handle Complex Images Thoughtfully
For charts, graphs, and infographics, a short alt text description should summarize the image, but a longer text explanation should be provided elsewhere on the page for deeper accessibility. Example: Alt text: “Bar chart showing sales growth from 2020 to 2023.” Long description: Below the image, provide detailed breakdowns of data points.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with good intentions, it’s easy to make mistakes with alt text. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid:
- ❌ Leaving alt text blank (except for decorative images).
- ❌ Using vague descriptions like “image123.jpg” or “photo of something.”
- ❌ Stuffing keywords unnaturally: “Best coffee mug ceramic handcrafted artisan stylish.”
- ❌ Writing long-winded descriptions that overwhelm screen reader users.
The Bigger Picture: Making the Web More Accessible
Alt text is a small but powerful way to create a more inclusive digital world. By ensuring images are accessible to all users, you help make the web a better place for everyone. Plus, accessibility improvements often lead to better usability, SEO, and legal compliance—a win-win for both users and businesses.
As digital accessibility experts, we’re here to help organizations navigate the complexities of WCAG compliance, Section 508 requirements, and accessibility best practices. If you need an accessibility audit, training, or strategic consulting, reach out—we’d love to help you build a more inclusive digital experience.
What are your biggest challenges with alt text implementation? Let’s discuss in the comments!
