What Are Alt Text Best Practices?

Understanding Alt Text: The Foundation of Image Accessibility and SEO

Before we jump into the “how-to,” let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about what alt text is and why it’s a non-negotiable part of modern web development.

What exactly is Alt Text?

Alt text, short for “alternative text,” is a brief written description you add to an image’s HTML code. It looks something like this in the code:

This text serves as a replacement if the image fails to load. More importantly, it provides context and description for users who cannot see the image.

Why is Alt Text So Crucial?

You might wonder if taking the time to write alt text for every image is really worth the effort. Absolutely! Here’s why:

Accessibility: Screen readers use alt text to describe images to visually impaired users, ensuring they don’t miss crucial information.
SEO: Search engines utilize alt text to understand images, improving indexation and potentially boosting visibility in image search results and overall SEO.
Broken Images: Alt text displays when images fail to load, conveying the image’s purpose and maintaining user experience.
Search Engine Context: Alt text provides search engines with additional context about a page’s content, potentially improving rankings for relevant queries.

Alt Text vs. Image Title vs. Image Caption

It’s easy to get these terms mixed up. Let’s clear up the confusion:

This document provides a comparison of Alt Text, Image Title, and Image Caption. Here is a summary in list form:

Alt Text:

Describes image for screen readers and when images fail to load.
Not visible on the page unless the image is broken.
High SEO Impact.
Critical for Accessibility.

Image Title:

Provides additional, non-essential information.
Appears as a tooltip on hover.
Low SEO Impact.
Low Accessibility Impact.

Image Caption:

Provides context or commentary.
Visible on the page, usually below the image.
Moderate SEO Impact (as content).
Moderate Accessibility Impact (as content).

While all can be useful, alt text is essential for accessibility and SEO. Titles are more of an optional enhancement, and captions serve a different, visible, descriptive role.

Section Summary: Alt text is a vital HTML attribute that describes an image. It’s critical for web accessibility, provides SEO benefits by helping search engines understand image content, and ensures information is conveyed even if images fail to load. It is distinct from image titles and captions, which serve different purposes.

Crafting Effective Alt Text: Core Principles and Best Practices

Now that you understand its importance, how do you write good alt text? It’s an art and a science. Here are the core principles:

Be Specific and Descriptive

Vague alt text doesn’t help anyone. Your goal is to convey the image’s content and purpose as clearly as possible.

Painting a Picture with Words: Describe the image as if speaking to someone who can’t see it, including key details for visualization.
Instead of (Example): `alt=”dog”` (Too vague).
Try (Example): `alt=”Golden retriever puppy playing with a red ball in a grassy park”` (Specific and descriptive).
What to Include: Subject, important actions, and relevant context; consider lost information without the image.
What to Avoid: Overly generic terms like “Image,” “graphic,” or “photo,” unless the image style is important (e.g., “Charcoal sketch…”).

Keep it Concise (But not too concise)

While you want to be descriptive, alt text shouldn’t be a novel.

Ideal Length: Aim for under 125 characters for better screen reader experience, but prioritize descriptive accuracy over strict brevity.
Avoiding Keyword Stuffing: Do not overload alt text with keywords for SEO; this harms user experience and can lead to penalties.
Bad Example: `alt=”buy cheap running shoes best sneakers sale discount footwear”` (Keyword stuffing).
Good Example: `alt=”Runner tying laces on red Nike running shoes before a race”` (Descriptive and concise).

Use Keywords Strategically (But Naturally)

While avoiding stuffing, you can and should use relevant keywords if they fit naturally into the description.

Aligning with Page Content: If your page is about “organic dog food,” and you have an image of a dog eating, alt text like alt=”Happy beagle eating a bowl of Brand X organic chicken and rice dog food” is both descriptive and includes relevant terms.
Focusing on User Intent: Think about what a user might type into Google Image Search to find your image or the content it represents.

Context is King

The best alt text often depends on why you’re using the image.

How the Image Relates to Surrounding Text: If an image illustrates a specific point in your text, ensure the alt text reflects that connection.
Different Alt Text for the Same Image in Different Contexts: You might use the same image on different pages of your site. The alt text could change slightly to better match the specific context of each page. For instance, on a product page, the alt text for an image of a t-shirt might focus on material and fit. On a blog post about sustainable fashion, the same image’s alt text might highlight its eco-friendly production.

Avoid “Image of…” or “Picture of…”

Screen readers automatically announce an element as an “image.” So, starting your alt text with “Image of…” or “Picture of…” is usually redundant.

Instead of: alt=”Image of a cat sleeping”
Try: alt=”Orange tabby cat curled up asleep on a blue sofa”
Exception: If the medium itself is important (e.g., alt=”Watercolor painting of a sunset over the ocean”), then it’s fine.

Section Summary: Effective alt text is specific, descriptive, and concise. It uses keywords naturally and always considers the context of the image within the page. Avoid redundant phrases like “image of” and never stuff keywords, prioritizing a helpful description for users.

Handling Different Types of Images: Nuances and Examples

Not all images are created equal, and your approach to alt text should vary accordingly. As web creators, we handle a diverse range of visual content, and knowing how to treat each type is key.

Informative Images

These are images that directly convey information or add to the understanding of the content. They require descriptive alt text.

Example 1 (Photo supporting a news article):

Image: A scientist looking into a microscope.
alt=”Dr. Jane Doe examining samples through a high-powered microscope in a research laboratory.”
Example 2 (Product image):

Image: A specific model of a laptop, open and showing the screen.
alt=”Silver Dell XPS 13 laptop with InfinityEdge display, showing a vibrant desktop wallpaper.”

Decorative Images

What about images that are purely for visual flair and do not add any informational value? Think background patterns, stylistic borders, or abstract shapes.

The Role of alt=”” (Null Alt Attribute): For truly decorative images, you should use an empty alt attribute: alt=””. This tells screen readers to ignore the image. If you omit the alt attribute entirely, some screen readers might announce the image file name, which is confusing and unhelpful.
When an Image is Truly Decorative: Be honest with yourself. Does this image provide any meaning or context? If it disappeared, would any information be lost? If the answer is no, then alt=”” is appropriate.

Example: A subtle background texture on a webpage section.
<img src=”background-texture.png” alt=””>

Functional Images

These are images that perform an action, such as images used as links or buttons.

Describing the Action or Destination: For functional images, the alt text should describe the function or where the link goes, not just what the image looks like.
Example 1 (Image as a link to a homepage):

Image: A company logo in the header.
alt=”CompanyName Homepage” (If the logo is also the site name, and it’s clear it links home) or alt=”Navigate to Homepage”
Example 2 (Icon button):

Image: A magnifying glass icon for a search button.
alt=”Search website”
Example 3 (Social media icon):

Image: A Twitter bird icon linking to a Twitter profile.
alt=”Follow us on Twitter”

Images of Text

Sometimes, you might use an image that contains text (though it’s generally better to use actual HTML text for SEO and accessibility).

Accessibility Concerns: Relying heavily on images of text can be problematic. Screen readers cannot read the text within the image unless you provide it in the alt text. Also, this text does not scale well for users who need to zoom in.
Transcribing the Text: If you must use an image of text, the alt text should transcribe the exact text in the image.

Image: A graphic saying “Limited Time Offer: 50% Off!”
alt=”Limited Time Offer: 50% Off!”
If the text is very long, consider providing a summary and including the full text elsewhere on the page.

Complex Images (Charts, Graphs, Infographics)

These images often convey a lot of detailed information.

Providing a Summary in Alt Text: The alt text should provide a concise summary of the information presented in the chart or graph. What is the main takeaway?

Image: A bar chart showing website traffic growth over the last year.
alt=”Bar chart showing a steady increase in website traffic from 10,000 visitors in January to 50,000 visitors in December.”
Linking to a Long Description or Including Data in Text: For very complex images like detailed infographics or extensive charts, the alt text can provide a brief description. You can then offer a link to a separate page with a full text description or present the data in a table nearby. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) provides techniques for long descriptions.

Image Groups or Galleries

When you have a collection of images, like a photo gallery:

Alt Text for Individual Images vs. Overall Context: Each image that conveys unique information should have its own descriptive alt text. If the gallery as a whole tells a story, ensure the surrounding text or a caption provides that context. If multiple images are very similar and illustrate the same point, you might be more concise, but avoid being unhelpfully repetitive.

Section Summary: Tailor your alt text strategy to the type of image. Informative images need rich descriptions, decorative images should use an empty alt attribute (alt=””), functional images must describe their action or destination, images of text need their text transcribed, and complex images require careful summaries or links to longer descriptions.

Implementing Alt Text: Practical Steps and Tools

Knowing the theory is great, but how do you put it into practice efficiently, especially if you’re managing many websites or large e-commerce stores?

Adding Alt Text in WordPress

For those of us working extensively with WordPress (and by extension, tools like Elementor), adding alt text is straightforward.

Using the Media Library:

Upload image to Media Library.
Enter descriptive text in the “Alternative Text” field.
Alt text auto-applied when inserting the image.

Adding Alt Text via Block/Classic Editor:

Click on the inserted image.
Block Editor: Find “Alt text (alternative text)” in the sidebar.
Classic Editor: Click “Edit” (pencil icon) to find “Alternative Text”.

Tips for Elementor Users:

Elementor uses the Media Library’s alt text by default.
Set alt text in the Media Library for consistency.
Alt text can also be set/overridden in the Elementor widget settings.

Writing Alt Text for WooCommerce Products

If you’re building WooCommerce stores for clients, alt text for product images is especially critical. These images are key to driving sales.

Highlighting Product Features and Benefits: Your alt text should accurately describe the product and can highlight key features or what’s shown in the image.

Image: A blue cotton t-shirt shown on a mannequin.
alt=”Men’s classic blue crew neck t-shirt made from 100% organic cotton.”
SEO for Product Images: Think about what terms customers would use to search for that product. Incorporate these naturally.

Image: A close-up of the stitching on a leather handbag.
alt=”Detailed view of hand-stitching on a brown leather shoulder bag with brass buckle.” This helps customers (and search engines) understand product quality and details. Good product image alt text can contribute directly to better search rankings and, ultimately, more sales for your clients.

Tools for Checking Alt Text

Manually checking every image can be time-consuming. Luckily, tools can help:

Browser Developer Tools: Most web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) have built-in developer tools. You can “Inspect Element” on an image to see its HTML and check the alt attribute.
SEO Audit Tools: Many comprehensive SEO audit tools and browser extensions can crawl your site and flag images with missing or problematic alt text.
Accessibility Checkers: Dedicated accessibility checkers, such as WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) or Axe DevTools, are excellent for identifying missing alt text and other accessibility issues.

Creating an Alt Text Workflow for Your Team

If you work in an agency or with a team, establishing a clear workflow ensures consistency and quality.

Roles and Responsibilities: Who is responsible for writing alt text? The content creator? The SEO specialist? The developer? Define this clearly.
Checklists and Guidelines: Create a simple checklist or style guide for writing alt text that aligns with these best practices. This helps maintain consistency, especially with multiple contributors. For instance, a checklist could include:

Is the alt text descriptive?
Is it concise (around 125 characters or less, if appropriate)?
Does it avoid “image of…”?
Are keywords used naturally?
Is it empty (alt=””) if purely decorative?
Does it describe the function for linked images?

Section Summary: Implementing alt text is manageable with the right processes. WordPress and Elementor offer easy ways to add it. For WooCommerce sites, product image alt text is vital for sales. Various browser and SEO tools can help you audit existing alt text, and a team workflow ensures consistency.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Alt Text

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:

Missing Alt Text: Essential for non-decorative images; empty alt for decorative is better than none.
Generic/Unhelpful Alt Text: Use meaningful descriptions, not filenames or general terms.
Keyword Stuffing: Avoid excessive keywords; focus on natural, human-readable descriptions.
Overly Long Alt Text: Keep it concise for screen readers; use other methods for complex image descriptions.
Redundant Alt Text: Provide alternative information, not just repetition of captions or surrounding text.
Outdated Alt Text: Update descriptions when images are changed to avoid misleading information.

Section Summary: Avoid common errors like missing alt text, using generic descriptions, keyword stuffing, overly lengthy text, redundancy with captions, and failing to update alt text when images are replaced. These mistakes can undermine accessibility and SEO efforts.

The Business Case for Prioritizing Alt Text

As web creators, we often need to explain the value of our efforts to clients. Prioritizing alt text isn’t just about ticking a technical box; it has tangible business benefits.

Enhanced User Experience: Benefits all users, prevents confusion with broken images, and adds a professional touch.
Improved SEO: Helps images rank in search and boosts overall page SEO, increasing organic traffic and potential customers.
Wider Audience Reach: Makes websites accessible to millions with visual impairments, expanding potential markets.
Legal Compliance: Meets accessibility laws like ADA and WCAG, avoiding legal issues.
Stronger Brand Reputation: Shows commitment to inclusivity, fostering user loyalty and trust.

How Web Creators Can Educate Clients on Alt Text Value

Many clients might not be aware of alt text or its importance. As their web professional, you can:

Explain the benefits clearly: Focus on SEO, user experience, and accessibility.
Show, don’t just tell: Use a screen reader to demonstrate how alt text works.
Include it in your service: Make alt text creation a standard part of your web development or content packages. This reinforces its importance.
Provide simple guidelines: If clients are adding their own images later, give them a quick guide on how to write good alt text. By educating clients, you empower them and also position yourself as a knowledgeable and thorough professional. This strengthens client relationships.

Section Summary: Prioritizing alt text offers significant business advantages, including better user experience, improved SEO, a wider audience reach, legal compliance, and enhanced brand trust. Web creators play a key role in educating clients about these benefits, transforming a technical detail into a value proposition.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Alt Text Considerations

Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, there are a few more advanced scenarios you might encounter.

Alt Text for SVGs (Scalable Vector Graphics)

SVGs are increasingly popular due to their scalability and small file sizes. How do you handle alt text for them?

If the SVG is embedded directly in the HTML (<svg>…</svg>):

You can use the <title> element within the SVG itself as a primary way to provide a description.
You can also use aria-labelledby to point to a <title> element or aria-label directly on the <svg> tag.
Example: <svg role=”img” aria-labelledby=”svgTitle”><title id=”svgTitle”>Company Logo: A stylized blue bird</title>…</svg>
If the SVG is linked via an <img> tag (<img src=”image.svg” alt=”…”>): Treat it like any other image file and use the alt attribute.

Using aria-labelledby and aria-describedby for Complex Images

For extremely complex images where a short alt text cannot do justice, and a separate long description page isn’t practical, ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes can help.

aria-labelledby: Allows you to associate an image with text elsewhere on the page that serves as its label.
aria-describedby: Allows you to link an image to a more detailed description present elsewhere on the same page. These are more advanced and should be used carefully, ensuring the referenced text is truly a good description.

Alt Text in Different Languages (Localization)

If you’re building multilingual websites, remember that alt text needs to be translated just like the rest of your content. The description should be in the language of the page the image appears on to provide an equivalent experience for users in that language.

AI-Generated Alt Text: Pros, Cons, and Best Practices

Artificial intelligence tools are now capable of generating alt text for images. This can seem like a great time-saver, but should you rely on it?

When AI Can Help: For very large batches of simple, straightforward images, AI might provide a decent starting point or identify images that clearly lack alt text. Some platforms are even integrating this.
The Importance of Human Review: AI is not perfect. It can misinterpret images, miss nuance, or generate overly generic descriptions. It often struggles with context. Always, always review and edit AI-generated alt text. It should be a tool to assist, not replace, human judgment, especially for images crucial to understanding or functionality. Never assume AI-generated alt text is compliant or effective without verification.

Section Summary: Advanced alt text practices include handling SVGs appropriately, using ARIA attributes for complex descriptions when needed, translating alt text for multilingual sites, and cautiously using AI-generated alt text with mandatory human review. These ensure accessibility even in more complex web scenarios.

Conclusion: Making Alt Text an Integral Part of Your Web Workflow

Alt text mastery is vital for web creators aiming for high-quality, accessible, and SEO-friendly sites. It’s a fundamental aspect of inclusive design and effective online communication, not a minor afterthought. Consistently applying best practices improves the experience for all users, especially those using assistive technologies, and boosts search engine visibility for clients’ content, leading to their online success.

At the Send by Elementor blog, our goal is to empower web creators like you to build better websites and provide greater client value. While Send focuses on communication tools, we understand that every website element impacts the overall communication strategy. Prioritizing and optimizing fundamental elements like image alt text is crucial for a holistic approach. Make alt text a key part of your workflow, educate clients, and utilize available tools to create a more inclusive and effective web.

What are Alt Text Best Practices?