Should every image have Alt Text?

Meaningful images need useful Alt Text, while purely decorative images can be identified as decorative so assistive technology does not announce unnecessary content.

Can Alt Text contain keywords?

Alt Text can include a relevant term when the term accurately describes the image and supports the page context. Keyword repetition makes the wording less useful.

Does Alt Text appear on the page?

Alt Text usually remains hidden during normal viewing. Browsers or assistive technology may expose it when an image fails to load or a visitor uses accessibility tools.

Glossary

What Is Alt Text?

Alt Text is descriptive text attached to an image in HTML. Alt Text explains the image’s purpose or content when the image cannot be seen, supporting screen reader users and providing a textual fallback when an image fails to load. Search engines can also use this context when interpreting page content.

Quick Facts About Alt Text

Key Takeaways About Alt Text

Alt Text describes an image’s purpose, not every visible detail.
Write wording that matches the image’s role on the page.
Alt Text is not the same as an image caption.

How Alt Text Works

Two people point at an alt text note on a desk with a laptop, coffee, phone, pen, and magnifying glass

The Alt Text field sits in an image element’s HTML and gives assistive technology a text alternative. A screen reader may read the text aloud when a visitor cannot see the image. The wording also appears when an image cannot load, so the page can still communicate the image’s role.

Related glossary terms: Image Sitemap, Schema Markup.

Effective Alt Text describes the image in relation to nearby content. A product image may need the product name and relevant feature, while a decorative shape may need no description. The alt attribute should stay concise and specific. Alt Text should not repeat a caption, add hidden keywords, or describe details that do not help the reader understand the page.

Hands type on a laptop beside notes about alt text, a camera lens, glasses, and a coffee cup

Expert Note

When we review Alt Text, we check whether each meaningful image has wording that matches its purpose on the page. We also compare the text with nearby headings, captions, and surrounding copy. Our team removes keyword repetition and marks purely decorative images appropriately.

Alt Text in Practice: A Real-World Example

A Ballarat electrician’s service page might show a technician checking a switchboard. Suitable Alt Text could be “Electrician inspecting a residential switchboard”, because the wording identifies the subject and its relevance to the page.