Alt Text

Alt text (short for alternative text) is a written description you attach to every image on your website. It serves two purposes: screen readers read it aloud for visitors who are blind or visually impaired, and search engines use it to understand what your images show.

When you add an image to your site, there's usually a field labeled "alt text" or "image description" where you type a brief description. If the image fails to load for any reason, the alt text appears in its place. It's a small thing that makes a big difference for both accessibility and search visibility.

Why It Matters for Your Business

Over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Screen readers are one of the most common assistive technologies on the web, and they rely entirely on alt text to describe images. Beyond accessibility, Google Images drives a meaningful amount of traffic. Google can't "see" your images, so it reads the alt text to understand them. Proper alt text helps your images show up in image search results.

The Basics

Be specific and concise. "Photo of a woman" is too vague. "Baker decorating a custom wedding cake in our Buffalo bakery" tells both screen readers and Google exactly what the image shows. Aim for one clear sentence.

Don't start with "image of" or "photo of." Screen readers already announce that it's an image. Starting with those words is redundant. Just describe what's in the picture.

Include relevant keywords naturally. If you're a landscaper and the image shows your work, something like "freshly installed stone patio with garden border in Amherst NY" is helpful. But don't cram keywords in. Write for a person first, search engines second.

Decorative images can have empty alt text. If an image is purely decorative (like a background pattern or a divider line), you can leave the alt text empty. This tells screen readers to skip it rather than announcing something meaningless.

Every meaningful image needs alt text. Product photos, team headshots, before-and-after shots, infographics. If the image adds value to the page, it needs a description.

FAQ

What is alt text in simple terms?

It's a short description of an image that you add behind the scenes on your website. People who can't see the image (because of a visual impairment or a slow connection) get the description instead. Google also reads it to understand your images.

Do I need alt text on every image?

On every image that communicates something, yes. Product photos, photos of your work, team pictures, diagrams. Purely decorative images like background patterns can have empty alt text. When in doubt, add a description.

How do I add alt text to images on my website?

Every major website platform makes this easy. In WordPress, you'll see an "Alt Text" field when you upload or click on an image. Squarespace and Wix have similar fields in their image settings. If you're working with a developer, just provide them with a description for each image.