Alt text is a short written description of an image. Screen readers read it aloud to people who cannot see the image, it appears if an image fails to load, and it helps search engines understand your content.
The key question
Ask: what information does this image give, in this context? Write that, briefly.
Good and bad examples
- Too vague: “image” or “photo1.jpg”
- Stuffed with keywords: “physiotherapy Mississauga physio clinic best physiotherapist”
- Good: “Physiotherapist guiding a patient through a hip stretch on a treatment table”
Practical rules
- Keep it short, usually one sentence.
- Do not start with “image of” or “picture of”; screen readers already announce images.
- Include text that appears in the image if it matters.
- Describe what is relevant to the page, not every detail.
Decorative images
Images that are purely decorative, such as background textures or flourishes, should have empty alt text so screen readers skip them. In WordPress, leave the alt text field blank for decorative images.
Logos
Use the company name, for example “TheWebsiteMakers.ca”. If the logo links to the homepage, that is enough; screen readers announce it as a link.
Images that are links or buttons
Describe the destination or action, not the picture. A magnifying glass icon that opens search should say “Search”.
Charts and infographics
Give a short summary in the alt text, and put the full information in the page text or a table nearby.
Adding alt text in WordPress
Open the image in the Media Library and fill in the “Alternative Text” field. Setting it there means it is used wherever the image appears, unless overridden.
Alt text is just one part of WCAG 2.1 AA. Learn about our accessibility audits.
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