Image alt text
Alt text (alternative text) is a short written description of an image. Screen readers read it aloud, and Google uses it to understand what the image shows.
Why it matters
Section titled “Why it matters”Google can’t see images the way people do. Good alt text helps your images show up in Google Images and helps your page rank for what it’s about. It also makes your site usable for people with low vision.
How to write it
Section titled “How to write it”- Describe what’s in the image, in the context of the page. “Painter spraying a warehouse roof in Brisbane” is better than “roof” or “IMG_2041”.
- Keep it to a short sentence.
- Use keywords only where they describe the image naturally. Stuffing keywords in can count as spam.
- If an image is a link, the alt text should say where the link goes.
- Purely decorative images, such as background patterns, can have empty alt text.
Where to add it
Section titled “Where to add it”| Platform | Where |
|---|---|
| WordPress | Go to Media > Library, select the image and fill in Alternative Text. You can also set it on the image block in the editor. |
| Shopify | Open the product, select the image under Media and add the alt text. |
| Wix | Select the image, open its settings and fill in the field describing what’s in the image. |
| Squarespace | Open the image block or image settings and fill in the alt text field. |
| Custom-built site | Ask your developer to add alt="..." to each <img> tag. |
Check it worked
Section titled “Check it worked”Right-click the image, choose Inspect, and look for alt="..." on the image tag.
Google’s guide
Section titled “Google’s guide”Image SEO best practices (Google Search Central)