How to Write Alt Text

15 March 2023 — Pobl Tech

Alt text, or alternative text, is text that is added to images and other visual elements on a website. It is used by screen readers and other assistive technologies to describe the image to people who are blind or visually impaired. It is also used by search engines to index images and make them more accessible to users.

Although it sounds simple, you can easily get it wrong!

Why is alt text important?

Alt text is important for a number of reasons:

It helps people who are blind or visually impaired to understand the content of your website.
It helps search engines index your images and make them more accessible to users.
It can improve the accessibility of your website for people with other disabilities, such as colour blindness or dyslexia.
It can help you to improve your website’s SEO (search engine optimization).

How to write good alt text

When writing alt text, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Be descriptive. The text should accurately describe the image.
Use keywords. Include keywords that are relevant to the image in the text.
Keep it short. The text should be no more than 125 characters long.
Avoid using special characters. Do not use special characters, such as symbols or emojis, in the text.
Test your alt text. Use a screen reader to test your text to make sure that it is accurate and helpful.

Here are some good examples:

Image of a cat: “A cat sitting on a windowsill.”
Image of a mountain range: “A snow-capped mountain range in the distance.”
Image of a person eating a sandwich: “A person eating a turkey sandwich.”

Here are some bad examples:

Image of a cat: “Image of a cat.”
Image of a mountain range: “Mountain range.”
Image of a person eating a sandwich: “Food.”

Conclusion

Alt text is an important part of making your website accessible to everyone. By following the tips in this article, you can write alt text that is accurate, helpful, and SEO-friendly.