Alt text

Alt text is descriptive text added to images, helping visually impaired users and search engines understand image content.

Definition

Alt text, short for alternative text, is an attribute added to image tags in HTML to provide a textual alternative for search engines and users who cannot see the images on a webpage.
It describes the appearance and function of an image, allowing those who are visually impaired to access the information via screen readers.
Alt text also serves as a placeholder if an image file cannot be loaded, informing the viewer of the intended content.

Usage and Context

Alt text is primarily used in web development and content creation to ensure images are accessible and comprehensible to all users, including those using assistive technologies like screen readers.
It plays a significant role in search engine optimization (SEO) because it provides context to search engines about the content of the image, helping to improve the website's visibility in search results.

Alt text should be descriptive and concise, accurately reflecting the content and purpose of the image without being overly keyword-stuffed or vague.

FAQ

1. What is the difference between alt text and captions?

   • Alt text is intended for screen readers and search engines to interpret what an image portrays, whereas captions are visible to all users and provide additional context or information about the image.

2. How long should alt text be?

   • Ideally, alt text should be succinct, around 125 characters, effectively describing the image while being concise enough for a smooth user experience.

3. Is alt text necessary for all images?

   • Yes, all images should have alt text for accessibility and SEO purposes. However, decorative images that add no informational value can use an empty alt attribute (alt="").

4. Can alt text improve SEO?

   • Yes, well-crafted alt text can improve your site's SEO by providing context to search engines about the images, improving the relevancy of your site to search queries.

5. What happens if I don’t use alt text?

   • Without alt text, visually impaired users may miss out on the information conveyed by images, and search engines might not accurately index the images, potentially affecting your site’s accessibility and SEO performance.

Benefits

Including alt text with your images improves accessibility, enhancing the user experience for visually impaired users. It also boosts your website's SEO by helping search engines understand the content of your images, potentially leading to higher rankings in image search results.
Additionally, alt text ensures your content is prepared for any situation where images can't be displayed, maintaining the information flow for all users.

Conclusion

Alt text plays a critical role in making the web more accessible and inclusive.
By providing a textual alternative to images, it ensures that all users, regardless of visual ability, can fully understand and engage with web content.
Furthermore, alt text contributes significantly to SEO efforts, making it an essential element of web design and content strategy.
Incorporating thoughtful and descriptive alt text should be a standard practice for anyone creating or managing web content.