How do you write alt text?
Tips for writing ‘good’ alt text
- Be specific, and succinct. Describe the content of the image without editorialising.
- Never start with “Image of …” or “Picture of …”
- Use keywords sparingly.
- Include text that’s part of the image.
- Don’t repeat yourself.
- Don’t add alt text to ‘decorative’ images.
What should my alt text be?
While ALT tags need to be descriptive, they also need to be brief. They should not be full sentences or paragraphs. With a limit of about 125 characters, an ALT tag should provide enough detail for users and search engines to relate the image to the context of the page.
How do you describe someone in ALT text?
Make sure you write alt text that describes what’s happening for those who cannot see the headshots.
- Say that it’s a headshot.
- Include the person’s full name.
- If the person is doing something in the photo, describe it.
- Don’t over-describe the person.
What does Alt text mean?
Alt text (alternative text) is a word or phrase that can be inserted as an attribute in an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) document to tell Web site viewers the nature or contents of an image. The alt text appears in a blank box that would normally contain the image.
What is alt text in Word?
Images can add context, clarity, and meaning to a document; in other words, images can enhance the accessibility of your document.
How do I get rid of ALT text?
Toggle Automatic Alt Text on and off
- Select File > Options > Ease of Access.
- In the Automatic Alt Text section, select or unselect the Automatically generate alt text for me option, and then select OK.
How do I alt text in Word?
To add alt text in Word, open your document and select the object to which you want to add the alternative text. Right-click the object. From the menu that appears, select “Edit Alt Text.” Alternatively, you may select the “Alt Text” option found in the “Accessibility” group of the object’s “Format” tab.
How do I fix missing text ALT in Word?
Missing alt text: picture, text box, other elements
- Select the item, then open the context menu (right click), select Format…
- The Format dialog box opens.
- In the Format dialog box, Alt Text Tab, add the alternate text in the Description field. Give the purpose and function of the picture within the context of the surrounding information.
How do I add alt text to an image in Word?
Insert the picture you want to use into the document. Right-click the picture, and then, in the menu that pops up, click Format Picture. Click the arrow next to Alt Text to expand the alternative text options. In the “Description” field, enter a description of the image.
How do you alt text a picture?
Alt Text Best Practices
- Describe the image, and be specific.
- Keep your alt text fewer than 125 characters.
- Don’t start alt text with “picture of” or “Image of” Jump right into the image’s description.
- Use your keywords, but sparingly.
- Don’t cram your keyword into every single image’s alt text.
What is alt text for accessibility?
ALT text refers to invisible description of images which are read aloud to blind users on a screen reader. Adding ALT text allows authors to include images, but still provide the content in an alternative text based format.
Should I add alt text to icons?
It’s increasingly common to see icons which stand on their own, with no text around them at all. In that case, it’s VERY important to add alt text to the icons, because otherwise, they will be meaningless to anyone who can’t see them. It’s very rare for icons to be entirely decorative.
When should you not use ALT text?
3. Including alt text for decorative images or items. Decorative items such as dividers or design items that don’t provide additional context or content don’t need alt text. They don’t add to the information a user needs and they make little sense, or are unnecessary, when read with a screen reader.
How do you do ALT text for SEO?
How to write good alt text
- Be concise. Lengthy alt text is annoying for those using screen readers.
- Be accurate. Focus on describing the image.
- Avoid keyword stuffing. This is not a place to shoehorn keywords.
- Avoid stating that it’s an image.
- Avoid redundancy.
What is alt text examples?
Alt Text (also known as alternative text or alt attribute) is a text that accurately describes an image. It is added to the <img> tag in the HTML of a page. Here is an example of an image alt text: <img src=”/images/some-image.png” alt=”this is the alt text“>
Does Alt text help SEO?
Fundamentally, the purpose of alt text is to improve accessibility by describing what an image is showing to visitors who do not have the ability to see them. However, it also helps search engine crawlers and so improves SEO.
How do I add alt text to a div?
No, there is no equivalent to an alt attribute for <div> elements. For what you are trying to do, an ARIA-based solution is overkill.

David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid.