Image Alt Text: The 5-Minute Fix That Improves SEO and Accessibility

Alt text (alternative text) is a short description you add to every image on your website. It serves two critical purposes: it tells screen readers what the image shows for visually impaired visitors, and it tells Google what the image is about for search rankings.

Why it matters legally

In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled users. Missing alt text is one of the most common accessibility failures. In the US, the ADA has been applied to websites in multiple court cases. Businesses have been sued for inaccessible sites.

How to write good alt text

Describe what the image shows in plain language. “Photo of our team outside the Brighton office” is good. “IMG_4582.jpg” is useless. “Best bakery Brighton cakes pastries order online” is keyword stuffing and harmful. Keep it natural, descriptive, and under 125 characters.

How to add it

In WordPress, click on any image in the media library and fill in the “Alt Text” field. In Shopify, click on a product image and add alt text. In Squarespace, click an image block and find the alt text option. Our scanner checks what percentage of your images have alt text.

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