Alt-text is a short description of the image that can be read by screen readers, search engines, and assistive technologies. Providing alt text is essential for your site's accessibility. Remember to keep your alt text as short as possible and describe the content in the image.
Below are the common Alt Text errors that Guide will flag and how you can correct them:
Error | Fix | |
If Alt text |
Is empty |
You should provide alt text unless this image is COMPLETELY decorative - not needed at all for someone to understand the page or anything about it |
If Alt Text |
Is just blank spaces “ “ |
This is bad alt text - you need a description or it needs to be completely empty |
If Alt Text |
Is only 1 word long |
It likely isn’t enough to describe the content of the image ie who is doing what action and where AND any text that is included |
If Alt Text |
Is more than 100 characters |
It might be too long - make sure it is as short as possible to accurately describe the photo |
If Alt Text |
Is the same as another picture in the block |
It is likely wrong - if the images aren’t the same, the alt text shouldn’t be the same either |
If Alt Text |
Starts with Image, Picture, Photo |
It is likely wrong - only in rare cases would alt text start with these words. The Screen Reader already tells the user it is an image. It is redundant to also give that information |