What is Alt Text?

Alternative text (alt text) helps visually impaired users understand the content of images using screen readers. It also improves SEO by providing context for search engines.

To ensure accessibility and compliance, all meaningful images should have appropriate alt text.

If you’re unsure how to write alt text, ask yourself: “If I couldn’t see this image, what would I need to know about it?”

Key Rules for Writing Alt Text:

• ✅ Be descriptive but concise: Limit alt text to one or two sentences. Aim for under 125 characters total in length.
• ✅ Focus on the image’s purpose: Describe what’s important, not every detail.
• ❌ Avoid redundant phrases: Do not use “image of”, “picture of”, or “logo of” – screen readers already identify it as an image.
• ✅ Use proper grammar: Capitalize the first letter of a sentence, end whole sentences with a period, and avoid spelling mistakes.
• ✅ Use keywords naturally: Good alt text can improve search visibility, but avoid keyword stuffing.
• ❌ Avoid text heavy images: Do not use images that contain an excessive amount of text – screen readers cannot see this and convey it to the user.
  • Examples of text heavy images include infographics, tables and charts saved as image files. These should be put on the page as actual text instead of an image. Learn more about image accessibility in this Accessibility PowerPoint.

Alternative text can be added within the Media Library on the site’s WordPress dashboard, or you can add it directly to the image block within its Block Settings in the sidebar on the right side of the page.