What is Alt Text?
Alt text, also known as alternative text, is a short description of an image on a website. It is used by screen readers and browsers for visually impaired users to understand what an image is about. Alt text is also used by search engines to better understand the content of a web page and to provide more relevant results to users.
Why Is Alt Text Important?
Alt text is a critical part of web accessibility, as it allows visually impaired users to understand the content of a web page. It also helps search engines better understand the content of a web page, which can improve its ranking in search engine results. Additionally, alt text can be used to provide additional information about an image, such as its size or file type.
How to Add Alt Text to an Image
Adding alt text to an image is easy and can be done with a few simple steps:
- Locate the image you want to add alt text to.
- Right-click on the image and select “Properties”.
- In the Properties window, enter a short description of the image in the “Alt Text” field.
- Click “OK” to save your changes.
Best Practices for Writing Alt Text
When writing alt text, it is important to keep a few best practices in mind:
- Keep it short and concise, ideally no more than 125 characters.
- Avoid using text that is the same as the image file name.
- Use relevant keywords that accurately describe the image.
- Avoid using “image of” or “graphic of” in the alt text.
- If an image is used as a link, the alt text should describe the destination of the link.
Alt text is an important part of web accessibility and SEO, and should be used whenever possible. By following these best practices when writing alt text, you can ensure that your website is accessible to all users and is properly indexed by search engines. For more information on alt text, see WebAIM’s guide to alt text and Google’s guide to optimizing alt text.