Alt text is one of those small details that most website owners skip. Yet it matters to two important audiences. People using screen readers hear the alt text instead of seeing the image. Search engines read it to understand what the image shows, which helps your images appear in Google Images and supports your page topic.
What is alt text
Alt text is the alt attribute on an image tag. It describes the image in words. For example, an image of a red cotton kurta might have the alt text red cotton kurta with white embroidery, front view.
What our checker shows
The Image Alt Text Checker scans a page URL or pasted HTML and lists every image with:
- Missing alt: no alt attribute at all, which should be fixed
- Empty alt: alt equals empty, correct for purely decorative images
- OK: alt text present, with the text shown
You also get counts for each group.
How to use it
- Open the Image Alt Text Checker.
- Enter a page URL or paste HTML.
- Click Check Alt Text.
- Add alt text to every image marked missing.
How to write good alt text
- Describe what the image shows in a short sentence.
- Keep it under about 125 characters.
- Include a keyword only when it naturally fits.
- Do not start with image of or picture of. Screen readers already announce it as an image.
- Use empty alt for decorative images like dividers and background shapes.
- For images with text, include the important text in the alt.
Examples
- Weak: image1
- Weak: shoes
- Good: black leather office shoes for men with lace up design
- Good: chart showing monthly website traffic growth from January to June
Write alt text faster
If you have many images, our Image Alt Text Generator can look at an image and write a descriptive alt text you then edit.
Alt text and image search
Google Images can bring meaningful traffic, especially for products, recipes, home decor and travel. Descriptive alt text, a good file name and a relevant surrounding paragraph all help your images appear for the right searches. Check all three with the Image SEO Analyzer.
A real example
An interior designer in Islamabad had a portfolio page with forty beautiful project photos, all without alt text. Google Images had no idea what they showed. We added short descriptions like modern living room with beige sofa and wooden wall panels in DHA Islamabad. Within two months several photos began appearing in image search for living room design ideas, and a few clients mentioned they found her through those images.
Common mistakes to avoid
The biggest mistake is stuffing keywords into every alt attribute. Text like cheap shoes Lahore best shoes buy shoes online helps nobody and can look like spam. Another mistake is starting every alt text with image of or picture of. Screen readers already announce that it is an image, so those words add nothing. Some themes copy the file name into the alt text automatically, which gives you alt text like IMG 4471. Check your media library and fix these. Also do not leave important images empty. Product photos, charts and infographics carry meaning, so they need a real description.
Decorative images such as background patterns, dividers and spacer graphics are the exception. Give them an empty alt attribute so screen readers skip them, and our checker will treat them correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Do all images need alt text
Meaningful images do. Purely decorative images should use an empty alt so screen readers skip them.
Does alt text help rankings
It helps image search and supports page relevance, and it improves accessibility.
How long should alt text be
Usually one short sentence, under about 125 characters.
Check your images now with the free Image Alt Text Checker.