Write image alternatives that preserve meaning and function

1. Describe information that matters here

For an informative photograph, explain the detail the reader needs, without describing every visible object. On a repair guide, an image might need an alternative such as Cracked hose beside the rear wheel. On a product listing, the same photographic area might instead establish the model or color being sold. These are illustrative examples, not required wording. Read the surrounding paragraph before drafting. Avoid repeating a nearby caption word for word when it adds no value, and do not turn the alternative into a list of search keywords.

2. Handle decorative and functional images differently

An image that contributes only decoration can use an empty alt attribute so that it does not interrupt the reading experience. Empty is different from missing. For an image that serves as a link or button, the alternative should convey its action or destination, taking account of the control’s complete accessible name. For example, an icon-only image link to the basket needs a useful basket label, not a description of the icon’s color. Check whether visible link text already supplies the name before adding redundant wording.

3. Give complex graphics a complete explanation

A chart may need a short identification plus an adjacent explanation or accessible data table. The reader should be able to obtain the important relationships and values without relying on color or the picture. For a diagram of a process, provide the steps in meaningful reading order. Do not try to squeeze a detailed report into an enormous alt attribute. Decide what the graphic is meant to teach and make that information available in ordinary page content. If the graphic changes, update its text equivalent in the same publishing task.

4. Review the experience, not only the attribute

Build an image review list with the page URL, image purpose, current alternative, and proposed correction. Prioritize controls without meaningful names and images containing essential information. Test the result in context, including linked logos, repeated thumbnails, and mobile layouts. Suprara can surface basic public HTML signals, but an alt-presence result cannot establish whether an image is decorative, whether the description is accurate, or whether the website meets an accessibility standard. Use human review and appropriate assistive-technology testing for those questions. Include alternative text in the editorial handoff so that accessibility is maintained when images are replaced.

Frequently asked questions