Alt Text Checker
Scan any webpage to find images with missing, empty, or poor alt text. Ensure your website is accessible to screen reader users and optimized for SEO.
Why Alt Text Matters
Alt text (alternative text) is a description of an image that appears when the image can't be displayed and is read aloud by screen readers. It's essential for web accessibility and helps search engines understand your content.
Accessibility (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) require that all non-decorative images have text alternatives. This ensures users who rely on screen readers can understand the content and purpose of images on your page.
SEO Benefits
Search engines can't "see" images—they rely on alt text to understand what an image depicts. Well-written alt text helps your images appear in image search results and improves overall page context for search ranking.
Writing Good Alt Text
Describe the content and function of the image concisely. Be specific—"Golden retriever playing fetch in a park" is better than "dog photo." Keep it under 125 characters when possible. Don't start with "Image of..." as screen readers already announce it's an image.
Decorative Images
Purely decorative images (like visual flourishes or spacers) should have empty alt text (alt="") so screen readers skip them. Consider adding role="presentation" for clarity. This tool identifies these as potential issues to review.
Common Mistakes
Avoid using filenames as alt text ("IMG_1234.jpg"), generic descriptions ("image", "photo"), or overly long descriptions. Also avoid stuffing keywords—write for users first.
This Tool Checks For:
- Missing - No alt attribute at all
- Empty - alt="" without being marked decorative
- Generic - "image", "photo", etc.
- Filename - Alt matches filename
- Too Long - Over 125 characters
- Good - Proper descriptive alt text
Pro Tip: For complex images like charts or infographics, use a brief alt text and provide a longer description in the surrounding text or via aria-describedby for screen reader users.
Need Help with Web Accessibility?
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