Alt text (alternative text) – also called an alt attribute, alt description or alt tag – describes an image’s appearance and function on a page.
Why add alt text?
- Alt text improves web accessibility: visually impaired visitors using screen readers can better understand what’s on the page.
- Alt tags can be shown below the image for extra context.
- Alt tags help search engine crawlers index the image correctly, as described in Google’s own image guidelines.
Adding an image title (alt text)
You can add alt text to all regular images except background images and the site logo. If an image can be edited, you’ll see a Customize button when you hover over it.
- Click the image to activate the control panel, then click the Media settings icon.
- Type the image’s alt text in the Alt title field.
- Click Save and publish your site.
Alternatively, right-click the image to open the context menu, choose Change alt title, type the text in the pop-up, click Save and publish your site.
To add alt text to your site logo, right-click the logo, choose Change alt title, type your text and click Save.
Alt text best practice
The best alt text is descriptive but not stuffed with keywords:
- Describe the image as concisely as possible – alt text should explain the image for users who can’t see it. If the image is purely decorative, you can leave the field empty.
- Keep it short – most screen readers cut alt text off at 125 characters.
- Use your keywords – alt text is another chance to include the page’s target keyword and help search engines see that the page is relevant.
- Avoid keyword stuffing – focus on descriptive alt text with just one keyword.