What is alternative (alt) text?

Alternative text (alt text) is a short written description of an image that conveys its essential information. It’s added to digital images so that:

• Screen readers can read it aloud for people who are blind or have low vision.

• Search engines can better understand the content of the image.

• Images that fail to load still have a descriptive label in their place.

Good alt text doesn’t just say “image of…”—instead, it briefly describes the content or function of the image in context. For example:

• Decorative: If the image is purely decorative, the alt text may be left empty. In most cases, the program you're using should have a checkbox to mark an image as decorative.

• Informative: A photo of Abraham Lincoln in a history article might have alt text like “Abraham Lincoln seated in a chair, 1863 portrait.”

• Functional: A button with an image of a magnifying glass should have alt text like “Search” (describing the function, not just the object).

How do I add alt text to digital images?

Below is a list of links to tutorials on how to add alt text to digital images in a variety of tools.

• Adding alt text to images in Canvas
• Adding alt text to images in Microsoft Products (Word, PowerPoint, etc.)