Alt Text

Text that shows in place of images or pops up when you hover your mouse over an image. Alt text, or alternative text, is written into the HTML code of a web page to describe an image in case the image doesn’t show. This can happen for a few different reasons. Some users may have images turned off so web pages load faster.

Other users may have low vision or blindness, so they use special screen readers that translate web page text into an audio or a Braille-like touch format. Alt text also helps search engines “understand” images better.

Example

For Example, Imagine you’re browsing a website that sells clothing, and you come across a product page for a red dress. Next to the dress, there’s an image showcasing its design and color. However, for some reason, the image doesn’t load properly, leaving a blank space. In its place, you see text that reads: “Red Dress – Elegant design with a flattering silhouette.”

The text “Red Dress – Elegant design with a flattering silhouette” is the alt text. It describes the image for users who can’t view the image due to various reasons, such as a slow internet connection, disabled images, or using assistive technologies like screen readers. Additionally, search engines can also use this alt text to better understand the content of the image, contributing to improved accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) for the website.