Provide meaningful alt text to images

Provide alternative (alt) text to convey the purpose of every meaningful image, picture, illustration, or chart. Alt text is a textual substitute for non-text content.

Alt text makes content more accessible to all users, for example individuals using screen readers, or security filters that do not render images, or individuals without high-speed internet restricting visual depiction of the media.

How? 

In most applications, you can right-click the image and select Edit Alt Text.

In the Alt Text pane, type a few sentences to describe the image and its context to someone who cannot see it.

General Guidelines

When writing alt text, follow these guidelines:

• Alt text should be short and to the point.
• Alt text should communicate the same information as the visual content.
• Alt text should refer to relevant content provided by the image, rather than simply describing how the image looks.
• Alt text should not contain any extra or unnecessary information, and should not repeat information that is already provided in the text.
• Alt text must be in the same language as the main content. For example, if you translate an English document into Spanish, you must also translate the alt text into Spanish.
• Decorative images do not need alt text and should be marked as decorative.

Find more specific guidelines on providing meaningful alt text and learn more about common mistakes in adding alt text from Section 508.

More resources

Try the alt text training tool from Poet. This tool provides training around best practices (including context, audience, layout, function, and tone) that apply when writing alt text.

Consider the example below, paying attention to the context. Which description would you choose?