Image ALT Text Builder
Generate descriptive alt text that helps both screen readers and Google understand your images. Builds accessibility and SEO at the same time.
Describe the image
What is actually shown in the image.
Add context
Surrounding context if it helps understanding.
Add a keyword (optional)
Naturally include a relevant page keyword.
Build your alt text
Aim for 5–15 words. Describe what is in the image, not just what it is about.
Why image alt text matters
Alt text serves three audiences: screen readers (for visually impaired users), search engines (Google ranks pages partly based on what is in images), and browsers when an image fails to load.
5 rules for great alt text
- Describe what is actually shown. Not "team photo" but "five engineers standing in front of a server rack".
- Be specific, not generic. "Dog" is bad. "Golden retriever puppy chewing a yellow tennis ball" is good.
- Include a keyword naturally if relevant. Do not stuff. If the keyword does not describe the image, leave it out.
- Skip "image of" or "picture of". Screen readers already announce that it is an image.
- Decorative images can have empty alt (
alt=""). For images that are pure decoration, this tells screen readers to skip them.
Good vs bad alt text
alt="image1.jpg"
Filename, not description. Useless.alt="seo tools seo tools best seo tools free seo"
Keyword stuffing. Google penalizes.alt="Person typing on laptop with SEO analytics dashboard"
Specific, describes what is shown, useful for screen readers.alt=""
Empty alt for purely decorative images. Correct usage.Frequently asked questions
How long should alt text be?
Most screen readers cut off at about 125 characters. Aim for 5–15 words that fully describe the image.
Should every image have alt text?
Every meaningful image yes. Purely decorative images (dividers, background flourishes) should have empty alt="" so screen readers skip them.
Does keyword in alt text help SEO?
A little, but only when the keyword genuinely describes the image. Stuffing keywords into alt text is one of the oldest spam tactics, Google ignores or penalizes it.
Should I include "image of" in alt text?
No. Screen readers already announce that it is an image. Adding "image of" is redundant and annoying for blind users.
What is the difference between alt text and title attribute?
Alt text is mandatory for accessibility. Title attribute (hover tooltip) is optional and often unused on mobile. Use alt; skip title most of the time.