How to Check Alt Text of an Image

In today's digital landscape, the importance of alt text—descriptive text that appears in place of an image when it fails to load—continues to grow for both accessibility and SEO. Alt text is essential for web accessibility, allowing visually impaired users to experience web images through screen readers. It also boosts SEO by helping search engines understand an image's content, contributing to better rankings in image search results. In 2024, as digital accessibility becomes a key standard, understanding how to verify and improve alt text is crucial for everyone from content creators to businesses.

This article dives into various methods for checking alt text, whether on websites or social media platforms, and offers best practices and tools, like Alt Text Generator, to ensure every image communicates clearly and effectively.

1. Checking Alt Text on Websites

When it comes to websites, there are a few methods to verify if an image has alt text. These range from manually inspecting HTML code to using specialized tools.

1.1 Inspecting Alt Text Manually via Browser Developer Tools

Most major browsers offer a way to check alt text directly by inspecting the page's HTML code. Here's how it works across different browsers:

• Accessing Developer Tools
  To check alt text manually, right-click on the image and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” in most browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari). This opens the HTML source code where you can view the alt attribute directly.
• Finding the Alt Attribute
  The alt attribute is usually found within the <img> tag, appearing like <img src="image.jpg" alt="description">. If you see an empty alt="", it means the image has no descriptive alt text, which can impact accessibility and SEO.

This method, though reliable, can be tedious for checking multiple images on a large site.

1.2 Using Alt Text Checking Tools

To save time and avoid manual checking, several online tools automate alt text verification:

• SEOptimer's Alt Tag Checker
  SEOptimer's free tool allows users to check if images on their site have alt text, providing an accessible report for quick analysis. This tool is useful for spot-checking individual pages but may require a paid plan for bulk scanning. Source: SEOptimer
• Wave Web Accessibility Tool
  WAVE offers a more in-depth analysis, highlighting missing alt text and other accessibility errors across the site. Ideal for comprehensive audits, WAVE's reports also recommend fixes for detected issues.
• Alt Text Generator
  For those looking to generate or verify alt text for a site-wide improvement, Alt Text Generator streamlines the process by using AI to create accurate, descriptive text for each image.

Each tool has strengths in specific contexts, from single-page checks to broader accessibility audits.

2. Checking Alt Text on Social Media Platforms

Alt text on social media is equally important for accessibility and SEO, and many platforms have built-in support for adding and viewing it. However, the methods vary by platform.

2.1 Instagram

Instagram introduced alt text in 2018 to improve accessibility and enhance user experience.

• Viewing Alt Text
  On Instagram, alt text is not visible directly but can be checked by users when they edit a post. If an image's alt text needs updating, the account owner can navigate to the “Advanced Settings” during post creation or editing to add a description.

Instagram's commitment to accessibility makes it an essential platform for well-implemented alt text, although currently only creators can directly view or edit it.

Click the link for more details on adding Alt Text to images on Instagram.

2.2 X (formerly Twitter)

X offers a straightforward way to add alt text to images on both desktop and mobile.

• How to View Alt Text
  When uploading an image, the “Add description” option prompts users to write a brief text. After posting, users can hover over images on desktop to see if an alt text description was added, though it may not always be visible to viewers depending on settings.

X's system simplifies alt text creation for visually impaired users, making it a key feature for accessibility-minded accounts.

2.3 Facebook

Facebook automatically generates basic alt text for images, but users can manually edit it to improve accuracy.

• Steps to Access Alt Text on Facebook
  On desktop, click on an image and select “Options” > “Change Alt Text” to view or modify it. For mobile, the “Edit Photo” option provides access to the alt text field.

Facebook's built-in AI automatically creates a preliminary alt text, though customization is recommended for accuracy.

2.4 Threads and Emerging Platforms

Threads and similar platforms have begun introducing alt text options to stay competitive in accessibility. While functionality may vary, these platforms demonstrate the growing demand for accessible content across social media.

3. Common Challenges and Best Practices in Alt Text Usage

Even with tools and guides, alt text optimization can be challenging. Common issues include missing alt text, generic descriptions, and overuse of keywords.

3.1 Identifying Missing or Incomplete Alt Text

• Impact of Missing Alt Text
  Alt text serves as the only way screen readers can interpret images, so missing alt text negatively affects accessibility. For SEO, absent alt text also limits image visibility in search engine results, reducing potential traffic.

Tools like WAVE and SEOptimer help identify missing alt text, while platforms like Alt Text Generator allow quick and accurate alt text creation, solving this issue efficiently.

3.2 Crafting Effective Alt Text Descriptions

• Best Practices
  Keep descriptions concise, relevant, and keyword-rich without being spammy. For example, instead of “image123,” describe what the image portrays, like “Red apple on a white table.”
  Effective alt text is user-focused and should describe the image's content clearly.

4. Current Trends in Image Tagging Across Social Media

Image tagging and alt text have become standard practices on social media, with platforms enhancing these features for accessibility and engagement.

4.1 Increasing Use of Alt Text by Social Media Giants

• Instagram and Facebook
  Facebook's automatic image tagging and Instagram's user-driven approach show a commitment to accessibility and user engagement through alt text. Social media users increasingly view alt text as vital for inclusive communication.

4.2 AI and Automatic Tagging

• AI-Powered Alt Text
  AI advancements enable more accurate alt text for images without manual input, though editing for accuracy is still recommended. This trend continues to expand as accessibility standards evolve across platforms.

Conclusion

Alt text is essential for accessibility and SEO, allowing everyone, including visually impaired users, to enjoy a more inclusive internet. By knowing how to check and implement effective alt text across websites and social media platforms, you can contribute to a more accessible and engaging digital environment.

FAQs

• 1. How can I check alt text on Instagram or Facebook posts?
  On Instagram, alt text can be edited during post creation. On Facebook, you can access alt text through the “Change Alt Text” option by clicking on the image.
• 2. What are the best tools for checking alt text on a website?
  Tools like SEOptimer and WAVE Web Accessibility Tool allow you to verify alt text on your site quickly, offering insights on accessibility improvements.
• 3. Does alt text affect my site's SEO?
  Yes, alt text plays a significant role in SEO, especially for image search. Descriptive alt text helps search engines better understand and rank your content.
• 4. Are automated tools effective for alt text creation?
  Automated tools provide convenience, but manual edits may improve accuracy. For large sites, a tool like Alt Text Generator can streamline the process while allowing customization.
• 5. Is alt text necessary for all images on social media?
  While not strictly required, alt text on social media boosts accessibility and ensures your content is visible and accessible to a wider audience.