Glossary · Technical
Alt text.
A written description of an image, read aloud by screen readers and shown when an image fails to load. It is also how search engines understand what a photograph shows.
Why it matters.
Describe what the image shows and why it is there: “kitchen refit in Oakville, walnut cabinets and quartz counter” rather than “IMG_2841” or “kitchen renovation Oakville kitchen renovation contractor”. Decorative images should have an empty alt attribute rather than a stuffed one — telling a screen reader to skip something is a service to its user.
How to check it yourself.
Right-click an image on your site and inspect it. If the alt attribute is missing, is a file name, or repeats the same keywords on every image, it is doing nothing for you.
Questions
Straight answers.
How do I check alt text on my own site?
Right-click an image on your site and inspect it. If the alt attribute is missing, is a file name, or repeats the same keywords on every image, it is doing nothing for you.
Before you decide anything
Find out whether
you have a problem.
Most people asking about a rebuild do not need one. The free check opens your site, looks at how it behaves on a phone, whether it is secure and how old the page is, and tells you which of those apply to you.
Start with a
straight answer.
Describe the business and where it works. We come back with what we would change, what it would cost and how long it takes — or with a reason not to bother.