Alt‑Text: Small Line, Big Impact

Alt-Text or ADA Tax

1. What alt Text Is

The alt attribute inside every <img> tag stores a concise, literal description of the image. Google parses that text—along with vision cues—to index and hyperlink visuals (Google Image SEO), while screen-readers voice it for shoppers who can’t see the picture.

2. The Dual Role: Visibility + Accessibility

• SEO Images with descriptive alt text surface in Google Images, and the text doubles as anchor text when the image is a link (Crawlable Links).
• Compliance Accurate alt text is a Level A requirement in WCAG 2.2. Missing or generic text is a top trigger in ADA litigation (WCAG 2.2 1.1.1 · TinyFrog Guide · 2024 Lawsuit Report PDF).

3. Symptoms of Poor or Missing alt Text

• Product photos disappear from Google Images, TikTok Shop, and Shopping feeds.
• Screen-readers announce “image” or recite the file name.
• ADA lawsuits keep climbing—missing alt text appears in roughly one-quarter of web-accessibility suits (UsableNet 2023).

4. What Proper alt Text Looks Like

Bad examples

• IMG_4293.jpg — file name, zero context
• shoes — too vague

Good examples

• White linen dress folded on wood bench
• Men’s brown leather Chelsea boots, size 12, side profile

Guideline: keep it ≤ 125 characters, noun-first, variant-aware, no keyword-stuffing or “image of…” preface.

5. How EKOM Keeps alt Text Aligned

EKOM’s image module reads every PDP asset, generates intent-aligned alt text from catalog fields (title, color, variant), and writes it back through CMS/PIM APIs. Platform length limits (Google, Meta, TikTok) are enforced automatically—no manual uploads, no file-renaming.

6. Five-Point Checklist

1. Every product image—hero, gallery, variant—has alt text.
2. Lead with primary noun + qualifier (material or color).
3. Stay under 125 characters.
4. Reflect the exact variant context (color/size) per frame.
5. Audit quarterly; sync via API instead of CSVs.

Conclusion

Alt text is invisible to shoppers yet critical to discovery and compliance. Treat it as infrastructure, not decoration—because every missed attribute is a hidden tax on both visibility and legal peace of mind.