Why Your Images Need Alt Text

Alt Text (Alternative Text) is the written description attached to a product image. It acts like a translator—turning pixels into words machines understand. Without it, images are invisible to search engines and inaccessible to screen readers.

Why Alt Text Matters

• Makes product images searchable by AI (Google, Meta, TikTok, etc.)
• Improves accessibility for all users
• Required for ADA/WCAG compliance
• Direct impact on impressions → conversions

25% of ADA digital lawsuits cite missing alt text as the core violation.

Where You’ll See It

• Ecommerce platforms (e.g., Shopify) – Alt text field under each product image.
• Marketplaces & feeds – Used to qualify listings for visibility and Feed Compliance.
• Search engines – Index images through alt text to match queries and power Product Rich Results.

Best Practices

• Write alt text like a short caption: [Product] + [Key Feature] + [Context]
• Example:
  • ❌ “IMG_1234”
  • ✅ “Men’s linen short-sleeve shirt in white”
• Avoid keyword stuffing—keep it natural and descriptive.
• Ensure Field Consistency across PDPs, feeds, and Product Schema.

Compliance & Risk

• Missing alt text is treated as a violation of accessibility standards (ADA, WCAG 2.1 AA).
• Lawsuits and fines have totaled billions of dollars in recent years.
• Adding alt text reduces risk while also improving product discoverability.

Quick JSON-LD Example (truncated)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Men’s Linen Short-Sleeve Shirt – White",
  "sku": "SKU-456",
  "image": [
    {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/images/shirt-white.jpg",
      "caption": "Men’s linen short-sleeve shirt in white"
    }
  ]
}

What to Do Next

1. Add alt text to every product image in your ecommerce platform.
2. Validate your PDP markup with proper JSON-LD for ImageObject.
3. Audit feeds regularly to confirm alt text is present and consistent using a Feed Diagnostics Report.

Bottom line: Alt text is a small field with outsized impact. It supports Structured Product Data, keeps you compliant, and ensures accessibility for every shopper.