Alt-text Review: Do's and Don'ts

This page is meant as a quick review of some of the top Do's and Don't's of writing image descriptions for Alt-text. It is by no means an exhaustive list, if in doubt of anything ask on the Alt-text Q&A!

Let's start with the Don't's:

• Don’t leave the filename in the alt-text. May seem obvious, but it is more common than you may realize. No one wants to hear img_66tgse34fa.jpg
• don’t start each description by saying “An image/picture of…”. The screen reader will have already indicated that this is an image. Note that if it is something unique, like a map or a child’s drawing, that is fine to use as an introduction. But, if it’s a photo in a book with many photos, you don’t need to repeat that information.
• don’t censor: All readers deserve access to the same information.
• don’t include any paragraph breaks or styling in your alt-text. Alt-text can only be a string of text and punctuation. If you need more, you will need to create a long description.
• don’t rely on Word’s automatically generated image descriptions. AI is getting better, but it is FAR from reliable. I would recommend uploading some images into a Word doc and seeing what the AI comes up with, sometimes the results are very entertaining!

Now let's cover the do's:

• Do work from general to specific – this is the best way to start.
• Do be clear and concise.
• Do be objective. The reader should have the freedom for their own interpretation given all the necessary details.
• Do state the type of image if it is unusual or out of context. We mentioned this before in the don’ts, but just wanted to reiterate!
• Do pay attention to the context of the image. Is it well-described within the text? Then the alt-text can be simple. I say it often, and I will say it again: Context is key!
• Do review and edit your alt-text. Ask for help, or use Thorium to hear a screen reader read your text.

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