SEO
SEOMedium

Image Alt Text

Checks that every content image has meaningful alt text.

What this check measures

We enumerate every `<img>` tag and verify it has an alt attribute. Empty alt is fine for decorative images; missing alt or filler like "image" is flagged.

Why it matters

Alt text drives three things: accessibility (screen readers), Google Images ranking, and AI citations (ChatGPT describes images via alt). Missing alt fails WCAG 2.1 accessibility law in many jurisdictions.

search

How our audit detects it

Query `document.querySelectorAll("img")` and check for alt attribute. Measure percentage of images with non-empty, non-filler alt text.

Typical findings

  • error_outlineNo alt attribute at all on most images.
  • error_outlinealt="image" or alt="photo" — counts as no alt text for Google.
  • error_outlineAlt text is the filename ("IMG_2041.jpg").
  • error_outlineStuffed keyword alt text: "buy red shoes cheap online".

How to fix

Describe the image's meaning in plain language. Decorative images: alt="". Never write "image" or the filename. AI assistants can help draft alts in bulk — review before accepting.

Copy-paste fix prompt for your stack

Lovable · Cursor · Bolt · v0 · Replit · Windsurf · Claude Code · Base44

View the fix prompt →

Frequently asked questions

Should alt include keywords?expand_more
If they naturally describe the image, yes. "Runner on a beach at sunset" is fine; "beach running shoes keyword stuffing" is not.
Max alt length?expand_more
Under 125 characters — screen readers read it as one unit and long alts are painful.

Want this checked on your site?

Pantra runs the full audit (SEO, Security, GEO, Performance, Schema, Technical, Images) in 10 seconds and generates stack-specific fix prompts.

Scan my site

Related checks