Free Accessibility tool

Image Alt Text Checker

Enter a page address to list every image on it with its alt text, read in a real browser after scripts run. See which images have none, which are marked decorative, and which have alt text that doesn’t describe anything.

Free. Checks the address you enter in about 20 seconds.

What this tool checks

  • Images without alt text

    Every img element and image button with no alt attribute and no other accessible name, such as aria-label.

  • Linked images that leave a link without a name

    Logos and icons inside links or buttons that have no alt text and no other text, so a screen reader can only announce “link”.

  • Alt text that looks like a file name

    Values such as IMG_2041.jpg, DSC0042 or a long string of digits, which many systems fill in automatically on upload.

  • Generic words

    Alt text that is just “image”, “photo”, “logo” or “banner” tells nobody what the image shows.

  • Redundant and repeated text

    Descriptions that start with “image of”, repeat the link text next to them, or are reused on three or more different images.

  • Decorative and hidden images

    Images marked alt="" or role="presentation", and images hidden with aria-hidden or CSS, are listed separately so you can confirm each is really decorative.

  • A preview of each image

    A thumbnail next to its alt text, so you can judge each description in seconds. Filters show only the problems or only what to check.

What it can’t check

  • Tell whether alt text is accurate. Only a person who can see the image and knows why it’s on the page can judge that.
  • Check images set as CSS backgrounds, or text alternatives for SVG and canvas graphics. It lists img elements and image buttons.
  • Check images inside frames, such as embedded videos, maps and ads.
  • List more than 150 images. On very long pages it shows the first 150 and says how many there are.
  • Test other pages. The full free scan checks alt text with the rest of WCAG on up to five key pages.

Why it matters

Alt text is what a screen reader reads in place of an image, and what a browser shows when an image fails to load. WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1, at Level A, requires a text alternative for every image that carries information, and an empty one for images that don’t.

Missing alt text is the second most common accessibility failure on the web: WebAIM’s 2026 analysis found it on 53.1% of the top one million home pages, and 16.2% of all the images it checked had none.

Search engines read it too. Google says it uses alt text together with computer vision and the page’s content to understand images, and that the alt text of a linked image works like the link’s anchor text.

How to read the results

No alt text
The image has no alt attribute and no other name. Depending on the software, a screen reader may read out the file name or skip the image.
Decorative
alt="" or role="presentation": screen readers skip the image. Right for decoration; wrong for an image that carries information or is the only content of a link.
Has alt text
The image has a description. We flag the ones that look wrong; the rest still need a person to check they’re accurate.
Named with ARIA or title
No alt attribute, but a name from aria-label, aria-labelledby or title. This passes automated tests; alt is still the more reliable choice.
Hidden
Not displayed, or hidden from assistive technology with aria-hidden. Nothing to fix unless the image should be seen.
Link without a name
A link or button whose only content is an image without a text alternative. This fails even if the image itself is decorative.
Check
Alt text that looks like a file name or a generic word, starts with “image of”, repeats the link text, is very long, or is reused on several images.

How to fix the most common problems

  • Product and content photos

    Describe what someone would miss without the image, in the context of the page. For a product: the item, its color and the view shown. For an article photo: what it shows that the text doesn’t.

  • Logos that link home

    A linked image should say where the link goes. For a logo that links to the home page, use the company name, for example alt="Acme home", rather than “logo”.

  • Icons inside links and buttons

    Give the icon alt text that names the action, such as “Search” or “Cart”, or give the link an aria-label and mark the icon decorative with alt="".

  • Decorative images

    Use alt="" (an empty value, not a missing attribute) for dividers, background flourishes and images that repeat text right next to them.

  • File names filled in by your platform

    Many platforms copy the file name into the alt field on upload. Edit it where the image is managed: in Shopify, on the product’s media; in WordPress, the Alternative Text field in the Media Library.

  • Charts and infographics

    Give a short alt that says what the chart shows, and put the data or a summary in the text or a table next to it.

Images without alt text: how to fix them on Shopify, WooCommerce and any site

Questions about this tool

What is alt text?

The alt attribute of an image holds its text alternative. Screen readers read it aloud, and browsers show it when the image can’t be displayed.

Should every image have alt text?

Every img element should have an alt attribute. For an image that carries information it describes the image; for a decorative image it should be empty (alt="") so screen readers skip it.

How long should alt text be?

WCAG sets no limit. Good alt text is usually a short phrase or sentence. If an image needs more, describe it in the page text or a caption and keep the alt short. We flag alt text over 150 characters for a second look.

Does alt text help SEO?

Google says it uses alt text, along with computer vision and the page’s content, to understand images, and that a linked image’s alt text works like anchor text. It also warns that stuffing alt attributes with keywords can be treated as spam.

Is the title attribute the same as alt?

No. title shows as a tooltip on hover and isn’t reliably announced by screen readers or available on touch screens. Automated tests accept it as a name when alt is missing, but alt is the dependable choice.

Can AI write my alt text?

It can draft descriptions, but it doesn’t know why the image is on your page. Review every draft: the right alt text depends on context only you know.

Sources

Related tools

The Accessibility Fix Report ($174, one-time) starts from the full free scan and adds more pages, the change to make for every finding, a PDF and re-tests to verify your fixes.

About the Accessibility Fix Report