Alt text checker
Paste a URL to see every image on the page and whether it has proper, descriptive alt text.
Understanding Alt Text Requirements
Alt text (alternative text) is the most fundamental accessibility requirement for images. WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) requires that every non-decorative image has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose. Missing or poor alt text is consistently the #1 most common WCAG failure across the web.
Missing vs empty alt text
A missing alt attribute (no alt at all) is a WCAG failure - screen readers will read the filename, which is never useful. An empty alt attribute (alt="") tells screen readers to skip the image entirely, which is correct for decorative images but wrong for images that convey information.
What makes good alt text?
Good alt text is concise (under 125 characters), descriptive (conveys the image's purpose, not just what it looks like), and contextual (considers what information the image adds to the surrounding content). Avoid starting with "image of" or "picture of" - screen readers already announce it as an image.
Suspicious alt text patterns
This tool flags alt text that looks like a filename (IMG_2847.jpg), is too short to be descriptive (1-3 characters), or uses generic placeholder text. These patterns usually indicate alt text was auto-generated or overlooked rather than intentionally written. Scan your site to catch these issues across every page automatically.