Your Alt Text Is Probably Making Things Worse

You know that feeling when someone tries to help you but actually makes everything worse? Like when your friend "helps" you move by standing in doorways holding one lamp? That's your alt text right now. Seriously. We need to talk about this.

According to industry data, roughly 71% of websites have alt text issues - and here's the kicker - about 40% of those aren't missing alt text entirely. They're doing something worse. They're writing alt text that reads like a sleep-deprived programmer naming variables at 3 AM. "Image.jpg." "Photo_2024." "Screenshot." Congratulations, you've created a text description so useless that screen reader users are now getting the digital equivalent of "this thing exists but I refuse to describe it."

When Alt Text Says "Image" and Everyone Loses

Let's paint a picture - and yes, I see the irony. Imagine you're at a restaurant, and your friend describes a dish to you as "food." Not "herb-crusted salmon with lemon beurre blanc," but literally just "food." You'd fire that friend. You'd change your number. You'd move to a new country.

That's what alt text like "image," "photo," or worst of all, the filename "banner_hero_1920x1080_v3_FINAL_ACTUALFINAL.png" does to people using screen readers. You're not being helpful - you're being aggressively pointless. And the thing is, you're already writing it. You're already right there in the code. You've come this far. Finish the job.

The difference between bad alt text and good alt text isn't a massive time investment - it's like the difference between microwaving a frozen dinner and actually seasoning it. Same base ingredients, wildly different outcome.

The Counterintuitive Power of Empty Alt Text (Yes, Really)

Here's where things get weird in a fun way: sometimes the best alt text is... nothing. Stay with me.

Decorative images - that swoopy gradient background, the page break ornament, the stock photo of someone laughing while holding a salad they'll never eat - these don't need alt text. In fact, giving them alt text is like explaining every background extra in a movie. "Well, there's a guy with a coffee cup in the corner, and he's wearing a blue shirt, and he's looking slightly to the left." Cool. Nobody asked. Nobody cares.

For decorative images, use empty alt attributes - that's alt="" - which tells assistive technology to skip it entirely. It's the digital equivalent of a stage direction that says "[ignore this guy]." The screen reader will pass right over it, and actual users get to move on with their lives. Revolutionary.

• Purely decorative backgrounds? Empty alt.
• Icons that are already explained by surrounding text? Empty alt.
• That clip art you're using because you "need something there"? Empty alt, and also maybe reconsider some life choices.

The Alt Text That Actually Slaps: A Masterclass in Description

Okay, so when an image actually matters - when it conveys information your content needs - here's what good alt text looks like:

Be specific, not generic. Instead of "screenshot of dashboard," try "sales dashboard showing 23% quarterly growth with three key metrics highlighted." See the difference? The first one could describe literally any dashboard. The second one actually tells you something.

Keep it under 125 characters. This is roughly one sentence. Not because screen readers have character limits - they don't - but because forcing yourself to be concise makes you actually think about what matters. It's weirdly effective. It's like Twitter made you better at writing.

Skip the "image of" or "picture of" preamble. Screen readers already know it's an image. You're not fooling anyone. Just describe what they'd see.

Here's what a proper alt text improvement looks like:

• Wrong: "Graph"
• Wrong: "image_analysis_2024.png"
• Right: "Line graph showing user engagement increased 45% after redesign launch"

Context matters. The same image needs different alt text depending on where it appears. A product photo needs different description in a gallery versus in a testimonial. Alt text isn't about describing the image objectively - it's about explaining why that image is there.

Time to Audit Yourself (and Maybe Feel Slightly Embarrassed)

Here's the thing: you probably have a bunch of bad alt text right now. Everyone does. It's not a character flaw - it's just that alt text lives in this weird limbo where you can't see the damage you're doing unless you specifically look for it. It's like having spinach in your teeth for three years and nobody told you.

Go grab a screen reader - NVDA is free, WebAIM has excellent resources - and actually listen to your website. Really listen. If you find yourself hearing "image" without context or filenames that read like your grandmother's computer, congratulations: you've found your new project.

Alt text won't win you design awards. It won't make your site faster. It won't impress investors. But it will make your site actually usable for roughly 15% of your users who depend on it, which is probably more than you think, and definitely more than your current alt text is giving them.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or compliance advice. SCOUTb2 is an automated scanning tool that helps identify common issues but does not guarantee full compliance with any standard or regulation.