Image Alt Text Checker
Paste your page HTML and see each image with its alt text and what is wrong with it, plus a count of missing, empty and weak descriptions.
An empty alt is correct for a purely decorative picture. The checker marks it for you to confirm, not as an error.
Worked examples
A file name used as alt text
<img src="/IMG_2041.jpg" alt="IMG_2041.jpg">
Warning: Alt text looks like a file name. Describe what the picture shows.
Replace it with a description such as "Customer collecting a cake from the counter".
An image that is a whole link
<a href="/"><img src="/logo.png" alt=""></a>
Problem: Empty alt inside a link with no other text, so the link has no name.
Use alt text that says where the link goes, for example "Home".
About Image Alt Text Checker
Alt text is the short written description attached to an image. A screen reader reads it aloud, a browser shows it when the picture fails to load, and search engines use it to understand what the picture shows. Pages with missing or careless alt text are harder to use for blind and partially sighted visitors, and they miss a chance to describe their images properly.
Paste the HTML of a page and this checker finds every image. It lists each one with its file name, the alt text it has and what is wrong with it. It flags images with no alt attribute, images that are the only content of a link (so the link has no name), alt text that is a file name or a single word such as "image", descriptions that start with "image of", keyword lists, text longer than 125 characters and the same text reused on different pictures.
How to use Image Alt Text Checker
- View the source of your page and copy the HTML, or copy it from your content system.
- Paste it into the box. The summary shows how many images have no alt, an empty alt or weak text.
- Go through the table. The last column says what to fix for each image.
- Edit the alt text on your page, copy the HTML again and recheck.
Common uses
- Auditing a blog post before it goes live
- Finding the images that make a page fail an accessibility review
- Cleaning up alt text after importing content from another site
- Checking product pages where every image has the same description
Frequently asked questions
What should I put in alt text?
Describe what the picture adds to the page, in the way you would explain it to someone on the phone. "Baker shaping sourdough loaves" is better than "bread" or "image1.jpg". Keep it short and leave out words such as "picture of".
Is an empty alt attribute wrong?
No. An empty alt tells screen readers to skip the image, which is right for pure decoration such as a divider or background flourish. The checker marks empty alt text as a note so you can confirm it is meant, and treats it as a problem only when the image is the only content of a link.
What is the difference between no alt and empty alt?
If the alt attribute is missing, many screen readers read out the file name, which is confusing. If it is present but empty, the image is skipped on purpose. Always include the attribute.
Does alt text help with search?
It helps search engines understand an image and the page around it, and it is the main text for image search. It works best when it is a natural description, not a list of keywords.
How long can alt text be?
There is no fixed limit, but around 125 characters or fewer reads well. For a chart or diagram with a lot of detail, give a short alt and put the full explanation in the page text.