Image Alt Text Audit
Scan any page's images for missing alt attributes, empty alts, and over-long alt text. Essential for image SEO (Google Images, visual search) and WCAG accessibility compliance.
Technical SEO Intelligence
Missing alt text is both a Google Image Search miss and a WCAG failure.
A missing alt attribute is a WCAG 2.1 Level A violation. An empty alt (
alt="") is correct for purely decorative images, but a bug for product and content images. This tool distinguishes between the two and flags over-long alt text (above 125 chars often gets truncated).
URL
Alt text rules of thumb
Content images: describe what the image shows in context. Not "image of a shoe". "Carbon Pro Shoes side profile showing midsole plate".
Decorative images: use empty alt (
alt="") so screen readers skip them. Icons, dividers, background images.Keep under 125 characters. longer alts get truncated by many screen readers.
Don't stuff keywords. Google explicitly flags this as spam.
Next steps
Alt text is one dimension of image SEO: pair with schema
For product and recipe images, add structured data so Google can show them in rich results.
Frequently asked questions
What is alt text for?
Describes an image to screen readers and search engines. Essential for WCAG accessibility and image SEO.
Is empty alt (alt="") a bug?
Not always. Decorative images (dividers, flourishes) should have alt="" so screen readers skip them. Informational images need descriptive alt text.
What does good alt text look like?
Describe what the image shows, concisely. "Woman using a laptop at a cafe" beats "image1.jpg" or "laptop". Avoid keyword stuffing.
How long should alt text be?
Under 125 characters is the WCAG guideline. Screen readers truncate longer values awkwardly.
Do I need alt text on all CSS background images?
No. CSS backgrounds are decorative by definition and don't support alt. If the image is informational use an
<img> tag instead.What does the tool check?
Every
<img> element on a page. Flags missing alt, empty alt, and reports total count.Can I audit a sitemap of pages?
Enter a sitemap URL and the tool audits each page listed, up to the Worker's batch limit.
Does the tool flag alt text that's too long?
Yes, over 150 chars is flagged for review.
Should alt text include "image of"?
No. Screen readers already announce it is an image. "Woman at cafe" not "Image of a woman at cafe".
Do decorative images need role="presentation"?
Modern approach: just use alt="". Older ARIA guidance recommended role="presentation" but alt="" is cleaner.
How does alt text affect image SEO?
Google Images uses alt text as a primary ranking signal. Descriptive alt text with natural keyword inclusion lifts image search traffic.
Free · no account
SEORCE for Chrome, Edge and Firefox
Audits the page you are on: headings, meta tags, schema, indexability, and whether AI crawlers can read it. Export the result as a PDF. Free, with no account.
It audits one page at a time and does not track AI answers. About the extension
Across the whole site
One check here. Every page in SEORCE.
This tool does one job. SEORCE Technical Suite crawls your whole site with fast and secure crawlers and ranks technical issues by impact. AutoFix applies fixes for meta tags, schema, canonical tags, image alt text, headings and internal links for orphan pages on your live site, through one script tag, and the list keeps growing.
3,000+ users · Free forever plan, no card needed