Alt Text/Alt Attribute

The ALT text or Alt attribute refers to alternative text that is added to an HTML image tag. It’s used to describe the content of an image when the image cannot be displayed. Here’s a breakdown:

Alt Text/Alt Attribute

Alt text is a short, descriptive attribute added to the HTML code of an image tag. It provides alternative information about the content of the image, and it’s used when the image can’t be loaded or by accessibility tools like screen readers for users with visual impairments.

In simpler terms: Think of alt text as a brief description or caption for an image. When you visit a webpage and an image can’t be shown, the alt text pops up to tell you what the image is about. It’s like a backup plan to ensure everyone, including those who can’t see the image, understands what it represents.

Key Points:

Accessibility: Alt text is crucial for making websites accessible to people with visual impairments. When a screen reader encounters an image, it reads the alt text aloud, providing context and information about the image.

SEO: Search engines use alt text to understand the content of images. Including relevant and descriptive alt text can improve the search engine optimisation (SEO) of a webpage.

Broken Images: If an image fails to load for any reason, the alt text is displayed instead. This prevents users from being left in the dark about the content of the missing image.

In summary, alt text is a behind-the-scenes hero for web accessibility and SEO. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their ability or the technical glitches they might encounter, can understand the content of images on a webpage.