WordPress Core
Alt text (alternative text) is a written description of an image stored as metadata in the WordPress Media Library. It is read aloud by screen readers, displayed when an image fails to load, and used by search engines to understand image content.
Why alt text matters
Accessibility: screen readers read alt text aloud for users with visual impairments. Without it, those users miss whatever information the image conveys. Web accessibility standards (WCAG) require meaningful alt text on informative images.
SEO: search engines cannot see images. Alt text is their primary signal for understanding image content and relevance. Images with descriptive alt text rank better in image search and contribute to the overall relevance of the page.
Fallback: when an image fails to load — slow connection, blocked by a browser extension, server error — alt text appears in its place. Users see a description rather than a broken icon.
How to write effective alt text
Describe what the image shows, not what you want it to mean. “Mediapapa dashboard showing library health score of 72” is better than “media management plugin”. Keep it under 125 characters. Do not start with “image of” or “photo of” — screen readers already announce it is an image.
Decorative images — dividers, background patterns, icons that duplicate adjacent text — should use an empty alt attribute (alt=””) so screen readers skip them. Using meaningful alt text on decorative images creates noise for screen reader users.
Avoid keyword stuffing. Alt text exists for accessibility. Forcing keywords that do not describe the image harms both accessibility and search engine trust.
Alt text in Mediapapa
Mediapapa’s Media Score flags files with missing alt text. The usage index shows which posts and pages contain images without it. AI Metadata Generation can draft alt text based on image content analysis — you review and confirm before saving. Batch processing lets you fill gaps across your entire library without opening each file individually.
Frequently asked questions
Does alt text need to be unique for every image?
Yes, if the images are different. Identical alt text across multiple distinct images gives screen reader users no way to distinguish them. If you have truly identical images (duplicates), that is a separate problem — see the Duplicate Images entry.
Should the caption and alt text say the same thing?
Not necessarily. Caption is visible to all users and provides context. Alt text is for users who cannot see the image and for search engines. If the caption fully describes the image, keep alt text brief and non-redundant. If the caption is decorative or provides additional context, alt text should describe the image directly.
Can I leave alt text empty intentionally?
Yes, for decorative images. An empty alt attribute (alt=””) tells screen readers to skip the image. Leaving the field blank in WordPress is different — it outputs no alt attribute at all, which screen readers handle inconsistently. For decorative images, explicitly set alt=”” rather than leaving it blank.
Related terms: Metadata · Media Score · AI Metadata Generation · Image SEO
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