← DictionaryAlt Text
also called alternative text, alt tag
A written description of an image for screen readers and when images fail to load.
A short written description of the picture.
What It Is
Alt Text belongs to Website, specifically the Standards part of it. The canonical meaning is a written description of an image for screen readers and when images fail to load.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Used with that meaning, it stays a working tool rather than a talking point.
How It's Used
Alt Text earns its keep in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to Accessibility, WCAG and On-Page SEO. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
The cost of being vague about Alt Text shows up later, not today. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
It is a label people agree on so they stop describing the same thing five different ways. A short written description of the picture.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Alt Text means exactly a written description of an image for screen readers and when images fail to load.
In plain conversation it comes out as a short written description of the picture.
The Bottom Line
The practical takeaway on Alt Text: a short written description of the picture. Judge it by that, not by how it sounds.