Our platform allows users to define Alt Text (alternative text) for all assets, ensuring each image and visual element is described accurately and meaningfully.
What is Alt Text
Alternative text, commonly known as Alt Text, enables individuals with visual impairments to understand the purpose and content of an image through screen readers.
Screen readers convert text to spoken words. This text is especially useful in providing context and ensuring inclusivity across digital content, helping users interact with media in ways that meet accessibility standards.
Users will not see Alt Text displayed like visible metadata. Instead, Alt Text can be accessed via screen readers, inspected in the image’s HTML code (as shown above). Alt text is part of the HTML structure and supports accessibility directly through code.
How to Define Alt Text
Navigate to the Asset: Open the asset for which you want to add alt text.
Enter text in the Alt Text Field: In the asset’s sidebar panel, find the “Alt Text” section. Type a clear and specific description of the asset.
How Alt Text is Viewed
When inspecting an image in the library grid, the "img alt" label displays the alt text assigned to the image. For end-users with screen readers, the screen reader will detect and read the “Img alt” field as the user navigates.
Note: Alt text is accessible wherever images appear in the platform.
Importing Alt Text
When assets are uploaded, we support automatic metadata application using IPTC and XMP metadata standards. For assets that include XMPmetadata, we automatically map this to the Alt Text field upon upload. See this article for more information.
This means if an image already has an accessibility tag embedded in its metadata, it will carry over, ensuring any existing accessibility data is intact. When no Alt Text is provided, the asset's name will be read by the screen reader by default, ensuring every image has a description.
To provide a more meaningful description, you can add Alt Text to the image, which the screen reader will then use instead.
Decorative Assets
You can also mark an asset as a Decorative Asset. Decorative assets add visual appeal but do not convey any essential information. When an image is marked as decorative, users relying on screen readers will not receive any description of the asset, allowing them to focus on relevant content without unnecessary interruptions.
To mark an image as decorative, simply check the Decorative Asset box in the asset details panel. The alt text will then be disabled.
Best Practices
By embedding accessibility-focused data directly within images, we aim to support accessibility standards to ensure a more inclusive user experience. Adding meaningful alt text to images also strengthens the structural integrity of your content. Here are some tips to follow when setting Alt Text:
Be Specific: Describe what is essential about the image or visual element.
Keep It Concise: Aim for a brief description that conveys the core message.
Avoid “Image of” or “Picture of”: Screen readers typically announce the presence of an image, so skip these introductory phrases.
When to use Decorative Images:
For images that are purely decorative, such as background patterns, borders, or design elements that do not convey essential information.
If the image is already explained in the surrounding text, it may be marked as decorative to avoid redundancy.