Alt Text Workflow for Content Teams

This playbook outlines a robust, evidence-led workflow for creating effective alt text, ensuring digital content is accessible and inclusive for all users. By standardizing alt text authoring, review, and governance, content and web teams can significantly improve user experience and meet accessibility compliance standards.

Evidence and Sources

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - Alt Text Concepts Deque Systems - Alt Text: The Ultimate Guide * MDN Web Docs - Images: The alt attribute

How to

1. Define Roles and Responsibilities

2. Establish Authoring Guidelines

3. Workflow Steps

1. Image Selection & Placement: Content Creator selects and places the image within the content.
2. Initial Alt Text Draft: Content Creator drafts alt text immediately after placing the image, considering its purpose within the content.

Example (Good): alt="Line graph showing a 15% increase in website traffic from Q1 to Q2." Example (Bad): alt="Graph" 3. Identify Decorative Images: If an image is purely decorative (e.g., a border, a spacer, a purely aesthetic background image with no informational value), the Content Creator marks it as such. Action: Set alt="" (empty alt attribute). Do not omit the alt attribute entirely. Safeguard: If unsure, err on the side of providing alt text. An empty alt attribute should be a deliberate decision. 4. Complex Image Handling: For images like detailed infographics, charts with multiple data points, or diagrams: Option A (Preferred): Summarize the main takeaway in the alt text and provide a more detailed description in the surrounding text or a linked document. Alt Text: alt="Infographic showing key steps for content marketing strategy, with details provided in the text below." Option B (Advanced): Use aria-describedby to link to a visible description on the page, or longdesc (though less widely supported by screen readers). Consult an Accessibility Specialist for these. 5. Content Editor Review: The Content Editor reviews the alt text as part of the overall content review process. They check against the authoring guidelines. Checklist: Is it accurate? Concise? Purpose-driven? No redundancy? Correctly identifies decorative images? 6. Accessibility Specialist Review (Spot Check/Complex Cases): For high-impact content or complex visuals, an Accessibility Specialist conducts a targeted review of alt text. They may use screen readers to test the experience. 7. CMS/Publishing Implementation: The Web Developer/Publisher ensures the alt text is correctly entered into the CMS field or coded into the <img> tag. Safeguard:* Train developers on the importance of not overriding or removing alt text from the CMS. 8. Post-Publication Audit: Periodically, conduct automated and manual audits of published content to identify missing or poor alt text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What's the difference between alt="" and no alt attribute at all?

A1: alt="" (an empty alt attribute) explicitly tells screen readers to ignore the image, marking it as decorative. Omitting the alt attribute entirely is a WCAG failure, as screen readers may then read the image filename, which is unhelpful and confusing.

Q2: Should I include keywords in alt text for SEO?

A2: While search engines can use alt text to understand image content, its primary purpose is accessibility. Focus on accurately describing the image for users. If relevant keywords naturally fit the description, include them, but avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm user experience and SEO.

Q3: How do I write alt text for a button or link that uses an image?

A3: For image-based buttons or links, the alt text should describe the action the button performs or the destination of the link. Example: alt="Search" (for a magnifying glass icon button) Example: alt="Learn more about our services" (for an arrow icon link)

Q4: What if an image is part of a larger component, like a hero banner?

A4: If the image in a hero banner is purely decorative and the text overlay conveys all necessary information, use alt="". If the image itself adds unique, non-redundant information (e.g., a specific product being advertised), then provide descriptive alt text. Context is key.

Q5: How often should we review existing alt text?

A5: Alt text should be reviewed whenever content is updated or audited. A full site-wide audit can be done annually or bi-annually, especially after significant content migrations or design changes.

Q6: Can AI tools generate good alt text?

A6: AI tools can provide a useful starting point, especially for visually descriptive alt text. However, they often lack the contextual understanding of the purpose of the image within your specific content. Always review and refine AI-generated alt text to ensure it's accurate, concise, and purpose-driven. Human oversight is crucial.

Purpose and Context

Alt text (alternative text) is a textual description of an image on a webpage. Its primary purpose is to convey the information or function of an image to users who cannot see it, including:

Visually impaired users: Screen readers announce alt text, allowing them to understand the image's content. Users with slow internet connections: Alt text displays when images fail to load. * Search engine bots: Alt text helps search engines understand image content, contributing to better image search results and overall SEO.

Without effective alt text, images become accessibility barriers, excluding a significant portion of your audience. This not only violates accessibility standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) but also diminishes the user experience for everyone. A structured workflow ensures consistency, quality, and compliance across all digital content.

Authoring Best Practices and Considerations

The "Why" Behind the Image

Before writing any alt text, ask: "Why is this image here? What information does it convey that isn't already in the surrounding text?" This question guides you to write purpose-driven alt text rather than just a literal description.

Informative Images: These images convey essential information. Their alt text should describe that information. Example: A chart showing sales figures. alt="Bar chart showing Q3 sales increased by 20% compared to Q2." Functional Images: These images perform an action (e.g., a button, a link). Their alt text should describe the action. Example: A magnifying glass icon for search. alt="Search" Decorative Images: These images add visual appeal but convey no essential information. Their alt text should be empty (alt=""). Example: A background pattern. alt=""

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Review and Quality Assurance

Peer Review and Editorial Oversight

Integrating alt text review into the standard editorial process is crucial. Content editors should treat alt text with the same scrutiny as body copy.

Automated Tools vs. Manual Review

Automated Accessibility Checkers: Tools like Lighthouse, Axe, or WAVE can identify missing alt text or flag images with very short or generic alt text. They are excellent for initial scans. Manual Review: Crucial for assessing the quality and contextual relevance of alt text. No automated tool can fully understand the nuance of an image's purpose within specific content. Manual review, ideally by someone with accessibility expertise, is indispensable. * Screen Reader Testing: The ultimate test. Using a screen reader (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) to navigate content helps understand the user experience and identify issues that might be missed visually.

Governance and Maintenance

Documentation and Training

Centralized Guidelines: Maintain a living document with your organization's alt text guidelines, examples, and workflow steps. Make it easily accessible to all content and web teams. Regular Training: Conduct periodic training sessions for new hires and refresher courses for existing teams. Emphasize the "why" behind alt text, not just the "how." * Feedback Loop: Establish a mechanism for content creators to ask questions and provide feedback on the guidelines.

Auditing and Reporting

Scheduled Audits: Implement a schedule for auditing existing content for alt text quality. This can be part of broader content audits or dedicated accessibility audits. Reporting: Track metrics related to alt text compliance (e.g., percentage of images with alt text, number of alt text errors found). Use this data to identify areas for improvement and demonstrate progress. * Ownership: Clearly assign ownership for alt text quality and maintenance. This might fall under the content team lead, accessibility specialist, or a dedicated digital governance committee.

Trade-offs and Safeguards

By embedding this comprehensive alt text workflow into your content creation and publishing processes, your organization can ensure that all digital content is not only engaging but also accessible and inclusive for every user.