Editorial guide based on official documentation; not a hands-on product test.
Write useful alt text for meaningful images, avoid redundant descriptions, and place optimized images near relevant page content.
Decide what the image contributes
Alt text should communicate the purpose or information a meaningful image adds in its current context. A product photo might need color, shape, and a distinctive detail; a process diagram may need its sequence. If the nearby caption already gives the same information, the alt text can be shorter. Decorative flourishes should have an empty alt attribute so assistive technology does not announce noise.
Write naturally, not as a keyword list
Use a short sentence or phrase that lets someone understand the image without seeing it. “Black leather ankle boot with side zipper” is useful when those details matter. “Boot shoes footwear best boots cheap sale” is not a description. Avoid starting every alt with “image of” because the screen reader already identifies the element as an image. For a linked image, describe the link’s destination or action when that is its real purpose.
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