Image Alt Text: Good for SEO and Accessibility
BearAudit flags images with missing or empty alt attributes. Learn why alt text matters for SEO and accessibility and how to fix it at scale. Filter by the images category.
When BearAudit finds images without alt text (or with empty alt=""), it reports a warning in the images category. Fixing these helps both search engines and users who rely on screen readers.
Why alt text matters
- Accessibility — Screen readers read the alt attribute. Missing alt means the image is unexplained or ignored.
- SEO — Image search and general relevance can use alt text. Descriptive alt helps Google understand the image and the page.
- Fallback — If the image fails to load, the alt text is shown. Better than a blank or broken image.
What BearAudit checks
We count every <img> on the page. If any have missing or blank alt attributes, we report one warning for the page (with the count of affected images). Decorative images should use alt="" so they're skipped by screen readers; BearAudit doesn't flag those.
How to fix
- Content images — Add a short, accurate description: what the image shows or its purpose on the page. Don't stuff keywords.
- Decorative images — Use
alt=""and ensure the image is purely decorative (no information lost if skipped). - Templates — If your CMS or theme leaves alt empty by default, set a rule: require alt for uploads or derive it from the filename/caption.
Filter by images in BearAudit's verifications, then fix the listed pages. Re-crawl to confirm the warning is gone.
For a short definition, see What is image alt text? in our glossary.