Most people just upload images to their WordPress site and stop there. But those blank “alt text” boxes under your media files? They matter more than they look.
Image alt text tells search engines and screen readers what an image shows. It connects visuals to meaning, and meaning is what search engines rank.
In this post, I’ll explain what image alt text really is, why it shapes how Google reads your site, and how to set it up the right way in WordPress. You’ll see how simple changes can help your content get found, understood, and appreciated…by people and search engines alike.
An introduction to image alt text
When you add an image to WordPress, or embed another piece of media such as a GIF, you are given the option to assign it “alternative text.” This is simply a brief description of the media file, and usually takes the form of a short sentence.
It’s up to you what alt text you assign there. The best practice is to make it a description of the image in a short form.
Under normal circumstances, however, that sentence won’t actually show up on the web page. Image alt text is a type of metadata – which means that it’s behind-the-scenes information most visitors will never see. So why include it at all?
There are a few answers to that question. The first involves the original purpose of image alt text – improving website accessibility. This behind-the-scenes text was created so that visitors with a visual impairment (that is, those who cannot actually see the images in your content) still have some way of knowing what they are. Alt text also comes in handy if your web page ever has trouble fully loading, since the text will generally display as a placeholder when images fail to show up.
Given how easy it is to create image alt text, those reasons are enough to motivate most people to use them. If you need more encouragement, however, you might be interested to know that alt text is also beneficial for your website’s search engine visibility.
The effects of image alt text on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of tweaking your online content so that it ranks higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). If lots of people who search Google for relevant keywords and phrases are shown your website on the first page of their results, you are doing a solid job with your SEO.
There are a lot of ways to improve your site’s SEO, and we’ve covered a variety of techniques in the past. Many SEO strategies involve spending a lot of time researching, or installing dedicated tools. However, there are smaller tasks that have an impact on your page rankings as well – such as whether you’ve added and optimized image alt text.
Google and other search engines have been taking advantage of the information presented by alt text for a long time. Their bots pay attention to the text of each alt tag, using it to gain a deeper understanding of your content. This little bit of extra metadata can help a search engine grasp what the image itself is about. It also helps clarify the subject of the surrounding text.
If you want to get the most out of your image alt text:
- you’ll want to make sure to add it to each piece of embedded media in the first place; and then
- you’ll want to optimize it to be as helpful to search engines as possible.
Let’s discuss how to do both of those things next:
How to add and optimize image alt text in WordPress
Actually adding image alt text in WordPress couldn’t be simpler. In fact, the hardest part is simply remembering to do so. You’ll want to make it a part of your routine if possible. For instance, it can help to go through each page or post after you’ve finished writing it, and assign each image an alt text at once.
The way you do it will depend on if you’re using the block editor or if you’re still using the classic editor. Although most people are probably using the block editor nowadays, we will include instructions for both options for those of you classic editor holdouts that are still hanging on to it. Then we’ll wrap it up by going over some best practices to keep in mind when adding alt text.
How to add image alt text in the block editor
Adding alt text in the block editor is extremely easy because you can do it right inside of any page or post. All you have to know is where to look for it, which is also very straightforward.
If you insert an image by directly uploading it to the image block from within your post or page, then all you need to do is click on the image. After you click on it, look over to the sidebar on the right and make sure that it’s toggled to “Block” and not “Post”.
You’ll see the ALT TEXT box, where – as it says – you can type your alt text.
Alternatively, if you upload your image directly to the Media Library, you can add the alt text there.
Pretty simple, right?
Now let’s take a look at what it looks like in the classic editor.
How to add image alt text in the classic editor
To add alt text in the classic editor, click on an image in your page or post, and select the Edit icon:
Under the caption, you’ll see a field labeled Alternative Text. This is where you can enter your image alt text. Simply type it in, and click on Update!
Just like with the block editor, you can also do this immediately when uploading an image in your Media Library, using the same field:
As with most SEO-related tasks, however, it isn’t enough to simply add image alt text. You’ll also want to optimize it, to ensure that it will be effective. Below are some best practices to follow when creating alt text – whether in the block editor or classic editor.
How to set image alt text automatically
If all of the above sounds like frankly too much work then you can check out our Media Library Organizer plugin, which – among other great features – will let you set automatic fallbacks for all your image alt texts.
Here’s what this means:
Whenever you upload an image, the alt text is going to be set automatically to your “default.” You can set that default to be whatever text you wish.
But then, if you want to adjust that alt text by hand later on, you are free to do so normally – by following the steps outlined above.
The plugin is free. After you install and activate it (search for “Media Library Organizer“), go into the plugin’s section in the WordPress dashboard – under Media Library Organizer – then into Defaults → Enable Default Settings. Once there, you can set you default alt text to be whatever you wish:
Save the settings when done.
Note; if you want more advanced options, you can upgrade to Media Library Organizer Pro and get the ability to use dynamic tags in those default attributes, base your alt text on file names, and much more.
Image alt text best practices
- Describe what’s in the image, not what you feel about it. Keep it real and visible. If it’s a photo of a person holding a book, say that. Skip the mood, the guesswork, and the fluff. Alt text is about sight, not opinion.
- Imagine explaining the picture to someone who can’t see it. Speak like a human, not a robot. Use normal words, clear order, and simple phrasing. The goal is to give them the same understanding you’d get from seeing the image yourself.
- Never start with “image of” or “picture showing.” Screen readers already announce it’s an image. Repeating that wastes space and patience. Go straight into the scene: who’s there, what’s happening, what matters most. Start strong, skip filler.
- Write clearly, not beautifully. Search engines don’t reward poetry. Avoid adjectives that don’t add value. Describe facts: color, action, object, or setting. If it doesn’t help someone see the image in their head, it doesn’t belong in the text.
- Add a keyword only if it fits the image naturally. Forced keywords make your text sound fake. Think about how someone would search for that image and mirror that phrasing. Keep balance between human sense and SEO sense.
- Leave alt text empty for purely decorative images. Icons, flourishes, and dividers don’t need descriptions. Adding alt text there can distract screen readers and confuse users. Silence can sometimes be the most accessible choice.
- Before writing, ask what the image is doing on the page. Is it explaining, supporting, or just filling space? The purpose guides the description. A useful image deserves context; a filler image might need none. Purpose first, text second.
- Keep it short but complete. Most alt text should fit in one quick sentence. Long descriptions slow users down. Say enough to understand the image’s point, then stop. Clarity beats word count every time.
- Review and update alt text when you change an image or rewrite the page. An outdated description confuses readers and hurts SEO. Treat alt text like any other content. Small fixes keep it accurate.
- Think of alt text as a quiet helper. It helps people who can’t see your site still experience it fully. It also helps search engines grasp what your images mean. Good alt text is inclusion and clarity in one line.
If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll find yourself creating effective image alt text in no time!
Conclusion
Adding alt text to your images may seem like a small matter. However, it’s worth paying attention to if you want your site to rank as highly as possible in search engines (and attract the most views). This feature is also important for visitors with a visual impairment, and as a precaution for those times when your pages fail to load images.
Fortunately, adding and optimizing alt text couldn’t be simpler. In WordPress, you can do this directly within a post or page if using the block editor, or through the image edit screen if using the classic editor. Both editors also allow you to do it inside the WordPress Media Library if you upload your images there.
💡 If you found this helpful, be sure to check out our tutorial on how to use next-gen image formats inside your WordPress posts and pages.
Do you have any other questions about how to use image alt text effectively? Let us know in the comments section below!
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