How to write good alt text for your product images

Imagine scrolling through a website, but you can't see the images.

How would you know what they contain?

This is the daily reality for millions of people who use screen readers to navigate the web. Alt text (short for alternative text) serves as their eyes, describing what's in an image when they can't see it.

Done well, alt text is powerful. It makes sure no one misses out because of an image they couldn’t see.

The good news? Writing good alt text isn’t that complicated. It just takes a little thought and a clear focus on what your customer needs. And beyond accessibility, well-crafted alt text also supports SEO, helps when images fail to load, and provides context in text-only environments.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to create alt text that works for everyone - clear, concise, and effective.

What is alt text and why does it matter?

Alt text is the written description of an image that sits in your website’s code. If the image doesn’t load, or if someone is using a screen reader, the alt text is what gets read aloud instead.

Without it, all your customer hears is “image” - or worse, the filename - which is as unhelpful as it sounds. With it, they get the same information as everyone else.

That’s a simple product photo described in a way that actually helps the customer decide if it’s what they want.

How to write good alt text

Good alt text follows a few simple principles. Think of it as describing what's in the image, to someone who it's looking at it.

What would be useful and helpful?

1) Be descriptive

Alt text should be as specific and accurate as possible. The goal is to give a clear idea of what the image shows and why it’s there.

Tip for SEO: It’s fine to include a keyword if it naturally fits the description, but your priority is always to describe the image truthfully.

2) Keep it concise

Good alt text is usually short - a few words to one sentence.

Focus on the essentials. If your image needs a lot of explanation (like a chart or infographic), provide a short summary in the alt and a fuller description in the page text.

3) Skip "picture of..."

You don’t need to start with "picture of" or "image of". Screen readers already announce that it’s an image. Just describe what matters.

The only time you might name the type of image is if it adds meaning. For example, on an art site: "Painting of sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh" makes sense, because the format is important.

But on a product page, "image of a blue cotton shirt" is unnecessary - just write "Blue cotton shirt with button-down collar".

4) Match the context

Alt text isn’t just about describing what's visible. It should also reflect the purpose of the image on the page.

A photo of a bag of coffee beans could be described in many ways, but on a checkout page you’d want: "250g bag of freshly roasted Arabica beans, ground for espresso".

That description helps a customer confirm exactly what they’re buying.

Context matters too

What is the context of the image? Am I trying to show a blue shirt, a historical tour, or a modelling agency?

The "correct" alt text depends on the purpose of the image on the page. In this photo by Hans Town Kun are we:

• Selling the shirt:
  alt="Model wearing a navy button-up shirt and ripped jeans, posing by a stone wall" would work, because the focus shifts to the clothing. That’s what the customer needs to know.

• General description (on a personal bio page):
  alt="Young man in a navy shirt leaning against a wooden railing in front of a stone wall" would work. Focus on describing the person so visitors know who they’re reading about.

• On a travel blog:
  alt="Person standing in front of historic stone arches". Here the building is the important detail, not the person’s outfit.

Here’s a lifestyle photo where the story depends on context. In this photo by Efrem Efre, we could feasibly use the following alt text:

• Selling the jacket:
  alt="Model is wearing the orange jacket in medium, high-fiving a dog on the beach" would work, because the focus shifts to the clothing. That’s what the customer needs to know.

• General description (blog post about dogs):
  alt="Person and dog giving each other a high five on a sandy beach" would work because the focus is on the human connection and personality, giving visitors a sense of who they are.

• On a travel blog:
  alt="Person and dog on a sandy beach by the water with forest in the background". This focuses on the location and atmosphere, since the image supports a story about place.

Final tips for writing alt text that works

Good alt text isn’t about ticking a compliance box or trying to please search engines. It’s about making sure no customer is left out, no matter how they browse your site.

You'll do well if you just remember these 3 golden rules:

• Be clear - say what the image shows.
• Be concise - a short sentence is usually enough.
• Match the context - write what’s most useful for the page it’s on.

Try this today: pick three images on your site and rewrite the alt text using these rules. You’ll see how quickly it becomes easier once you focus on purpose, not pixels.

Done well, alt text is invisible but powerful. It helps your customers, supports your SEO, and builds trust in your brand. Every image is a chance to welcome someone in, or shut them out.

Make it welcoming.