Why Alt Text Still Matters in 2025

Published on October 10, 2025 • 6 min read

Alt text remains crucial for accessibility, SEO, and user experience in 2025. Learn why this foundational web element is more important than ever and how AI-powered tools make it easier to implement correctly.

In an era of advanced AI, voice assistants, and increasingly sophisticated web technologies, you might think alternative text (alt text) would be less important. In reality, alt text is more critical than ever—not just for accessibility, but for SEO, user experience, and building an inclusive digital world.

Let's explore why alt text continues to be essential in 2025 and how modern tools are making it easier to get it right.

What Is Alt Text?

Alt text (alternative text) is a brief description of an image that appears in the HTML code of a webpage. It serves as a text alternative when an image can't be displayed or accessed by the user. Originally introduced to help people using screen readers understand visual content, alt text has evolved into a multi-purpose tool that benefits everyone.

Here's a simple example:

<img src="golden-retriever.jpg" alt="Golden retriever playing fetch in a sunny park">

Why Alt Text Still Matters

1. Accessibility Is a Legal and Moral Imperative

Over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, and many rely on assistive technologies like screen readers to navigate the web. Without proper alt text, images are simply skipped or announced as "image" or "unlabeled graphic"—leaving users with incomplete information.

In 2025, accessibility isn't optional. Many countries have strict laws requiring digital accessibility:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States
• European Accessibility Act (EAA) in the EU
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) adopted globally

Failing to provide alt text can result in lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage. But beyond compliance, it's about doing the right thing—ensuring everyone can access your content.

2. SEO and Search Engine Rankings

Search engines like Google can't "see" images the way humans do. They rely on alt text to understand what an image depicts and how it relates to the surrounding content. Well-written alt text helps your images appear in image search results and contributes to your overall page ranking.

In 2025, with AI-powered search getting smarter, contextual relevance matters more than ever. Alt text that accurately describes your images and aligns with your content gives you a competitive advantage in search results.

3. Better User Experience for Everyone

Alt text doesn't just help people using screen readers—it improves the experience for all users:

• Slow connections: When images fail to load, alt text provides context
• Voice search: Smart assistants use alt text to understand and describe images
• Context clues: Users browsing with images disabled still understand your content

"Good alt text is invisible until it's essential—and then it's everything."

4. AI and Machine Learning Are Built on Data

As AI becomes more prevalent, well-structured, descriptive alt text serves as training data for machine learning models. Your alt text contributes to a more accessible and intelligent web ecosystem—helping future AI systems better understand visual content.

Common Alt Text Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Even with the best intentions, many developers and content creators make common alt text mistakes:

❌ Mistake #1: Using "Image of..." or "Picture of..."

Screen readers already announce that it's an image. Skip the redundancy.

Bad: alt="Image of a red bicycle"
Good: alt="Red bicycle leaning against a brick wall"

❌ Mistake #2: Leaving Alt Text Empty for Decorative Images

If an image is purely decorative and adds no informational value, use an empty alt attribute (alt="") so screen readers skip it. Don't omit the alt attribute entirely.

❌ Mistake #3: Being Too Vague or Too Detailed

Alt text should be concise but descriptive. Aim for one to two sentences that capture the essence of the image without overwhelming the user.

Too vague: alt="Dog"
Too detailed: alt="A medium-sized golden retriever with a shiny coat running across a grassy field with trees in the background on a sunny afternoon with blue skies..."
Just right: alt="Golden retriever running through a grassy field on a sunny day"

❌ Mistake #4: Keyword Stuffing for SEO

While alt text does help with SEO, stuffing it with keywords makes it awkward and hurts user experience—and search engines penalize this practice.

How AI Is Changing Alt Text in 2025

One of the biggest challenges with alt text has always been scale. Manually writing alt text for hundreds or thousands of images is time-consuming and often inconsistent.

That's where AI-powered tools like AltSnap come in. Modern computer vision and natural language processing make it possible to automatically generate accurate, contextual alt text at scale—saving time while maintaining quality.

Benefits of AI-Generated Alt Text:

• Speed: Generate alt text for entire image libraries in minutes
• Consistency: Maintain a uniform tone and style across all descriptions
• Accuracy: Advanced models understand context and nuance better than ever
• Scalability: Handle large websites, e-commerce catalogs, and content management systems effortlessly

Of course, human oversight is still important. AI-generated alt text should be reviewed for accuracy, especially for complex or sensitive images. While alt text is just one piece of the accessibility puzzle, AI dramatically reduces the barrier to tackling this foundational requirement.

Best Practices for Writing Alt Text in 2025

Whether you're writing alt text manually or using AI tools, follow these best practices:

1. Be descriptive and specific: Explain what's in the image and why it matters
2. Keep it concise: Aim for 125 characters or less when possible
3. Consider context: Alt text should relate to the surrounding content
4. Skip redundant phrases: Avoid "image of" or "graphic of"
5. Use empty alt for decorative images: alt="" tells screen readers to skip it
6. Review and update regularly: As content changes, make sure alt text stays relevant

The Bottom Line

Alt text isn't going anywhere—if anything, it's becoming more important as the web evolves. It's the foundation of digital accessibility, a key factor in SEO, and an essential component of a great user experience.

In 2025, with powerful AI tools at your disposal, there's no excuse for neglecting alt text. Whether you're building a new website, managing an e-commerce platform, or publishing content online, make alt text a priority from day one.

Ready to tackle the alt text challenge? Try AltSnap for free and see how easy it can be to generate high-quality alt text at scale—one important step toward a more accessible website.

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