Alt Text describes images to users who are unable to view the images. A user may be unable to view images due to physical limitations or browser incompatibilities. Alt text should be succinct and describe the content and function of an image. Any text displayed within an image should be included in the alt text.
- Example: Stack of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup.
Text Within Images
Screenreading devices cannot detect text within an image. Additionally, images may not render properly depending on a user's browser or device. The text should be added to appropriate content widgets and should not be included in images unless as decoration or included in Logos.
Alt Text vs Title
The text contained in the alt attribute is used to describe the image to users who cannot view the image. The alt attribute will display when users hover their mouse over an image.
Alt text is required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides a backup method of providing information to users that can not view images. Title Text (labeled Display Name in the image repository) is not required for compliance but may provide additional information for users.
Feedback About the Article
Let us know what was helpful or not helpful about the article below.4 comments
Sorry, I'm confused. I thought alt text showed when hovering on an image on our sites. And by title text, do you mean the 'Display Name'?
Hi Michael,
You are correct. Alt text appears when users hover over an image. The title of an image ('Display Name' in the Image Repository) is not visible in the same way that alt text is, and is more important for back-end users organizing image files in the Image Repository.
Thanks for your question!
Your Help Center Team
Thank you. Will you be updating this article to reflect that it's the alt text that shows when hovering and not the title?
Absolutely! The article has been updated to correctly describe the way that alt text appears on the page. Thank you for following up!
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