FreeToolsWorld

Image Alt Generator and Alt Text Checker

Build image tags with alt text, and check the alt text you wrote.

SEO Tools Free, no sign-up Runs in your browser

Describe what the image conveys in this context, not what objects are visible.

Image tag

Batch mode

One image per line, as path then a comma then the alt text.

About the Image Alt Tag Generator

This tool builds the image markup and then checks the part that matters. You supply the file path and a description, and it produces a complete img tag with the alt attribute, optional width and height to prevent layout shift, and lazy loading where appropriate.

The checker is the more useful half. It flags the mistakes that make alt text worthless: starting with image of or picture of, which a screen reader already announces; using the file name, which is how IMG_4821.jpg ends up being read aloud; writing nothing at all; writing an essay; and stuffing keywords into a description nobody will read with their eyes.

One honest limitation. No tool in a web page can look at your photograph and describe it, because that needs a model running somewhere else. What this does is take a description you write and turn it into correct markup, while telling you when the description has a problem. The thinking about what the image conveys is still yours, and it should be.

How to use the Image Alt Tag Generator

  1. Enter the image pathThe src value, whether a full URL or a relative path.
  2. Describe the imageSay what it conveys in this context, not what objects are in it.
  3. Add the optional attributesWidth, height, lazy loading and a CSS class.
  4. Check the warnings and copyProblems with the alt text are listed before you copy the tag.

Features

  • Complete img tag with alt, width, height, loading and class
  • Flags redundant openings such as image of
  • Flags file names used as alt text
  • Warns when alt text is too long or keyword-stuffed
  • Supports the empty alt attribute for decorative images, with an explanation
  • Batch mode for a list of paths and descriptions
  • Escapes quotes so the markup never breaks

Who uses this tool

The image alt tag generator is used by writers, developers, students, marketers and anyone else who needs the job done once without installing software. Common cases include:

  • Writing correct markup for a batch of images
  • Auditing alt text before an accessibility review
  • Teaching a content team what alt text is for
  • Adding dimensions to stop images shifting the layout
  • Marking decorative images so screen readers skip them

Frequently asked questions

What makes good alt text?

A short sentence describing what the image conveys in its context. The same photograph needs different alt text on a news article and in a product listing. If the image is doing a job on the page, describe that job rather than cataloguing what is visible.

Should alt text ever be empty?

Yes. A purely decorative image, such as a divider or a background flourish, should have alt="" so screen readers skip it. Leaving the attribute off entirely is different and worse: some screen readers then read the file name aloud.

Why not start with a picture of?

Because the screen reader has already announced that it is an image. Adding image of in front wastes the first few words of every description and quickly becomes grating to anyone listening to a page full of them.

How long should alt text be?

Usually under about 125 characters. Longer than that and listeners lose the thread, and some older screen readers truncate it. If an image genuinely needs more explanation, put that explanation in the page text where everyone benefits.

Does alt text help SEO?

It helps search engines understand images, and it is the main text signal for image search. That is a real but secondary benefit. The primary reason is that people using screen readers cannot see your images at all.

Can this tool describe my image automatically?

No. Describing a picture requires a model running on a server, and this site deliberately runs everything in your browser. The tool builds correct markup around a description you write and tells you when that description has a problem.

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