How Long Should Alt Text Be

Introduction

Alt text, also known as alternative text, is a description of an image that helps visually impaired individuals understand the content of the image. It is an essential component of web accessibility and plays a crucial role in making websites inclusive and accessible to everyone. When using alt text, the question of how long should alt text be always comes up. The answer to this question depends on several factors that should be considered.

Factors to Consider When Determining the Length of Alt Text

The length of alt text should be long enough to provide a clear description of the image, but not too long that it becomes verbose or repetitive. For example, if you have an image of a cat sitting on a windowsill, your alt text could be “a black and white cat sitting on a windowsill looking outside.” This description is succinct, clear, and provides relevant information about the image.

However, in some cases, longer alt text may be necessary, especially when the image is complex or has several elements that need description. In this case, you can provide a more detailed description of the image, but try to keep it under 125 characters so that it is not too long. It is important to avoid irrelevant or misleading descriptions, as this can create confusion and misunderstanding for visually impaired users.

Conclusion

To summarize, alt text should be long enough to provide a clear and concise description of the image, but not so long that it becomes verbose or redundant. The length of alt text depends on the complexity of the image and the type of information it conveys. Keep in mind that the primary goal of alt text is to provide a description of the image for visually impaired individuals, so make sure your alt text is accurate, relevant, and descriptive. By providing high-quality alt text, you can make your website more accessible and improve the user experience for everyone.