How To Test Alt Text

How to Test Alt Text for Images on a Website?

Alt text is an attribute that provides a textual description of an image on a website. This text is used by screen readers to describe the image to users who are visually impaired. It is also used by search engines to index and rank the website’s images. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure that the alt text for each image on a website is accurate and descriptive.

There are several ways to test alt text for images on a website. One of the easiest ways is to use a screen reader tool. This tool allows you to listen to the website’s content as it would be heard by users who are visually impaired. By using this tool, you can verify that the alt text for each image accurately describes the content of the image.

Another way to test alt text is to use a browser extension that displays the alt text when you hover over an image. This extension allows you to quickly verify that the alt text is correct and descriptive. Some popular browser extensions that provide this functionality are Chrome’s Accessibility Insights for Web and Firefox’s Web Developer extension.

In addition to these tools, it is also useful to manually inspect the HTML code for each image on the website. The alt text should be included in the image tag’s alt attribute. By inspecting the code, you can verify that the alt text is present and accurate for each image on the website.

In conclusion, testing alt text for images on a website is an essential part of making the website accessible and search engine friendly. Screen reader tools, browser extensions, and manual inspection of HTML code are three effective ways to test alt text. By ensuring that your website’s alt text is accurate and descriptive, you can improve the user experience for all visitors to your website.