Image missing alternative text

What this means

An image on the page does not have an alt attribute (or has an empty alt on a non-decorative image). Screen readers cannot describe the image to blind or visually impaired users.

WCAG requirement

Success Criterion 1.1.1 — Non-text Content: all non-text content (images, icons, charts) must have a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose.

• Informative images: alt should describe the image content or function
• Decorative images: use alt="" (empty alt) to tell screen readers to skip them
• Functional images (links, buttons): alt should describe the action, not the image appearance

How to fix

1. Add meaningful alt text to every informative image: <img src="product.jpg" alt="Red leather handbag, front view">
2. Use empty alt for decorative images: <img src="divider.svg" alt="">
3. Don’t start with “Image of”: screen readers already announce the element as an image
4. Be concise: aim for under 125 characters