There is an alternative text field attached to images you upload to WordPress. This alt text provides a description of the image to people with visual impairments. We should strive to add descriptive alt text to all the images we upload to posts in WordPress. Missing alt text registers as an accessibility error in the WAVE scanner from WebAIM.
To add alt text to an existing image in WordPress.
- Go to the Media.
- Click on the image that you want to add alt text to.
- Add some descriptive alt text about the image in the alternative text field.
- Click anywhere and WordPress saves the field.
To test if your alt text is really attached to the image you can run the post by the WAVE scanner or inspect the image code for an alt attribute. In some cases if the post code has been customized the alt text entered in the Media area might not appear in customized image markup.
Additional videos and resources about adding alternative text to images in a WordPress blog post:
- WordPress Image Alt Text – all about adding alt text to images in WordPress.
- How to Add Image Titles and Alt Text in WordPresst 6:17 – shows how alt text can be adding to images in the WordPress Media area.
- Adding Alternative Text to your images in WordPress 6:17 – shows how easy it is to alt text and how it can improve SEO on your blog.
- How to add alt tags to images in WordPress Tutorial 3:21 – shows how to alt text to improve SEO.
- Understanding Alternative Text 5:12 – information from NC State. Show how alternative text can be added to pictures in a Word doc.