The alt attribute is an HTML attribute of the <img> tag that provides a text description of the image. It serves two purposes: accessibility (screen readers read it aloud) and SEO (Google reads it to understand the image content).
HTML syntax
<img src="salomon-xt6.jpg" alt="Salomon XT-6 Women Trail Shoes Black — front view" />
Rules:
- Content image: always a descriptive alt attribute
- Decorative image: empty alt attribute (
alt="") - Never omit the alt attribute entirely (screen reader announces "image" with no context)
Product images
Formula: "[Brand] [Product] [Key attribute] — [view type]". Each image of the same product should have a distinct alt text describing what specifically is shown (front, side, detail, worn).
Category images
Formula: "[Category] — [distinctive attribute or seasonal]". Example: "Women trail running shoes — Spring 2026 collection".
Lifestyle images
Describe the action and context: "Woman running trail with Salomon XT-6 on a mountain path". This captures long-tail image search queries.
| Alt text | Accessibility | SEO value |
|---|---|---|
| Absent (no attribute) | Poor | None |
| Empty alt="" | OK for decorative | None (intentional) |
| "product" | Poor | Very low |
| "Salomon XT-6 Women Black Trail" | Good | High |
On Shopify, you can add alt text directly in the product image editor (click the image, then "Edit alt text"). For bulk updates, use Seegea's inline grid to edit alt texts across your entire catalog.
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FAQ
They are the same thing. "Alt attribute" is the technical HTML term (alt="..."). "Alt text" or "alternative text" is the common term for the content of this attribute. Both refer to the descriptive text added to an <img> tag.