Writing alt text that actually helps

Alt text is a tiny field that does two enormous jobs: it narrates the page for screen readers and signals meaning to search engines.

Why this matters today

Describe the function the image plays in the surrounding text, not just its contents. "Smiling chef" is worse than "Chef Maya tasting the soup she just plated."

If your image were missing, what would the paragraph still need to say?

In practice

Here is the part that turns theory into a habit:

• Start small — a single file, a single page, a single test.
• Measure twice. Trust the numbers, not the vibe.
• Keep an undo path. Reversible decisions buy you courage.

A note on tooling

Every tool on this site runs in your browser unless we say otherwise. That changes the trade-offs: nothing to upload, nothing to retain, nothing to leak. The downside is a small ceiling on file size and a dependency on your device's CPU — both acceptable for most editorial workflows.

Takeaway

Write alt text for the reader who can't see — everyone else gets the benefit.