Free Alt Text Checker for Ecommerce Stores

Verify that every image on your ecommerce site has descriptive alt text. Scan your HTML and get a dated accessibility audit record for compliance.

Check Your Store's Alt Text Now

What is Alt Text?

Alt text (alternative text) is a short description of an image. Screen readers read it aloud so visually impaired users know what an image shows. Alt text also appears when an image fails to load.

For ecommerce, alt text is not optional—it is a legal requirement under WCAG 2.1 AA, the accessibility standard businesses follow to avoid complaints and lawsuits.

Why Your Store Needs Alt Text

Legal Compliance

WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard referenced in the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Stores without proper alt text face accessibility lawsuits. Many start because a customer used a screen reader and found images with no description.

Search Engine Visibility

Google and Bing use alt text to understand images and index them for image search. Products without alt text are invisible in image search results, costing you traffic.

Conversion

Alt text helps visually impaired customers (and search engines) understand what a product is. No alt text = lost sales from an entire segment of users.

Common Alt Text Mistakes

❌ Missing alt text entirely:

<img src="shoe.jpg">

Screen reader says nothing. Search engines do not index it.

❌ Keyword stuffing:

<img alt="shoe shoes red shoe brand product" src="shoe.jpg">

This triggers spam filters and annoys users. Search engines penalize keyword stuffing.

✓ Good alt text:

<img alt="Red leather Oxford dress shoe" src="shoe.jpg">

Clear, concise, descriptive. Helps both users and search engines.

How to Write Good Alt Text

Describe what the image shows in 5–10 words.
Include the product type and key attributes (color, material, style).
Do not repeat the product name if it is already in the title.
Do not write "image of" or "picture of"—screen readers already say "image."
Do not keyword-stuff. One natural sentence is best.

Check Your Store Free

Scan Record scans your HTML in seconds and generates a dated audit record listing every image without alt text, grouped by severity. Export it to keep on file for audits and compliance responses.

Scan Your Store Now