Content Matters Labs

How to write alt text for your packet images

Alt text (alternative text) is a short description of an image that:

  1. Screen readers read aloud for visually-impaired visitors
  2. Search engines use to understand what's in the image
  3. Browsers display if the image fails to load

Every image in your Complete Deployment Packet comes with suggested alt text in the SECTION 6: IMAGE GUIDANCE block of each article’s 1_README.pdf. You can use it as-is or rewrite it to match your local context.

How to write good alt text:

  • Describe what's in the image, factually. "Close-up of a control panel showing three pressure gauges" beats "Why your equipment needs monitoring."
  • Keep it under 125 characters. Screen readers cut off after that.
  • Don't start with "Image of…" or "Picture of…" — screen readers already announce it as an image.
  • Skip "click here" or other CTAs — alt text isn't ad copy.
  • If the image is purely decorative, leave the alt empty (technical term: a "null alt"). Don't make screen readers read "swirly background pattern."

Where to set alt text:

  • WordPress: click image in the editor → Image block settings → Alt Text field.
  • Squarespace: click image → ⚙ → Image File → Description (Alt Text) field.
  • Webflow: Image element → Settings → Alt Text.
  • Wix: click image → ⚙ → Add Alt Text.
  • HubSpot: Image module → Alt text.

Common alt-text issues:

  • Alt text field is missing in the editor — some themes hide it. Check your CMS’s media library instead — the alt-text field there travels with the image.
  • Same image used more than once in the article — each instance needs its own alt text if the context around it differs.
  • Not sure whether to fill it in — if the image adds information a blind reader would want, write real alt text. If it’s purely decorative (background pattern, divider), leave the field empty.
  • Tempted to stuff keywords — don’t. Search engines don’t rank on alt text alone, and screen-reader users notice keyword salad in an instant.

Still stuck? Email us at contact@contentmatterslabs.com with your CMS and a screenshot. We’ll email you back within one business day with the answer.