Alt text for product images
On a product page, alt text has two readers: a shopper using a screen reader who wants the same facts a sighted shopper gets from the photo, and a search engine matching the image to queries like colour or material. Both want specifics, not slogans.
Rules for this kind of image
- Lead with product type, then the attribute that differs between photos (colour, angle, detail).
- Do not paste the product title into every image: each photo shows something different.
- Leave out price, discounts and marketing claims; they belong in page text.
- Size charts and spec sheets are images of text: transcribe them or provide an HTML table.
6 examples, weak vs better
Main shot of a backpack on white · Product page, first image
Weak
backpackBetter Charcoal waxed-canvas backpack with tan leather straps, front view66 charspasses checks
Colour, material and the view are what a shopper compares.
Same backpack, open, showing laptop sleeve · Product gallery, image 3
Weak
Charcoal waxed-canvas backpackBetter Open main compartment with a padded 15-inch laptop sleeve57 charspasses checks
Says what this photo adds rather than repeating the first one.
Colour swatch button for navy · Variant picker
Weak
swatchBetter Navy4 chars
It is a control; its name is the option it selects.
Model wearing a linen shirt outdoors · Lifestyle image on product page
Weak
model wearing shirt summer fashion linen shirtBetter Model wearing the shirt untucked with sleeves rolled, showing a relaxed fit75 charspasses checks
Describes fit, which is the information the lifestyle photo exists to show.
Close-up of stitching on a leather wallet · Detail image
Weak
wallet detailBetter Close-up of hand-stitched edges on the wallet's card slots58 charspasses checks
Names the detail being shown off.
Size chart graphic · Product page
Weak
size chartBetter Size chart; the same measurements are in the table below56 charspasses checks
Point to an HTML table; data in alt cannot be navigated.
Have your own images? Draft alt text with the AI alt text generator, then edit it using these patterns.
Questions people ask
Should every product image have the same alt text?
No. Each photo usually shows something different (angle, colour, detail, scale), so each alt should say what that photo adds.
Should I put the product name in alt text?
In the main image, yes, if the name helps identify the item. In gallery images, focus on what each photo shows; repeating the full title on every image is noise for screen reader users.
Does product image alt text help Google Shopping?
Google uses alt text as one signal to understand images in search. Product listings in Shopping rely mainly on your product data feed, so accurate feed attributes matter more there.