How to Add Alternative Text to an Image in WordPress

This guide provides a straightforward process for adding alternative text to images in WordPress, enhancing accessibility for users with visual impairments. By following these simple steps, you can improve your website's SEO and ensure compliance with accessibility standards, making your content more inclusive. It's an essential skill for anyone looking to create a more user-friendly and search-engine-optimized site.

Katy Molony
9 steps
59 seconds

Uncg

There are two ways you can add alternative text. First is through the media library. If you add the alt text to images in the media library, the text will stay with the image no matter where it is added on the site.

Navigate to your dashboard.

Hover over media and click "Library"

Click on the image you need to add text to.

Click the "Alternative Text" field and type in the necessary text. Remember to keep it short and to the point. Avoid phrases like "image of" and use descriptive language that conveys key information.

Click "Close dialog" - you do not need to click save anywhere.

The second way to add the text is from the page that the image is on. In this case, the alt text stays on the page. If you use the image again on another page, you will need to add the alt text again.

Navigate to the page your image is on and then click "Edit Page"

Find the image you need and click on it.

In the right hand menu, click the "Alternative text" field and type in your alt text. Remember the tips from step 4.

Make sure you click "Save" when you have finished your edits.