Alt text vs Image Descriptions (Understanding 3 Key Differences)

I bet you look at your social media posts and sigh.

You’ve just spent forever writing an engaging post.

Every word chosen with care, every sentence fine-tuned to shine. You’ve sprinkled your soul into it, and it shows.

But trying to decide between alt text and image descriptions can be tricky, right?

What’s the difference between alt text and image descriptions?

And, which one should you choose?

Let’s take a look at the 3 key differences, but first, here’s a brief intro to assistive technology.

People with disabilities use assistive tools and programs (like screen readers, magnification, enlarging font size, and text to voice) to access your digital content.

This means they need clear, concise image summaries, and that’s where alt text and image descriptions come in.

They bring your visuals to life through words.

Alt text is usually attached to image metadata or added in the “alt text” box.

Image descriptions are found in the content of a webpage, next to the image or as a visible caption. On social media platforms, they’re usually in the body of your post. For extended descriptions, you can share them in a text link.

Alt text is usually only visible to screen readers, which read the alt text out loud or display it on a braille display.

Image descriptions can be read by people with vision disabilities using other assistive tech (like magnification, enlarging font size, and text to voice).

Alt text is a short, clear description that captures the image’s content and purpose. It’s added to an image tag in HTML or through a platform’s alt text field.

Image description: Disability Writer, stick figure Lilly, is popping her head behind her laptop, flashing a smile at you.

Alt text and image descriptions aren’t just helpful for accessibility, they’re useful for SEO too.