Accessibility and Inclusive Content

Alt Text Drafting Workbook

Determine an image's purpose and write context-appropriate text alternatives without repeating captions, adding speculation, or describing decoration.

Free editable Markdown · Content designers, editors, and accessibility teams · Updated July 30, 2026

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Image context

Asset ID and page: [Filename/URL and section]
Image type: [Photo, icon, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, logo]
Audience task: [What the reader is doing]
Purpose: [Informative, functional, decorative, complex, text-bearing]
Nearby text: [What is already explained]
Information unique to image: [Essential contribution]
Sensitive details: [Identity, location, health, other]
Permission and identity source: [If relevant]

Alternative plan

Alt draft: [Concise alternative or empty decorative treatment]
Action/destination: [If the image is interactive]
Caption: [Visible context, if needed]
Long description/table: [Location for complex details]
Text embedded in image: [Accessible equivalent]
Terms requiring localization: [Names, labels, cultural references]
Reviewer note: [Accessibility and editorial decision]
Update trigger: [Asset, data, context, or task change]

Quality checks

Purpose was determined in final context.
Decorative images use the correct empty treatment.
Functional alternatives name action or destination.
Wording avoids unsupported identity or emotion assumptions.
Essential image text exists accessibly.
Complex data has a structured nearby equivalent.
Alt, caption, and surrounding prose do not duplicate needlessly.
The rendered order and localized version are reviewed.

How to use this template

Record the image, page context, audience task, and information already supplied nearby.
Classify its purpose as informative, functional, decorative, complex, or text-bearing.
Draft the shortest alternative that preserves necessary meaning without speculation.
Add a caption, table, transcript, or structured long description for complex information.
Review in rendered context and test reading order, duplication, action, and localization.

Decide whether the image contributes information

Classify the image as informative, functional, decorative, complex, or containing text. If surrounding content already conveys everything and the image adds only visual atmosphere, use the platform's correct decorative treatment rather than describing it redundantly. If the image is a link or control, the alternative should communicate the action or destination. Logos, portraits, screenshots, diagrams, and charts require decisions based on why they appear, not a fixed formula.

Describe purpose, not pixels

Write the minimum information a non-visual reader needs for the same task. Identify a person only when identity is relevant and approved. Avoid “image of” unless the medium itself matters, and do not speculate about emotions, identity, relationships, or intent from appearance. For screenshots, describe the interface state or control that supports the instruction. For text in an image, ensure essential words exist in accessible text. A caption can provide visible context while the alt handles the image's functional contribution.

Give complex visuals layered alternatives

Charts, maps, process diagrams, and infographics often need a concise alt that names the visual and central takeaway plus a nearby data table or structured description. Preserve units, trends, comparisons, and meaningful uncertainty. Do not squeeze all chart data into an unwieldy attribute. Check that surrounding prose, caption, and long description do not contradict or repeat each other. Revisit alternatives when the image, data, layout, or intended task changes.

See the fields in context

Fictional example: library visits chart

The North Reed Library chart and all values are invented to demonstrate layered alternatives.

Purpose: Show a fictional seasonal pattern that supports a staffing discussion.
Alt: “Line chart showing visits highest in July and lowest in January during the fictional 2025 period.”
Nearby table: Supplies all invented monthly counts, units, and a note about two missing collection days.
Caption: Explains that counts are door entries rather than unique visitors.
Review: The team removes color names because line labels and the table carry the comparison.

Frequently asked questions

How long should alt text be?

Long enough to convey the image's purpose in context. Use a nearby structured description for complex detail rather than forcing a universal character limit.

Should every image have descriptive alt text?

Every image needs appropriate handling, but purely decorative images generally need an empty alternative so they do not create noise.

Can AI write alt text?

It may suggest a draft, but a person must know the image's purpose, detect visual errors and assumptions, protect privacy, and approve the final context.

What is the difference between alt text and a caption?

Alt text supplies a non-visual alternative; a caption is visible context for everyone. They can complement each other without repeating the same sentence.