Image Alt Text - I have multiple pictures for a single product..
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Cody
As someone who is legally blind and uses a screen reader: detailed alt text is greatly appreciated!
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Lori
No. Describe the image. Otherwise, you can get dinged for ADA non-compliance. You can have the product name, or other keywords in the descriptions if it makes logical sense.
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Liew
If the alt text is added for accessibility purposes, such as for users using a screen reader, I would suggest the below practice. It's the house rule of one of my client when working as technical writer-editor, but I find applicable to other project as well.
For decorative images that no meaning content wise, don't add alt text. (people on screen reader don't need to read it)
Add alt text for those images that are important in context, so people depending on screen reader can still know what it is about.
If there are consecutive images that uses an identical alt text, only add alt text to the first image and omit the alt text in the consecutive images. e.g., if you have 3 images of a slightly different angle of a vase showing consecutively, write "picture of a vase" on the first image and omit alt text in the second and third image, so that people on screen reader don't have to read it three times. (just one time is enough
)
To put it simple, try disable the CSS and see if your content make sense! If it does, it should work great for a screen reader too.
For decorative images that no meaning content wise, don't add alt text. (people on screen reader don't need to read it)
Add alt text for those images that are important in context, so people depending on screen reader can still know what it is about.
If there are consecutive images that uses an identical alt text, only add alt text to the first image and omit the alt text in the consecutive images. e.g., if you have 3 images of a slightly different angle of a vase showing consecutively, write "picture of a vase" on the first image and omit alt text in the second and third image, so that people on screen reader don't have to read it three times. (just one time is enough
)To put it simple, try disable the CSS and see if your content make sense! If it does, it should work great for a screen reader too.
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Nathan
A few options. If the image is purely decorative and the product name is in proximity (eg a heading before the image) then you can leave the alt tag empty. If you do put alt text and the images are identical, use the same alt text. More often though you’ll have images of the product at different angles (front, back, left side etc) - so you can use that to more specifically describe the image.