Images Without Alt Text

Missing alt attributes on images is the single most common accessibility failure on the web. WCAG Success Criterion 1.1.1 (Level A) requires every meaningful image to have a text alternative that conveys the same information as the visual content. When alt text is absent, assistive technologies such as screen readers have no way to describe what the image shows, leaving blind and low-vision users completely in the dark.

The problem goes beyond decorative photos. It affects functional images used as links or buttons, icons that convey status, infographics, charts, and CMS-uploaded product photos. Each category requires a different approach: decorative images should use an empty alt (alt=""), informative images need a concise description, and complex visuals like data charts require a longer text alternative provided through a caption or a linked description.

This issue is especially prevalent on WordPress and Shopify sites where content editors upload images through a media library without filling in the alt field. Automated site builders and page builders frequently omit alt attributes entirely, producing thousands of inaccessible images across large sites.

For people who are blind and rely on screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver, an image without alt text is announced as the raw filename -- often something unintelligible like "DSC_4523.jpg" or "hero-banner-v3-final.png". If that image is a link or a button, the user has no idea what action it performs, making essential interactions like adding an item to a cart or submitting a form impossible.

Low-vision users who rely on magnification may also be affected when they zoom past the image and only the text alternative would allow them to understand what was displayed. Search engines also use alt attributes to index images, so missing alt text is a direct SEO loss as well.

Globally, approximately 2.2 billion people have some form of vision impairment. Omitting alt text excludes a significant portion of your audience from understanding your content, and it constitutes a Level A WCAG violation -- the most basic tier of compliance that every site should meet.

Scrutia's automated audit engine scans every page of your site and flags all <img> elements that lack an alt attribute entirely, as well as images whose alt text is a filename, an auto-generated placeholder, or an excessively long string. It also checks functional images inside links and buttons to ensure the text alternative describes the action rather than the image's appearance. Results are presented with the exact element location and a ready-to-use fix.