Write alt text for product images and check the correct image type
Describe important images for customers who can't see them and check which alternative text is actually displayed.
This guide applies to administrators working with images in Go, Plus, and Pro. The product gallery's alt field is language-dependent. Group images, content blocks, and slideshows have other fields and may behave differently between themes and component versions; a visible caption is not automatically the image's alt attribute.
1. Add alt text to the correct product image
- Open Assortment → Products and edit the product.
- Find the relevant image and open the image information using the arrow icon.
- Enter a short, relevant alt text for the image's content/function.
- Enter the corresponding text for each language you use and save.
Example: “Blue rain jacket, front view with hood” is more useful than “image1” or a list of keywords. Describe what is relevant in the image's context. For a linked functional image, the link's purpose also needs to be understandable.
2. Understand the product image's fallback text
If the product image's alt field is empty, the product name may be displayed as fallback text, with a numbered suffix for additional images. An empty field therefore does not guarantee alt="" for a decorative image. Check the correct language version and both the main image and thumbnail in the store's active theme.
Filename, visible caption, title, and alt text are different things. A custom filename does not replace alt text. Use stable filenames that the uploader accepts; do not change an already used public file address just to improve a description.
3. Choose the right path for other images
| Image type | What to do |
|---|---|
| Product gallery | Use the image information per language and check the fallback value. |
| Group/content image | Check the current editor's image settings and that the description becomes the img-alt, not just a caption. |
| Image in a custom HTML block | Set the intended alt directly on the img element and check the result. |
| Showcase block | The text field's connection to alternative text depends on the component. Don't automatically read all visible text as alt text. |
| Older slideshows | Check the slideshow's own image settings. Not all older versions offer a field for custom alternative text; a product image field does not automatically change the slideshow's images. |
For a purely decorative image, an empty alt is a common intentional choice when the component actually supports it. Do not delete the product name to try to force an empty fallback text.
4. Check the public image
- Open the correct language, sub-store, and active theme.
- Check the image's actual alt attribute in the browser's image/accessibility information, not just the form's text field.
- Check both the main image and thumbnail, as well as images that are reused in other blocks.
- If an important image cannot be given a useful description in the current component, use a component that supports this. Do not put the text in an unrelated product field.
Quick start
- Identify the image type and current language.
- Write relevant alternative text in the correct field.
- Save and check the actual img-alt, including the fallback value.
- Check other components separately.
Subscription and access
Product image management applies to Go, Plus, and Pro. Languages must be correctly activated and the content saved. Alt support in showcase blocks and slideshows depends on the active component/theme version, not just the plan name.