Rankite
ServicesResultsToolsTeamAboutBlogCareersContactFree SEO Audit
Free tool

Alt Text Generator: Accessible, SEO-Friendly Image Descriptions

Describe what is in your image and get 3 to 5 clean, well-formed alt text suggestions that follow accessibility and SEO best practices, each with a live character count and a one-click copy.

Home / Tools / Alt Text Generator

Suggested alt text

Type a short description above to generate alt text. This tool formats your words into accessible, well-structured alt text. It does not look at the image itself, so check that the wording matches what is actually shown.

Built by Rankite, the SEO team behind Swordfish AI's +400% revenue and Zluri's +45% organic growth. See the case studies

Alt text is the written description a browser shows when an image fails to load and that screen readers read aloud to people who cannot see the image. Accessibility comes first: the goal is to give a blind or low-vision visitor the same information a sighted visitor gets from the picture. Search engines read the same attribute, so well-written alt text helps with SEO too, but if you write for accessibility first, the SEO benefit follows on its own.

How to write good alt text

Keep it concise. Aim for under about 125 characters, roughly one clear sentence, because some screen readers cut off longer descriptions. Be specific about what matters in the image rather than vague. Do not begin with "image of" or "picture of", since the screen reader already announces that it is an image. Include your keyword only when it genuinely describes the picture, and never repeat the same keyword across every image on the page, which reads as stuffing and can hurt you.

Two cases need special handling. Decorative images, such as background flourishes or spacer graphics that carry no information, should use an empty alt attribute (alt="") so assistive technology skips them cleanly. Functional images, like a magnifying-glass icon that runs a search, should describe the function ("Search") rather than the appearance, because that is what the user needs to know.

ImageBad alt textGood alt text
Photo of a baristaimage of coffeeBarista pouring latte art at a wooden cafe counter
Product shotIMG_4821.jpgBlue ceramic pour-over coffee dripper, front view
Company logologo logo brandRankite logo
Decorative dividerdecorative line graphic line(empty alt="")
Search icon buttonmagnifying glass pictureSearch

Where alt text fits in your SEO

Clean alt text helps images surface in Google Images, gives context to the page they sit on, and keeps your site accessible, which is increasingly a ranking and legal consideration. It is one signal among many, though, and no amount of alt text fixes thin content or slow pages. If you want a clear picture of what is helping and hurting your rankings, request a free SEO audit and we will review your images, content and technical setup together.

Related articles

FAQ

Alt Text Generator: questions, answered

What is alt text and why does it matter?
Alt text is a short written description attached to an image with the alt attribute. Screen readers read it aloud for people who cannot see the image, and browsers show it when an image fails to load. It is essential for accessibility and also gives search engines context about the image, so it supports image SEO at the same time.
How long should alt text be?
Keep it under about 125 characters, roughly one clear sentence. Some screen readers truncate longer descriptions, and a tight description is easier to understand. If you need to convey more, put the detail in nearby body text or a caption rather than stretching the alt attribute.
Should I put keywords in alt text?
Only when the keyword genuinely describes the image. A natural keyword mention helps, but stuffing the same keyword into every image reads as spam and can hurt you. Describe the picture accurately first, then include the keyword if it fits. Accuracy for accessibility always comes before the keyword.
What alt text should decorative images have?
Use an empty alt attribute, written as alt="". This tells screen readers to skip the image so they do not announce a meaningless description. Keep the attribute present but blank; removing it entirely can make some screen readers read out the file name instead, which is worse.
Does this tool analyse my actual image?
No. This tool does not look at the image file. It takes the short description you type and formats it into clean, accessible, SEO-friendly alt text following best practices. Because it works from your words, always check that the suggestion you pick truly matches what the image shows.

More free tools

Let's grow

Ready to own page one?

Get a free, no-obligation SEO audit and a 30-minute strategy session. We'll show you exactly where the growth is hiding.

Book your free audit Explore services
Get in touch

Tell us about your project

Fill out the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. Prefer email? Write to us directly at contact@rankite.com.

Or copy our email and write to us directly: contact@rankite.com