Complete Guide to Image Alt Text for E-commerce

Every image on your Shopify store is an SEO opportunity. Alt text (alternative text) is the hidden description that tells search engines and visually impaired users what an image shows. Most merchants either skip it entirely or write useless descriptions like “image1.jpg.”

This comprehensive guide shows you exactly how to write alt text that improves your rankings, accessibility, and ultimately, your sales.

What Is Alt Text and Why Does It Matter?

Alt text is an HTML attribute that provides a text alternative for images. It appears in three scenarios:

When images fail to load: The alt text displays instead
When screen readers encounter images: Visually impaired users hear the description
When search engines crawl your site: Google uses alt text to understand image content

For e-commerce, alt text serves a fourth critical function: image search traffic. Google Images drives significant traffic for product-based searches.

The SEO Value of Image Alt Text

Google can’t “see” images the way humans do. While AI has improved, alt text remains the primary way Google understands what an image shows.

Real impact examples:

Product images ranking in Google Images → Direct traffic to product pages
Well-optimized alt text → Better page relevance signals
Descriptive images → Enhanced featured snippets with images

According to various studies, image search accounts for 20-30% of all Google searches. That’s traffic most Shopify stores completely ignore.

How to Write Perfect Alt Text: The Formula

The ideal alt text follows this structure:

[Product Type] + [Key Features] + [Brand if relevant] + [Context]

Good Alt Text Examples

Image	Poor Alt Text	Good Alt Text
Product shot of red sneakers	”shoes"	"Nike Air Max 90 running shoes in cherry red, side view”
Model wearing dress	”dress.jpg"	"Woman wearing emerald green silk midi dress at outdoor wedding”
Coffee maker on counter	”product"	"Breville Barista Express espresso machine brewing coffee on marble countertop”
Jewelry close-up	”ring"	"18k yellow gold engagement ring with 1-carat round diamond, white background”

The 125-Character Sweet Spot

Screen readers typically cut off alt text around 125 characters. Keep descriptions concise but complete:

Too short: “Shoes” (7 characters) - Misses opportunity
Too long: 200+ character description - Gets truncated
Just right: 60-125 characters - Complete and accessible

Alt Text for Different Image Types

Product Images (Main)

Focus on: What the product is, key identifying features, and brand.

"Patagonia Better Sweater fleece jacket in navy blue, full zip front view"

Product Images (Variants)

Include the specific variant to avoid duplicate alt text:

"Patagonia Better Sweater fleece jacket in forest green, size medium"
"Patagonia Better Sweater fleece jacket in black, back view showing logo"

Lifestyle/Context Images

Describe the scene and how the product is used:

"Couple hiking mountain trail wearing Patagonia fleece jackets in autumn"

Detail/Close-up Images

Highlight the specific feature being shown:

"Close-up of YKK zipper and brushed fleece interior on Patagonia jacket"

Size/Scale Images

Include measurements or comparison objects:

"Leather laptop bag dimensions showing 15-inch MacBook Pro inside main compartment"

Common Alt Text Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Leaving Alt Text Empty

The most common error. Every image should have alt text - no exceptions for product images.

Shopify default behavior: If you don’t add alt text, Shopify often uses the product title. This is better than nothing but not optimized.

Mistake 2: Keyword Stuffing

Bad: “leather wallet mens wallet brown wallet gift wallet RFID wallet best wallet cheap wallet”

Good: “Brown leather bifold wallet with RFID blocking, open view showing card slots”

Keyword stuffing in alt text can trigger spam penalties and provides a terrible experience for screen reader users.

Mistake 3: Starting with “Image of” or “Picture of”

Screen readers already announce “image” before reading alt text. Adding it is redundant.

Bad: “Image of a coffee mug” Good: “White ceramic coffee mug with StoreAuditor logo”

Mistake 4: Using File Names

Bad: “IMG_4532.jpg” or “product-image-1” Good: Actual descriptive text

Always write proper alt text, regardless of what the file is named.

Mistake 5: Identical Alt Text for All Images

If you have 50 products with alt text “Blue shirt,” you’ve created duplicate content and missed 49 opportunities to rank for different variations.

Mistake 6: Ignoring Context

A product image on a category page might need different alt text than on the product page, depending on context.

Alt Text for Accessibility: Beyond SEO

Approximately 2.2 billion people globally have vision impairment. Alt text isn’t just about SEO - it’s about making your store usable for everyone.

Accessibility best practices:

Be specific: “Golden retriever puppy” not just “dog”
Convey meaning: What’s important about this image in context?
Skip decorative images: Use empty alt (alt="") for purely decorative images
Don’t repeat adjacent text: If a caption says the same thing, keep alt text complementary

When a screen reader encounters an image, it announces:

“Image: [your alt text here]”

Imagine hearing that 50 times while browsing a store. Write alt text that’s helpful, not annoying.

Bulk Alt Text Strategies for Large Catalogs

Managing alt text for thousands of products requires a systematic approach.

Strategy 1: Create Templates by Product Type

Develop formulas for each product category:

Apparel template:

[Brand] [Product Name] in [Color], [View Type] view, [Material] fabric

Electronics template:

[Brand] [Model] [Product Type], [Key Spec], [Color/Finish]

Jewelry template:

[Metal Type] [Product Type] with [Stone/Design Details], [View]

Strategy 2: Use Spreadsheet Concatenation

Export products to CSV, use formulas to generate alt text, re-import:

=CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2," in ",C2,", ",D2," view")

This turns:

Brand	Product	Color	View
Nike	Running Shoes	Blue	Side

Into: “Nike Running Shoes in Blue, Side view”

Strategy 3: AI-Assisted Generation

Tools like StoreAuditor can analyze your product images and generate optimized alt text suggestions. The AI considers:

Product title and description context
Image visual content (when available)
SEO keyword opportunities
Character length optimization

Strategy 4: Prioritize High-Traffic Products

Don’t try to fix everything at once. Start with:

Products that already get image search traffic
Bestsellers and high-margin items
Products on page 1-2 of search results
New product launches

How to Add Alt Text in Shopify

For Product Images

Go to Products → Select product
Click on any image in the media section
Click Add alt text in the preview panel
Enter your optimized description
Click Save

For Collection Images

Go to Products → Collections
Select the collection
Click the collection image
Add alt text in the image settings

For Theme Images (Logo, Banners, etc.)

Go to Online Store → Themes
Click Customize
Select the section with the image
Look for the “Image alt text” field

For Blog Post Images

Go to Online Store → Blog posts
Edit the post
Click on the image
Add alt text in the image settings

Measuring Alt Text Performance

Track these metrics to see if your alt text optimization is working:

Google Search Console - Image Search

Go to Performance → Search results
Filter by Search type → Image
Monitor impressions, clicks, and CTR for image searches

Shopify Analytics - Traffic Sources

Look for increases in traffic from Google Images after optimization.

Accessibility Audit Tools

Use tools like WAVE or axe to audit your site’s accessibility score before and after.

Alt Text Audit Checklist

Before publishing any product, verify:

Main product image has descriptive alt text
All variant images have unique alt text
Alt text includes key product identifiers
No alt text starts with “Image of” or “Picture of”
Alt text is under 125 characters
No keyword stuffing
Decorative images have empty alt text
Alt text matches image content (accuracy check)

Quick Reference: Alt Text Do’s and Don’ts

Do	Don’t
Be specific and descriptive	Use generic terms like “product”
Include brand and product type	Start with “Image of”
Mention colors, materials, sizes	Stuff keywords
Keep under 125 characters	Leave alt text empty
Use unique text per image	Copy-paste same text everywhere
Write for humans first	Write only for search engines
Include context when relevant	Describe every tiny detail

Automate Your Alt Text Workflow

Manually writing alt text for every image is tedious. StoreAuditor helps by:

Scanning your entire product catalog for missing alt text
Scoring existing alt text for SEO effectiveness
Suggesting AI-generated improvements
Tracking alt text coverage across your store

The goal is to make every image work for both accessibility and SEO - without spending hours on manual data entry.

Key Takeaways

Every product image needs alt text: No exceptions
Use the formula: Product + Features + Brand + Context
Stay under 125 characters: For screen reader compatibility
Avoid keyword stuffing: Natural language wins
Think accessibility first: SEO benefits follow
Create templates: For efficient bulk optimization
Measure results: Track image search traffic in Search Console

Your product images are already doing the work of showcasing your products. Alt text ensures they also work for SEO and accessibility. It’s one of the highest-ROI optimizations you can make.

Want to audit your store’s image alt text? Try StoreAuditor free and get a complete alt text coverage report for every product.