Image Alt Text
96.3% of home pages had detected WCAG 2 failures, with missing alt text being the most common issue, according to the WebAIM Million 2024 study. SaaSalyst checks whether your images include alt attributes, detecting the accessibility gap that affects the largest number of websites worldwide.
What SaaSalyst Checks
SaaSalyst parses your homepage HTML and examines every <img> element for an alt attribute. Images without any alt attribute (not even alt="" for decorative images) are counted as failures. The scanner reports the total number of images and how many are missing alt text.
Why This Matters
Alt text makes images accessible to screen reader users, who rely on these descriptions to understand visual content. Missing alt text means your images are completely invisible to users with visual impairments.
Beyond accessibility, alt text provides SEO value. Search engines use alt text to understand image content and include images in Google Image search results. Missing alt text means missed indexing opportunities.
Many enterprise procurement processes now include accessibility audits. WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance (which includes alt text requirements) is increasingly a contractual requirement, especially for government contracts and large enterprises.
5,114
ADA digital accessibility lawsuits filed in the US in 2025
UsableNet
94.8%
Of websites fail basic WCAG checks
WebAIM Million 2025
77%
Of ADA lawsuits target companies under $25M revenue
AudioEye
How to Fix It
- Add descriptive alt attributes to all meaningful images: <img alt="Screenshot of SaaSalyst dashboard showing Business Readiness Score">.
- For decorative images, use an empty alt attribute: <img alt="">. This tells screen readers to skip the image.
- Keep alt text concise (under 125 characters) and descriptive — describe what the image shows, not what it is ('Chart showing revenue growth' not 'chart.png').
- For complex images like charts or infographics, provide a longer description in surrounding text or a data table.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does SaaSalyst check for alt text?
SaaSalyst examines every <img> element on your homepage for an alt attribute. Images without any alt attribute are counted as accessibility failures.
What if all my images are decorative?
Decorative images should have empty alt attributes (alt=""), not missing ones. SaaSalyst checks for the attribute's presence, so alt="" passes while a missing alt attribute fails.
How does missing alt text affect my Business Readiness Score?
SaaSalyst rates missing alt text as high severity in Accessibility. It's the most common WCAG failure and can disqualify products from enterprise deals requiring accessibility compliance.
References & Official Sources
Official regulatory and standards sources relevant to the checks SaaSalyst runs on your site.
- WCAG Overview— W3C
- European Accessibility Act Directive— European Union
- WebAIM Million Annual Report— WebAIM
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