How do I write alt text for an image that links to something?
Quick answer
Describe what the image link does or where it goes, using only information you know about the actual destination or action. For example: “Visit [destination]” or “Download [file name].” Don’t substitute a description of the picture for the link’s purpose. If nearby link text already says the same thing and the image adds no separate information or function, the image may use an empty alt value to avoid repeating it. [S1]
The question, the details, the next step.
I have an image that acts as a link. What should its alt text say?
Say what activating the link will do or where it will take someone—not merely what the image looks like. W3C guidance for functional images says the text alternative should communicate the link’s purpose or destination. [S1]
A useful starting template is:
“[Action] [known destination or item]”
Examples, assuming the link really goes to the stated place or performs the stated action:
- “Visit the community garden events page”
- “Download the [named report]”
- “Go to the [organization] home page”
Use the actual destination or action as your source of truth. If you only know that the link opens a page, but not what the page is for, check the destination before writing a more specific label. Don’t infer its purpose from the picture. [S1]
The image is a photo of a person holding a map, but it links to our event schedule. Should I describe the photo too?
If the image’s job is simply to link to the event schedule, prioritize that destination. A description such as “Person holding a map” tells readers about the appearance but not where the link leads. If the destination is confirmed, a clearer option is “View the event schedule.”
Keep the wording concise and specific enough to distinguish the link from other nearby links. You don’t need to add visual details that do not help explain the link’s purpose. The point is not to narrate every image; it is to make the link’s purpose understandable.
What if there’s already text next to the image that says “View the event schedule”?
First check whether the image and the adjacent text are part of the same link, or whether they are separate links. If the image adds no distinct information or function and nearby link text already identifies the destination, W3C guidance says the image can have an empty alt value to avoid repeating that text. [S1]
An empty alt value is written as alt="" in HTML. Use it only when the image itself does not need to convey additional link purpose or meaningful information. If the image is the only content in the link, it needs text that communicates the destination or action; a visual description alone may not do that. [S1] If the destination is unspecified, verify the target rather than guessing.
Can you give me a small template I can use while drafting and checking these?
Use this short drafting card:
Link target/action: [Write what the link actually opens or does]
Nearby link text: [Write the adjacent wording, or “none”]
Is the image the only content in the link? [Yes / No]
Alt decision:
- If the image is the link’s only content: “[Action] [known destination or item].”
- If nearby text already identifies the same link and the image adds nothing distinct: use an empty alt value, such as
alt="". - If the destination or action is unknown: check it before drafting; don’t invent a label.
Worked example, assuming the image links to the organization’s event schedule and the image is the link’s only content:
Link target/action: Event schedule page
Alt text: “View the event schedule”
Before publishing, check that the words match the real link target and don’t repeat nearby text unnecessarily. W3C distinguishes functional images from informative and decorative images; the right alternative depends on the image’s role in context. [S2]
A practical checklist
Confirm the actual link destination or action.
Write a short label that tells readers where the link goes or what it does.
Avoid describing appearance when it does not explain the link’s purpose.
Check whether nearby link text already gives the same information.
Use an empty alt value only when the image adds no distinct information or function.
A few more useful answers
Should I start linked-image alt text with “image of”?
Usually, focus on the destination or action instead. “Image of” describes appearance, which may not tell readers what activating the link will do.
What if I don’t know where the image link goes?
Check the actual link target or ask the person responsible for it. The alt text should not promise a destination or action that you have not confirmed.
Does this advice apply to every image?
This guide is about images that function as links. Informative and decorative images can need different alternatives, so decide based on the image’s role and context. [S2]
Sources
References used for this guide.