From d853ff74d1993a8eaace1d6ff4cd9909c7f4260b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: superplane39 Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2020 20:35:41 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] Add alt text help article --- User-Help/AltText.md | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+) create mode 100644 User-Help/AltText.md diff --git a/User-Help/AltText.md b/User-Help/AltText.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a36ca0c --- /dev/null +++ b/User-Help/AltText.md @@ -0,0 +1,21 @@ +## How to write good alt text + +### What is alt text and why should I care about it? + +Alt text, or an image description, is what shows up in place of an image when that image fails to load. It's also what a screen reader will read out when someone is using a screen reader to browse the site, as well as what search engines and feeds display. With that in mind, it's an important part of [web accessibility](https://webaim.org/) to include good alt text. + +### How do I write good alt text? + +Everything depends on the context of the image, but there are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind. + +* **The alt text should serve the exact same purpose as the image** + + When you're using an image, it's almost always to serve a purpose. Whether that's for demonstration, or to show an example, you're including an image for a reason. + The alt text should serve the exact same purpose in your post as the image. Anything that's important and *relevant to your post* that's contained in your image should also be contained in the alt text. + +* **Don't include unnecessary or redundant details** + + If you've already stated something in the text of your post, there's usually no need to repeat it in the alt text. + Don't get bogged down trying to include *every bit of detail* in the image. Only include whatever details from the image are actually relevant to your post - focus on the important parts. + +As a general rule, if it would be theoretically possible for you to entirely replace your image with the alt text, without your post losing usefulness or clarity, you're good to go.