Whittle guide
How to write alt text for Shopify product images
What alt text is, why Google Images, AI assistants and screen readers rely on it, how to write it for Shopify product photos, and where to add it in your admin.
Short answer: Alt text is a short written description of a photo. Describe what's actually in the picture in plain words, including the product's name, color and anything that tells it apart, in about one sentence. Don't start with "image of" and don't stuff keywords.
Why it matters
- Google Images ranks photos by their alt text, because it can't see the picture itself.
- Screen readers read it aloud to shoppers who can't see the photo.
- It gives AI assistants another clear description of your product.
How to write it
| Weak | Better |
|---|---|
| IMG_2041 | Brown felt cattleman hat with a braided leather band |
| hat hat cowboy hat western hat buy | Side view of a black wool felt cowboy hat on a wooden stand |
| Image of a mug | White ceramic mug with a hand-painted blue mountain |
- Different photos of the same product get different alt text: front, side, detail, in use.
- Decorative images with no meaning can have empty alt text.
- Keep it to about one sentence.
Where to add it in Shopify
Open a product, click a photo and edit its alt text. Photos in collections, blog posts and your Files library have alt text too, and those are often forgotten. Give files descriptive names before you upload them, since file names are another signal.