Images
image-alt
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content Level A
Who this affects
A screen reader announces this image by its file name, or skips it. Someone who cannot see the image gets nothing from it.
How to fix it
Add an alt attribute. Describe what the image conveys, not what it looks like. If the image is decorative, use alt="" so it is skipped deliberately.
How much work is it?
Usually a content edit. That is a rough guide for planning, not an estimate for your codebase. A single content edit repeated across a template is a template change.
What a person still has to check
Passing this rule does not mean 1.1.1 passes. Automation checks part of the criterion, and the rest is a judgement:
Read each alt text and confirm it conveys what the image is for. Automation only checks that the attribute exists.
Read 1.1.1 Non-text Content in plain language
Where this check comes from
This is an axe-core rule. We run axe in a real browser on every page we scan. Deque’s reference for image-alt
Find out whether your site does this
A scan checks this rule on every page it visits, and shows you the code and a screenshot of each place it fires.