Alt text should not be a file name or duplicate adjacent text

Rule img-redundant-alt · Images & non-text content · impact minor · Static + live

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Why it matters#

Alt text that is just a file name ("IMG_1024.jpg") or repeats visible caption text is noise: screen-reader users hear the same thing twice or hear a meaningless string.

How to fix#

Replace the alt with a concise description of the image’s meaning. If a visible caption already says it, mark the image decorative (alt="").

Example#

<img src="team.jpg" alt="team.jpg">

<img src="team.jpg" alt="The engineering team at the 2026 offsite">

Example#

<a href="/team"><img src="team.jpg" alt="Meet the team"> Meet the team</a>

<a href="/team"><img src="team.jpg" alt=""> Meet the team</a>

When the link text already says it, mark the image decorative so it isn’t announced twice.

WCAG success criteria#

1.1.1 Non-text Content — Level A#

All non-text content (images, icons, controls) needs a text alternative that conveys the same purpose, or be marked decorative so assistive tech can ignore it.

Understanding 1.1.1

Standards#

This rule contributes to the following standards:

WCAG A EN 301 549 Best practice

References#

• W3C — Images Tutorial