Including alt text in images is crucial for improving email accessibility to a wider audience. The key to writing effective alt text lies in providing a clear and informative description of the image’s content and purpose for users who rely on screen readers or have images disabled in their email clients. Here are some best practices to follow:
1. Be specific and descriptive, focusing on conveying the essential details of the image.
2. Keep the text concise, aiming for under 125 characters to avoid overwhelming users with lengthy descriptions.
3. Emphasize the image’s function, particularly for images that act as links, by describing the destination or action associated with the image.
4. Avoid redundant phrases like “Image of…” and begin directly with the image description to streamline the reading experience for users.
5. For purely decorative images, use empty alt text (alt=””) to indicate to screen readers that the image is ornamental and serves no informational purpose.
When crafting alt text, consider the context of the email and think about the critical information needed to understand the image’s role in the message. By providing concise and accurate alt text descriptions, you can make your emails more accessible and user-friendly for all recipients.