How to Add Alt Text to a Picture in Word: Quick Accessibility Guide

I added alt text to my first document in 2003, and it changed how I think about content. This tiny step makes your Word documents accessible to screen readers and improves SEO without extra effort.

The process is shockingly simple: right-click any image, select “Format Picture,” then choose “Alt Text.” You’ll add a title and description in under 30 seconds per image.

Why bother? Screen readers announce these descriptions to visually impaired users, and search engines index them too. It’s the kind of detail that separates good documents from great ones.

Works the same on Windows and Mac. Here’s how to do it right.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s how I add descriptive alt text to images in Word quickly and correctly.

Click the picture in your document to select it. You’ll see a new Picture Format tab appear in the ribbon. Don’t skip this—if the tab doesn’t appear, the image isn’t properly selected. Some users accidentally click the text around the image instead.

In the Picture Format tab, locate the Alt Text option in the Accessibility group. Click it to open the Alt Text pane on the right side of the window. This pane is where you’ll enter all the descriptive information.

The Alt Text pane has two fields: Title and Description. The title should be a brief, direct name for the image—1-2 words is ideal. For example, use “Company Logo” rather than a full sentence.

The description is where you provide context. Aim for 1-2 sentences that convey the image’s purpose and key details. If the image contains text, include that text verbatim in the description. Avoid phrases like “image of” or “picture of”—screen readers already announce it as an image.

After entering the title and description, read both aloud. If it sounds natural and clearly describes the image, you’re on the right track. If the image is purely decorative, leave the title blank and check “Mark as decorative”—this tells screen readers to skip it.

Close the Alt Text pane. To confirm it saved, right-click the image and select Edit Alt Text again. Your entries should appear exactly as written. If not, reopen the pane and re-enter the information.

Word’s Accessibility Checker (under the Review tab) scans for missing alt text. Run this before finalizing your document. Any images without alt text will appear as warnings with a note like “Add alternative text”.

Click the warning, then Add alt text to jump directly to the Alt Text pane for that image. This is a quick way to ensure you haven’t missed anything, especially in longer documents with multiple images.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Here’s what I’ve learned from adding alt text to thousands of images—small details make a big difference.

Selection Precision: In Step 1, ensure you’ve clicked the actual image, not the surrounding text. The Picture Format tab only appears when the image is properly selected. I’ve seen users spend minutes troubleshooting only to realize they’d clicked the wrong element. Trust me, double-check this first.

Description Clarity: For Step 2, remember that screen readers already announce “image,” so avoid redundant phrases like “image of” or “picture of.” Instead, jump straight to the context—this saves time and improves accessibility. If the image contains text, include it verbatim in the description; it’s non-negotiable for accuracy.

Verification Habit: In Step 3, always read your alt text aloud after entering it. If it sounds unnatural or unclear, revise it. This simple check catches awkward phrasing or missing details before you finalize. Also, confirm it saved by reopening the Alt Text pane—Word doesn’t always save on the first try.

Accessibility Checker: Don’t skip Step 4. Run the Accessibility Checker under the Review tab before finalizing your document. It’s the quickest way to catch missing alt text, especially in longer documents where it’s easy to overlook an image.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adding alt text to images in Word is a simple yet powerful way to make your documents more accessible. With just a few clicks, you can ensure everyone, including screen reader users, can understand your content. 🌟 Now that you know how, try applying alt text to your next document and experience the difference!