Alt Text Analysis reviews image alternatives, decorative image evidence, context-dependent alt quality, and the limits of manual image judgement.
Alt text is not just a missing-attribute hunt. Sometimes empty alt is right. Sometimes an image needs text nearby instead of a long alt. Sometimes the failure is really the accessible name of a linked image or icon button.
What this feature is for
Alt Text Analysis reviews image alternatives, decorative image evidence, context-dependent alt quality, and the limits of manual image judgement.
Feature coverage
- Analyzes image alternative text and identifies missing alt text on likely meaningful visible images.
- Treats decorative empty alt as supporting/pass evidence when context supports it.
- Reviews weak, redundant, or context-dependent alt text.
- Routes image-of-text and complex-image cases to manual/review where needed.
- Handles CSS/background-image review limits and avoids duplicating icon-button name failures already handled by name analysis.
- Shows alt-text summary, image-level findings, highlight actions, and Add Alt Text Analysis to QA report.
WCAG and accessibility importance
Alt Text Analysis supports WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content. It also touches 1.4.5 Images of Text when meaningful text is embedded in an image, 2.4.4 Link Purpose when an image is inside a link, and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value when an image functions as a control.
The accessibility importance is meaning. People who cannot see the image still need the same purpose, instruction, destination, or information that the image provides. The feature flags missing and suspicious alternatives while leaving context-dependent wording for human review.
Technical notes
- The scanner groups img elements, linked images, SVG/icon patterns, image-like controls, and background-image signals where the browser exposes enough context.
- Accessible-name evidence is considered alongside visual and link context so a linked image is reviewed as part of the link or control.
- Complex images are kept in review because automation cannot decide the full information equivalent.
Desktop tutorial video
Where to learn more
Official A11Y Cat documentation: https://carlashub.github.io/a11y-cat-extension/