2.5 Images (Lever 5)LowVerified
Decorative images without empty alt
A purely decorative image should have an empty alt so screen readers skip it. Giving it descriptive alt adds noise for assistive-technology users.
What it is
Decorative images with verbose alt.
Why it matters
Adds noise for assistive tech.
How to fix it
Use alt=”” for purely decorative images.
How to find it on your site
- Identify purely decorative images, borders, spacers, flourishes.
- Set their alt attribute to empty.
- Reserve descriptive alt for informative images.
- Re-check the page with a screen reader.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Empty alt on decoration keeps the accessibility experience clean. It is a correctness detail rather than a ranking lever.
Impact
Low; a11y. Direct (WCAG).
Evidence
Mark decorative images with empty alt. W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2