How to add alt text in Shopify: products, banners, collections and bulk CSV

Updated 2026-10-18

Missing alt text is one of the most common accessibility problems on the web: WebAIM's 2026 scan of a million home pages found it on 53.1% of them. Alt text is what a screen reader reads out in place of an image, and what shows if an image fails to load. On a store, it's often the only way a blind shopper can tell what a product looks like. Here's how to add it everywhere in Shopify.

1. Product images

In your Shopify admin, go to Products and open the product.
Click a product image to open the media preview.
Click Add alt text (or edit the existing text), type your description and click Save alt text.

Shopify allows up to 512 characters but recommends 125 or fewer. Repeat for each image, including variant images.

2. Suggested (AI) alt text in the media editor

Shopify's media editor can suggest alt text for images that don't have any. It's a useful starting point, but review it before you click Accept: generated text may miss the detail that matters to a shopper (the colour name you sell it under, the material, what's in the bundle). Edit it so it matches your product listing.

3. Banners and section images in your theme

Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize.
Select the section (image banner, slideshow, image with text) and click the image.
Fill in its alt text field if your theme shows one, or open the image in Content > Files and edit the alt text there.

If the banner has text baked into the image ("Summer sale 30% off"), the alt text must include that text. Better still, use the section's heading and text fields so the words are real text.

4. Collection images and other files

Images uploaded to Content > Files (used for collection images, pages and blog posts) can be opened in the file editor, where the Alt text field is under the image's details. For images inserted into product descriptions or pages with the rich text editor, click the image in the editor and edit its alt text there.

5. Bulk alt text with a CSV

For large catalogues, export your products (Products > Export), fill in the Image Alt Text column next to each Image Src, and re-import the file with the option to overwrite existing products. Test with a few products first and keep a backup of the original export, because an import overwrites the columns you include.

How to write good product alt text

Alt text examples
Image	Weak	Better
Main product photo	IMG_2041 / tote bag	Brown leather tote bag with brass buckle, front view
Variant photo	tote bag	Same tote in forest green, side view showing inside pocket
Lifestyle photo	model	Woman carrying the tote over her shoulder on a city street
Size chart image	size chart	Provide the chart as a real text table; if it must be an image, describe the key measurements
Logo linking to home	logo	Your store name (e.g. "Northfield Leather home")
Decorative divider or texture	decoration	Leave alt empty so screen readers skip it

Describe what someone would want to know if they couldn't see it: colour, material, shape, what's included.
Don't start with "image of" or "photo of"; screen readers already announce it's an image.
Don't stuff keywords. Alt text written for people also works for search engines.
Don't repeat the product title word for word on every image; say what's different in each shot.

Find images that are still missing alt text

Run the free check on a product page and a collection page; missing alt text shows up as "Images must have alternative text". The full report lists every affected image across five pages with where to fix it. A scanner can only tell you alt text is missing, not whether it's good, so read through a few products yourself. For other common fixes, see Shopify accessibility fixes.

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FAQ

Where do I add alt text in Shopify?

Products > open the product > click an image > Add alt text. For theme images use Online Store > Themes > Customize or Content > Files.

How long should Shopify alt text be?

Shopify allows up to 512 characters and recommends 125 or fewer. One clear sentence is usually enough.

Can I bulk edit alt text in Shopify?

Yes. Export products to CSV, fill in the Image Alt Text column, and re-import with overwrite. Test on a few products first and keep a backup.

Should I use Shopify's AI-suggested alt text?

It's a reasonable starting point, but review and edit it so it matches the product details shoppers need, such as the colour name and material.

Do decorative images need alt text?

No. Purely decorative images should have empty alt text so screen readers skip them.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. ClearAisle provides automated audits only; a report is not a compliance guarantee or certification. Sources checked 2026-10-18.