Links and media · Lesson 4 of 8 · 10 minutes

Links and media: Images with useful alt text

Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.

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Your objectives

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1
Build images with useful alt text
Build this first target: <img> (src="workshop.jpg", alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk"). Inspect the structure before checking the lesson.
Hint & worked example
Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.
The requested elements, attributes, content, and hierarchy exist outside comments.
```
<img src="workshop.jpg" alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk">
```
Common mistake to avoid: A visual appearance alone guarantees the intended HTML meaning.
2
Extend the images with useful alt text example
Extend your file to include: <img> (src="workshop.jpg", alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk", width="640", height="480"). Inspect the structure before checking the lesson.
Hint & worked example
Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.
The requested elements, attributes, content, and hierarchy exist outside comments.
```
<img src="workshop.jpg" alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk" width="640" height="480">
```
Common mistake to avoid: Replacing semantic elements with generic divs automatically improves accessibility.
3
Verify the complete images with useful alt text pattern
Finish the pattern with: <img> (src="workshop.jpg", alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk", width="640", height="480"); <img> (src="divider.svg", alt). Inspect the structure before checking the lesson.
Hint & worked example
Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.
The requested elements, attributes, content, and hierarchy exist outside comments.
```
<img src="workshop.jpg" alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk" width="640" height="480">
<img src="divider.svg" alt="">
```
Common mistake to avoid: A visual appearance alone guarantees the intended HTML meaning.

Understand the pattern

Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.

Misconceptions to reject

A visual appearance alone guarantees the intended HTML meaning.
Replacing semantic elements with generic divs automatically improves accessibility.

The preview is a sanitized subset, not a full browser compatibility test.

Worked example and expected result

<img src="workshop.jpg" alt="Learners comparing terminal output at a desk" width="640" height="480">
<img src="divider.svg" alt="">

Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.

Try a variation

Adapt the final example to a different project name while retaining its structure and relationships. A different context still needs a real browser and accessibility check.

Explain it

Which statement correctly explains images with useful alt text?Replacing semantic elements with generic divs automatically improves accessibility.Alternative text communicates the relevant content of an informative image. Purely decorative images use empty alt text.A visual appearance alone guarantees the intended HTML meaning.

Apply it elsewhere

You reuse images with useful alt text in a different project. What must still be verified?The meaning, relationships, and accessible names in the new document.Nothing; passing a single exercise guarantees every future use.Only whether the source code has the same number of lines.

Keep the momentum.

Complete the lab, then explain and apply the pattern.

Next: Links and media: Figures and captions Try an incident drill

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MDN: HTML structure