Shopify questionAnswer4 min read
Do Alt Tags Matter on Shopify?
Alt text matters on Shopify for accessibility and for image search. Here is where to add it, how long it should be, and what good alt text looks like.
Key takeaways
- Alt text describes an image for screen readers, and Google uses it with computer vision and page content to understand what an image shows.
- On Shopify, you add it by clicking a product image and choosing Add alt text. The limit is 512 characters, and Shopify recommends 125 or fewer.
- Google warns against stuffing alt text with keywords, because it looks like spam and helps nobody.
- Decorative images should have empty alt text, so screen readers skip them.
- Who it is for
- Store owners adding products
- Time needed
- 4 minutes to read
- What you need
- Admin access to Products
Yes, alt tags matter on Shopify, for two reasons. Screen readers read alt text aloud to shoppers who can't see your images, and Google uses it, along with computer vision and the page's content, to understand what an image shows. It won't rescue a weak product page on its own, but it takes seconds per image and helps your products show up in Google Images.
Missing alt text is one of the most common gaps I find when I review a store's SEO and accessibility. The steps and limits below were checked on the Shopify Help Center, Google Search Central and W3C on 7 November 2026.
What alt text does on a Shopify store
- Accessibility: assistive technology reads the description to shoppers with visual impairments, so they know what the product looks like.
- Search: Google calls alt text the most important attribute for adding metadata to an image. When an image is a link, the alt text also acts as anchor text.
- Fallback: Shopify says the alt text shows in place of an image that fails to load.
Your theme takes care of the code. When you add alt text to a product image in the admin, the theme outputs it as the image's alt attribute on product pages, collection grids and anywhere else the image appears.
How to add alt text in Shopify
- Open the product. In your Shopify admin, go to Products and click the product.
- Open the image. Click a media item to open the Preview media page.
- Write the text. Click Add alt text, enter your description and click Save alt text.
- Repeat for each image. Every angle deserves its own description, not a copy of the first one.
In the Shopify app, tap the product, tap an image, then tap Information to add it. For images that aren't product media, such as banners added in the theme editor, open Content > Files, click the file's thumbnail and use Add alt text there. For large catalogs, Shopify supports adding alt text through a product CSV upload, and the media editor may suggest alt text for images that don't have any.
How to write good alt text
Google's own example sums it up: puppy is better than nothing, but Dalmatian puppy playing fetch is best. Here is the same idea for a product.
| Version | Alt text | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Missing | – | Nothing for Google or screen readers |
| Keyword-stuffed | shoes running shoes cheap shoes buy | Looks like spam |
| Vague | Shoe | Accurate but unhelpful |
| Good | Women's navy trail running shoe, side view | Specific and natural |
- Describe what's in the photo: the product, its color and the angle or detail shown.
- Use the product name naturally, once, where it fits. Don't repeat the same phrase across every image.
- Skip "image of" or "photo of". Screen readers already announce that it's an image.
- Keep it short. Shopify allows 512 characters but recommends 125 or fewer.
- Leave decorative images empty. W3C says decorative images should have a null
alt="", not a missing attribute.
Accessibility rules by market
Alt text is also part of meeting accessibility rules. The European Accessibility Act covers e-commerce services for products and services placed on the market after 28 June 2025, which applies to many stores selling to EU customers. Microenterprises providing services are exempt from its accessibility requirements, but the standard is still a good target. In the US and the UK, accessibility expectations come from wider disability law rather than a store-specific rule, and alt text is one of the first things an accessibility audit checks. My guide to making a Shopify store accessible covers the rest of the list.
Where to start on an existing store
If you have hundreds of products without alt text, don't try to fix everything in one afternoon. I work in this order:
- Featured images on best sellers, because they appear on collection pages, in the cart and at checkout.
- The remaining gallery images on those products.
- Homepage and collection banners in
Content > Files. - The rest of the catalog, in batches through a CSV export and import.
What to do next
- Add alt text to your top 20 products today, using the formula above.
- Set a rule that every new product gets alt text before it's published.
- Fix the rest of your image SEO. My image SEO guide for Shopify covers file names, sizes and formats, and my answer on how many product photos to use helps plan the gallery.
- Get help at scale. For large catalogs, my Shopify SEO service includes alt text clean-up.
Free tools
Check your own store
Free, no sign-up. Each one runs a part of this guide for you.
Frequently asked questions
Does alt text help Shopify SEO?
Yes. Google says it uses alt text, along with computer vision and the page's content, to understand images, which helps them appear in Google Images. Shopify also says alt text can boost your site's SEO.
How long should alt text be on Shopify?
Shopify allows up to 512 characters but recommends 125 or fewer. One short, specific sentence that describes the product and the angle shown is usually enough.
Where do I add alt text in Shopify?
For product images, open the product, click the image and choose Add alt text. For other images, such as banners, open Content > Files, click the file's thumbnail and add alt text there.
Should I put keywords in alt text?
Only where they fit naturally. Google warns that filling alt attributes with keywords creates a poor experience and can make a site look like spam.
Do decorative images need alt text?
No description is needed. W3C says decorative images should have an empty alt attribute, written as alt="", so screen readers skip them.
Can I add alt text to many products at once?
Yes. Shopify supports adding alt text through a product CSV import, which is the fastest way to fix a large catalog. Check the file carefully before importing it.
Sources
- Adding alt text to product media, Shopify Help Center
- Uploading and managing files, Shopify Help Center
- Image SEO best practices, Google Search Central
- Decorative images, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act), EUR-Lex
Related services and work
I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist. I have built and improved Shopify stores since 2018, completed more than 1,000 projects, and hold a 4.96 average rating across 719 client reviews.
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