Why Alt Text Matters
Alt text is a short description added to images so screen readers can describe them to users who can't see the screen. Without it, a screen reader just says 'image' and moves on. That means the user misses whatever the image was communicating. Alt text should describe what the image shows, not what it is. 'Photo of a team meeting' is better than 'IMG_4032.jpg'. Decorative images that don't add meaning should have empty alt attributes so screen readers skip them entirely.