How to Write Alt Text on Twitter That Doesn’t Suck
Twitter has had the ability to add alt text to your images for years, but unless you’re using a screen reader, you probably won’t be able to read what someone else’s alt text is saying. However, recently the “ALT” icon began to appear in the corner of images, and now anyone can click it to see alt text for the image. So what is alt text and what should I put in there?
What is alternative text?
Alt text is text that should be an alternative to (get it?) viewing an image. This is especially useful for people who use screen readers because they are blind or have vision problems.
To get an idea of what it’s like to blindly browse Twitter, this video from Cayla With a C might give you an idea. The voice reads the contents of each tweet, usually at high speed so you can scroll through it quickly. Screen readers can read image alt text aloud (on Twitter and elsewhere) so that people who can’t view images don’t miss selfies, memes, graphics, screenshots, and the like.
What should I include in the alt text?
I’ve been adding alt text to my Twitter images for years now, and my guiding principle is always, “What would I want to hear if I couldn’t see this image?”
If you can answer this question, you already know what to type. But let’s look at a few examples:
If the image is a screenshot of text
The alt text must be text, of course. If you’ve just taken a screenshot of an article, it only takes a few clicks or taps to copy and paste the relevant text. Image descriptions on Twitter can be up to 1,000 characters long (more than three and a half tweets), which is almost always enough for anything you want to do in a screenshot. If you can’t fit it all, edit as needed or add a second tweet.
If the image is a meme
Meme formats are already widely accepted, so sometimes it makes sense to refer to what people know: “the meme of Kermit sipping tea.” If there are words in it, just say who is indicated by what. Describe the meme as if you were laughing at it, and your partner, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, asked what you were laughing about, and you did not want to get up.
If the image is a photograph
Okay, here’s where you should use your judgment: Describe what really matters to the photo. Some people will give a detailed description of everything that is in the frame. This can make sense if it’s a photo with lots of small details, and the whole point is to show how visually rich it is. But most of the time, we only share an image to highlight (or joke) one or two things about it.
So, for example, a gym selfie might just say, “Gym selfie, I’m flexing, my biceps look good.” Or, if you’re flaunting your vacation spot, you can say, “My feet are in the sun on the beach.” On the other hand, if you post a photo and tweet, “What flower is that?” You can put a detailed description of the flower in alternative text.
If the picture is just for decoration
Sometimes an image doesn’t really add information; it’s just for decoration. You can still describe his mood if that seems appropriate (“a crowd of happy people”). Otherwise, this is one of those cases where alt text can be turned off.