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title: "What is Alt Text? — Social Media Glossary | Postpone"
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**Publishing & Scheduling**

# Alt Text

Alt text is a written description of an image that makes it accessible to people who cannot see it and helps platforms understand what the image contains.

[**Instagram **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/instagram-post-scheduler) [** X **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/twitter-post-scheduler) [** Facebook **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/facebook-post-scheduler) [** LinkedIn **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/linkedin-scheduler) [** Pinterest **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/pinterest-scheduler) [** Mastodon **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/mastodon-post-scheduler) [** Bluesky **post scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/bluesky-post-scheduler) [** Threads **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/threads-scheduler)

Alt text (alternative text) is a written description attached to an image that conveys what the image shows. It was originally designed for web accessibility — screen readers read alt text aloud so visually impaired users can understand image content. On social media, it serves the same purpose while also helping algorithms understand and categorize your visual content.

## How to Write Good Alt Text

**Describe what's in the image, not what you want people to feel.** "A woman in a blue jacket standing at a podium speaking to a conference audience" is useful. "An inspiring moment of leadership" is not.

**Be specific but concise.** Most screen readers handle alt text up to about 125 characters comfortably. Include the important details — who, what, where — without writing a paragraph.

**Skip "image of" or "photo of."** Screen readers already announce that it's an image. Starting with "image of" is redundant.

**Include text that appears in the image.** If your graphic contains a quote, statistic, or headline, include that text in the alt text. Otherwise, anyone using a screen reader misses the actual content.

## Where to Add It

Most social platforms now support alt text, though the feature is often buried in settings:

- **Instagram**: Edit alt text when composing a post under Advanced Settings, or edit it after posting
- **Twitter/X**: Add alt text when uploading an image (there's a dedicated ALT button on the image)
- **LinkedIn**: Alt text option appears when you add an image to a post
- **Facebook**: Auto-generates alt text but lets you override with a custom description
- **Pinterest**: The Pin description functions similarly to alt text for search
- **Mastodon and Bluesky**: Both prominently support alt text, and their communities actively encourage its use

## The SEO Angle

Alt text gives algorithms explicit context about your images. When someone searches for "meal prep ideas" on Instagram, the algorithm uses multiple signals to surface relevant content — and alt text is one of them. It's not a magic ranking factor, but it's an easy win that most people skip entirely.

On Pinterest, where visual search is core to the platform, descriptive alt text and Pin descriptions directly influence whether your content appears in search results.

## Making It a Habit

The biggest barrier to alt text is remembering to do it. Build it into your content creation workflow — write alt text at the same time you write captions. If you're scheduling posts in advance, most scheduling tools include an alt text field. Fill it in before you hit schedule.

**Example**

You post an Instagram carousel about email marketing tips. Instead of leaving alt text blank, you write 'Slide showing three email subject line formulas with examples' for each image. Screen readers can now describe your content to visually impaired users, and Instagram's algorithm has more context for search and recommendations.

## **Why It Matters**

Alt text makes your content accessible to the estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide with vision impairments. Beyond accessibility, it gives platform algorithms explicit information about your images — improving discoverability in search and recommendations. It's one of the simplest things you can do that serves both your audience and your reach.

## **Related Terms**

[Caption](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/caption) [Engagement](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/engagement) [Hashtag](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/hashtag) [Social SEO](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/social-seo)

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