What problem does this check look for?
Alternative text provides a textual description associated with an image. Shopify supports it for product media and describes it as important for accessibility, while W3C explains the role of text alternatives for informative and functional images.
The detector looks for images with no alternative description or with a value containing no visible text. An empty field can be detected automatically, but an appropriate description depends on what the real image shows and how it is used.
Examples of useful alternative text
These fictional examples illustrate descriptions grounded in visible content. Appropriate text depends on the real image, and purely decorative images can have different requirements in a web-page context.
Alt: [empty] — photo of a black backpack from the frontBlack urban backpack, front viewThe example describes relevant visual information without unnecessary promotional wording.
Alt: [empty] — white mug from the side with handle visibleWhite ceramic mug, side viewAlternative text can describe the aspect that distinguishes this image from other product photos.
Alt: [empty] — the image role is unclear from available data[the image and page context need review]Appropriate alt text should not be invented from a filename or product title when the image itself has not been verified.
What does PROVEN check?
Checks images with no alternative description or with a value containing no visible text.
Why does it matter?
The image remains without associated descriptive text in the catalog.
Why is this useful to a merchant?
Shopify explains that alternative text supports customers using assistive technology and can also contribute to SEO. Finding empty fields gives the merchant a concrete list of product images worth reviewing.
Description quality cannot be determined only by whether a field exists. The final text should reflect the image and page context instead of automatically repeating the product title.
What can PROVEN do?
PROVEN can flag the image and prepare a description proposal; the final text requires your review.
How PROVEN handles this check
The detector can confirm that alternative text is missing and can prepare a proposal, while semantic validation of the description remains in review.
- Check whether alternative text existsPROVEN checks product images with no alternative description or with a value containing no visible text.
- Flag the imageThe finding identifies media that has no associated descriptive text in the catalog.
- Prepare a description for reviewPROVEN can prepare an alternative-text proposal, while the merchant confirms that it matches the real image.
Why is your review required?
Alternative text depends on the information or function of the image. W3C explains that informative, functional, and decorative images can require different treatment, and page context matters.
Review should confirm that the proposal describes the real image, does not invent details, and does not turn alternative text into a keyword list.
What this page does not tell you
- The existence of this detector does not mean your store contains this problem.
- The examples are explanatory and are not measurements from a real catalog.
- The criteria used by this check should not be treated as a universal limit imposed by Shopify or by a search engine.
- A store’s actual state must be established through a real check of the data available for that store.
- This check identifies the missing catalog value; it cannot by itself decide whether an image is purely decorative in a particular theme or whether existing alt text is semantically perfect.
Frequently asked questions
Why is alt text important for product images?
Shopify describes it as important for accessibility and SEO, and assistive technologies can use it to communicate image content to customers.
Can I simply use the product title as alt text?
Not always. The text should describe the image in context; an angle, color, or relevant visible detail can matter more than repeating the title.
Does every image on the web need descriptive alt text?
W3C explains that decorative images can use an empty alt value in some contexts. The PROVEN detector checks the alternative-description field on catalog product images and requires review.
Can PROVEN prepare an alternative description?
Yes. PROVEN can prepare a description proposal, while the final text still requires merchant review.
Sources about alternative text
These sources explain the role of alternative text in Shopify and web accessibility. They provide independent context; PROVEN remains limited to the published detector capability.
- Shopify — Adding alt text to mediaShopify describes product-media alternative text as important for product description, accessibility, and SEO.
- W3C WAI — Images TutorialW3C explains how text alternatives differ depending on the purpose and context of an image.