Why Portfolio Sites need this
A project page that is nothing but twelve photos and a title gives Google very little to read. Search engines cannot interpret pictures as well as they read text, so the alt attribute, the file name and the words around an image carry most of the meaning. On many portfolio sites the alt field is blank because the upload step never asked for it, or it holds the camera's file name, or someone pasted the same keyword string into every image. Each of those leaves a gallery hard to find in image search and unreadable for anyone using a screen reader. The Image ALT Text Checker lists every img tag it finds in the page source, shows the alt text and file name beside each one, and counts how many are missing it. Run it on one project page at a time, then read the ALT column yourself, because the tool will not tell you that 'image' or 'untitled' is a poor description. It reads the HTML as served, so it cannot confirm anything about rankings, image weight or how a gallery script behaves.
Portfolio Sites specific guidance
What to check first
Paste the exact address of one project page, such as https://example.com/work/harbour-rebrand or https://example.com/gallery/weddings, because every run covers a single URL and nothing is crawled. Before reading the table, compare the Images card with what you see on screen. If the page shows twenty photos and the tool lists eight, the rest are likely inserted by a gallery script after load, or are CSS backgrounds, and neither is listed. You can confirm in about a minute: open the page source with Ctrl+U and search for img. A matching count does not show that the files are compressed or that the page will rank.
How to read the table
Look at the Missing ALT card first. It counts images with no alt attribute and images with alt="", so it includes decorative items such as divider lines, where an empty value is correct. Go through those rows and decide which are decoration; a photo or piece of artwork is never decoration. Then scan the With ALT rows by eye, because text like IMG_0231, image or untitled is counted as fine. A useful description says what is in the frame, for example 'bride and groom laughing under a stone archway', in one short sentence. The counts show what is written, not whether it is any good.
What to fix and in which order
Start with the cover image and the first row of each gallery, since those carry the page, then work down. In WordPress, open Media Library, click the attachment and fill in the Alternative Text field in the attachment details; most portfolio builders have a similar description field in the image settings. While you are there, rename files like DSC_4471.jpg to something short and truthful. Save, clear any cache plugin, and run the same URL again; the Missing count should drop. That proves the markup changed, not that the images will appear in Google Images or that the page will rank.
Example scenarios
1. Builder export with blank alt fields
- Situation
- Illustrative example: A wedding photographer publishes 18 photos on a gallery page. The builder's upload step never asks for a description, so every alt field stays empty.
- Input
https://example.com/gallery/lakeside-wedding- Reading the result
- The cards would typically show 18 images, 0 with ALT and 18 missing, and each table row would list a file name such as lakeside-001.jpg with no ALT text. Write one specific sentence for the three images at the top of the page first, then re-run to watch the count fall.
2. Upload names saved as alt text
- Situation
- Illustrative example: A designer's case study has 10 images. The CMS copied each upload name into the alt field, giving values like IMG_0231 and untitled-4.
- Input
https://example.com/work/packaging-redesign- Reading the result
- The report would likely show 10 images, 10 with ALT and 0 missing, which looks healthy at a glance. Reading the ALT column shows all ten are file names, so the real job is rewriting them. The tool does not flag this; only your reading does.
3. Decorative graphics mixed with artwork
- Situation
- Illustrative example: An illustrator's project page has 14 img tags: 9 artworks with descriptions, 3 thin divider graphics with alt="", and 2 artworks with no alt attribute at all.
- Input
https://example.com/projects/childrens-book- Reading the result
- Expect 14 images, 9 with ALT and 5 missing. The 3 dividers are correctly empty, so only the 2 artwork rows need a description. The cards cannot tell decoration from artwork; you make that call row by row.
Common mistakes
- Treating a high With ALT count as done. Generic values like image, untitled or a camera file name count as present. Read the ALT column before deciding a page is finished.
- Stuffing keywords into every image. Repeating a string such as photographer London wedding across a gallery reads as spam to people and search engines. Describe what is in each frame instead.
- Giving real artwork an empty alt. alt="" is right for dividers and flourishes, but a portfolio piece is the content. Empty values on actual work hide it from screen readers and image search.
- Running one page and assuming the site is fine. Each run covers a single URL, and project pages are often built differently from the homepage. Check every page you want found.
- Trusting the image count on gallery-script pages. Images added by JavaScript after load, and CSS backgrounds, are not in the source the tool reads. Compare the count with the page source before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check alt text on my portfolio website?
Paste the URL of one project or gallery page into the checker and read the table. Each row shows the file name, the alt text and a status, with counts for images, images with alt text and images missing it. Repeat for every page you care about, since each run covers one URL. Read the alt column yourself, because a value like IMG_0231 still counts as present. The result describes the page source only, not how Google ranks the images.
What is good alt text for photography portfolio images?
Describe what is actually in the picture in a short plain sentence, such as 'lighthouse at dusk on the Cornish coast, long exposure'. Add a place or subject only where it is true and useful to someone who cannot see the image. Google advises against filling alt attributes with keywords, so skip strings of terms like photographer London wedding. The checker cannot grade your wording; it only shows you what is currently written so you can judge it.
Should decorative images have empty alt text?
Yes. Purely decorative images such as a divider line or a background flourish should keep alt="" so screen readers skip them. Portfolio work is different, because the photos and artwork are the content. The checker counts empty alt as missing, so expect decorative items in that number, then go through the rows and separate decoration from real work. Only the real work needs a written description.
Why does the checker show fewer images than my gallery has?
It reads the HTML as the server sends it and does not run JavaScript. Images that a gallery script or lazy-load library adds after the page loads are not in that source, and CSS background images are never img tags. Compare the Images count with the page source by pressing Ctrl+U and searching for img. If the count looks low, the gallery likely builds itself in the browser, so check those images by hand in your builder.
Does fixing alt text improve image SEO for my portfolio?
It closes one gap. Google names alt text as the most important attribute for image metadata, and screen reader users depend on it too. It will not rank a gallery on its own, because file names, nearby text about the brief or location, and page speed matter as well, and nothing here measures rankings. Treat the lower Missing count after a re-run as proof the markup changed, then judge results in Search Console over time.
Reference: Google's image SEO best practices explain how alt text, short descriptive filenames and the text around an image help it understand what a picture shows.