HTML and XHTML Step by Step

Including Alternate Text for Graphics

Placing an alt argument (traditionally called an alt tag, although it isn’t really a tag) in an <img> tag creates alternate text for the graphic. This alternate text is a pop-up box that contains a text explanation of the graphic, much like the title does for a hyperlink.

Alternate text is not just for decoration; it serves an important purpose for users who cannot view your graphics for some reason. This might include visually impaired users who are accessing your page through the use of a screen-reading program, and people who browse by using PDAs or cell phones.

Alternate text is simple to include; just place an alt="text" argument in the <img> tag like this:

<img src="leaf.gif" alt="Leaf logo" />

In this exercise, ...