Google’s John Mueller stated within the newest Search Off the Document podcast that it is best to go away ornamental alt textual content in your photographs empty and clean. Oh, and John later stated, the World Extensive Net Consortium (W3C) additionally says it is best to do this.

On the 17: 13 mark within the podcast, John stated “However as soon as it will get into issues like, “Oh, this can be a idea,” or like, “It is ornamental,” so it would not… There’s some locations that say, “Oh, you needn’t put alt textual content in an ornamental picture.” Like if it is purely there only for aesthetics, then it is higher to simply go away the alt textual content empty.”

Right here is the embed:

As John identified on Twitter later the W3C additionally recommends this, as they wrote right here:

Ornamental photographs don’t add data to the content material of a web page. For instance, the data supplied by the picture would possibly already be given utilizing adjoining textual content, or the picture could be included to make the web site extra visually enticing.

In these instances, a null (empty) alt textual content ought to be supplied (alt=””) in order that they are often ignored by assistive applied sciences, akin to display screen readers. Textual content values for these kinds of photographs would add audible muddle to display screen reader output or may distract customers if the subject is completely different from that in adjoining textual content. Leaving out the alt attribute can be not an choice as a result of when it’s not supplied, some display screen readers will announce the file title of the picture as an alternative.

Right here is extra of the context round this:

Would not doing this go away you weak to a web site accessibility lawsuit? I do know there was a agency taking some bloggers to court docket a couple of years again over this sort of factor.

— Josie (@P3bbelzz) October 12, 2022

https://t.co/QV2nERGXfb says comparable issues (whew): “Ornamental photographs don’t add data to the content material of a web page. (…) In these instances, a null (empty) alt textual content ought to be supplied (alt=””) in order that they are often ignored by assistive applied sciences, akin to display screen readers.”

— ⛰ johnmu will not be a cat ⛰ (@JohnMu) October 12, 2022

Discussion board dialogue at Twitter.

Be aware: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted in the present day, I’m at present offline for Simchat Torah.