Image alt text is one of the most overlooked SEO and accessibility wins on a Shopify store. It describes an image for screen readers and for search engines — and on an image-heavy product catalog, that's a lot of untapped value.

What alt text does

Accessibility: screen readers read it aloud, so visually impaired shoppers understand your images.
Image SEO: it helps your products appear in Google Images, a real source of shopping traffic.
Context: it gives search engines another signal about what the page is about.

How to write good alt text

Describe the image accurately and specifically — "Black leather ankle boot with side zip", not "boot" or "product image".
Include the product keyword naturally when it fits — but describe first, optimize second.
Keep it concise — a short, clear phrase, not a sentence stuffed with keywords.
Don't start with "image of" — screen readers already announce it's an image.

Where to set it in Shopify

On a product, click an image, then Add alt text (or Edit alt text). It's per-image — which is exactly why doing it by hand across a catalog never gets finished.

Generate alt text in bulk

The AI Product Description Generator includes an AI image alt text generator: it reads each product image and writes descriptive, accessible, SEO-friendly alt text in bulk across your catalog. Combined with generating descriptions from images, it turns your photos into both copy and accessibility wins.

Quick rules

Describe what's actually in the image
Be specific, stay concise
Include the keyword only where natural
Never leave it blank