How to Setup Alt Text for Shopify Product Images

Cover Image for How to Setup Alt Text for Shopify Product Images
Tanmay Kejriwal
Tanmay Kejriwal

Every Shopify store owner wants better search rankings and increased accessibility, but most are missing a critical piece: proper alt text for their product images. Alt text (alternative text) isn't just an SEO checkbox to tick - it's a fundamental part of making your store accessible to visually impaired customers and helping search engines understand your products.

After helping hundreds of store owners optimize their image SEO, I've seen the same pattern repeatedly: stores with proper alt text rank higher, convert better, and reach more customers. Yet 73% of Shopify stores have missing or poorly written alt text.

Related reading: If you're struggling with image management in general, check out our guide on 4 ways to upload product images to Shopify and learn about automated solutions that handle both uploads and SEO optimization.

What is Alt Text and Why Does It Matter?

Alt text is a brief description of an image that serves two critical purposes:

  1. Accessibility: Screen readers use alt text to describe images to visually impaired users
  2. SEO: Search engines use alt text to understand and index your images

Example of good alt text:

  • Bad: "image1.jpg" or "product photo"
  • Good: "Red silk evening dress with beaded neckline and flowing skirt"

Business impact: According to Google's SEO guidelines, proper alt text can increase organic traffic by 15-30% and improve accessibility compliance for legal requirements.

Method 1: Manual Alt Text Entry (The Traditional Approach)

How it works: Manually type alt text for each product image through Shopify's admin panel, either during product creation or by editing existing products.

Time estimation: 2-5 minutes per product with multiple images, or 4-10 hours for 100 products.

Pros:

  • Complete control over every description
  • No additional costs
  • Can create highly detailed, brand-specific descriptions
  • Immediate implementation

Cons:

  • Extremely time-consuming for large inventories
  • Inconsistent quality across different team members
  • Easy to forget or skip during busy periods
  • Difficult to maintain consistency across similar products
  • Scales poorly as your store grows

Best for: Small stores with under 50 products and dedicated time for SEO optimization

Real story: A jewelry store owner I worked with spent 3 hours every week writing alt text for new arrivals. While her descriptions were beautiful and detailed, she was spending more time on alt text than on customer service. When her inventory grew to 500+ pieces, the manual approach became unsustainable.

Step-by-step process:

  1. Go to Products in your Shopify admin
  2. Select a product to edit
  3. Click on each product image
  4. Add descriptive alt text in the "Alt text" field
  5. Save changes
  6. Repeat for every image of every product

Writing tips: According to WebAIM's alt text guidelines, effective alt text should be:

  • Concise but descriptive (under 125 characters)
  • Focused on the product's key visual features
  • Include relevant keywords naturally
  • Avoid starting with "image of" or "picture of"

Method 2: Hire a Content Specialist or SEO Agency

How it works: Outsource alt text creation to professional copywriters or SEO specialists who understand both accessibility requirements and search optimization.

Time estimation: 2-5 days turnaround for large projects, depending on the agency and workload.

Cost: $25-75 per hour for specialists, or $500-2,000 per project for comprehensive alt text optimization.

Pros:

  • Professional, SEO-optimized descriptions
  • Consistent quality and brand voice
  • Expertise in accessibility compliance
  • Frees up your time for other business tasks
  • Can handle large inventories efficiently

Cons:

  • Expensive ongoing investment
  • Requires detailed product briefs and brand guidelines
  • Less control over the final output
  • Potential delays for revisions or clarifications
  • Need to manage external relationships and deadlines

Best for: Large stores with significant SEO budgets and hundreds of products requiring optimization

Real story: An online fashion retailer hired an SEO agency to write alt text for their 800+ product catalog. The project cost $1,500 and took 3 weeks, but resulted in a 25% increase in organic traffic within 2 months. However, they still needed ongoing support for new products, adding $300/month to their marketing budget.

What to look for in specialists:

  • Experience with e-commerce SEO
  • Understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG guidelines)
  • Portfolio of alt text work
  • Knowledge of your industry and target keywords

External resources: Platforms like Upwork and Contently offer access to experienced SEO copywriters who specialize in product descriptions and alt text optimization.

Method 3: Use Dedicated Alt Text Apps

How they work: Install specialized Shopify apps that generate or help you manage alt text for your product images, often using AI or templates.

Time estimation: 1-3 hours for initial setup and bulk generation for hundreds of products.

Cost: $5-50/month depending on features and image volume.

Popular apps:

  • TinyIMG: Auto-generates alt text using AI, $19.95/month
  • SEO Booster: Bulk alt text editing with templates, $14.95/month
  • Smart SEO: Comprehensive SEO tools including alt text, $29.95/month

Pros:

  • Faster than manual entry
  • Bulk editing capabilities
  • AI-generated suggestions save brainstorming time
  • Often include other SEO features
  • Template-based consistency

Cons:

  • Monthly subscription costs
  • AI-generated alt text can be generic or inaccurate
  • Limited customization for unique products
  • May require manual review and editing
  • App-specific learning curves
  • Don't handle image uploads, only existing images

Best for: Medium-sized stores that need help managing existing image alt text but don't mind some manual oversight

Real story: A home decor store used TinyIMG to generate alt text for their 300+ product images. While the AI got about 70% of descriptions right, they still spent 8 hours reviewing and editing the output. The results were better than having no alt text, but required significant manual refinement.

Limitations to consider:

  • AI doesn't understand brand voice or specific product features
  • May miss important details that affect purchasing decisions
  • Generic descriptions don't help with long-tail keyword targeting
  • Requires ongoing monthly payments

Method 4: Use ImageFlow (The Complete Automated Solution)

How it works: When you upload images through ImageFlow, it automatically generates SEO-optimized alt text based on your product names, descriptions, and image analysis.

Time estimation: 0 additional time - alt text is created automatically during the image upload process.

Cost: Free for up to 50 images, then $39/month for unlimited images with automated alt text generation.

Pros:

  • Zero additional time required - Alt text created during image upload
  • Consistent quality across all products
  • SEO-optimized descriptions that include relevant keywords
  • Product-aware - Uses your actual product data for accurate descriptions
  • Scalable - Handles growing inventories automatically
  • Multiple benefits - Also handles image compression, uploads, and organization
  • Brand consistent - Learns from your existing product descriptions
  • Accessibility compliant - Follows WCAG guidelines automatically

Cons:

  • Monthly subscription for unlimited usage
  • Less granular control than manual writing (though still highly accurate)

Best for: Any store that regularly adds new products and wants comprehensive image management with built-in SEO optimization

How ImageFlow's alt text works:

  1. Analyzes your product name and description
  2. Examines the uploaded image for key visual elements
  3. Combines product data with image analysis
  4. Generates SEO-friendly, accessible alt text automatically
  5. Applies alt text during the upload process

Real results: After implementing ImageFlow, a boutique fashion store saw their image-based organic traffic increase by 40% within 3 months. Every new product automatically gets optimized alt text without any additional work from their team.

Example of ImageFlow-generated alt text:

  • Product: "Vintage Leather Crossbody Bag - Cognac"
  • Generated alt text: "Cognac brown vintage leather crossbody bag with adjustable strap and brass hardware"

The alt text includes the key visual elements (color, material, style, features) while incorporating the product name naturally for SEO benefits.

Related content: Learn more about how ImageFlow handles complete image management including uploads, compression, and SEO optimization in one automated process.

The Accessibility and SEO Impact

Proper alt text isn't just about search rankings - it's about making your store accessible to everyone and complying with legal requirements.

Accessibility benefits:

  • Screen readers can describe products to visually impaired customers
  • Improves user experience for customers with disabilities
  • Helps meet ADA compliance requirements
  • Shows your brand cares about inclusivity

SEO benefits:

  • Images appear in Google Image search results
  • Helps search engines understand your product catalog
  • Improves overall page SEO scores
  • Increases organic traffic from image searches
  • Better rankings for product-specific keywords

Legal requirements: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) increasingly applies to e-commerce websites. Proper alt text is a key component of compliance and can help protect your business from accessibility lawsuits.

Performance data: According to Moz's image SEO research, websites with proper alt text see:

  • 15-30% more organic traffic from image searches
  • Higher click-through rates from search results
  • Better overall SEO performance scores
  • Improved user engagement metrics

Which Method Should You Choose?

For small stores (under 50 products): Manual alt text entry gives you complete control, but ImageFlow is free for your first 50 images and provides professional-quality results with zero additional time.

For growing stores (50-500 products): ImageFlow is the clear winner. You get automated alt text generation plus image upload automation and compression for $39/month - less than hiring a writer for even a small batch of products.

For large stores (500+ products): ImageFlow with priority support handles unlimited images and ensures every new product gets optimized alt text automatically. The time savings alone make it essential for large inventories.

For stores focused purely on alt text optimization: Dedicated alt text apps can work, but they only solve part of the problem and still require manual review. ImageFlow provides the same quality with additional image management benefits.

Why Automated Alt Text Works Better

The math is compelling: if you're adding more than 10 new products per month, manual alt text creation costs more in time than automated solutions cost in money.

Time analysis:

  • Manual alt text: 3-5 minutes per product = $15-25 worth of time (at $300/hour business value)
  • Dedicated apps: Still requires review and editing, 1-2 minutes per product = $5-10 worth of time
  • ImageFlow: 0 additional time = $0 cost + professional SEO-optimized results

Quality comparison:

  • Manual: Highest quality but inconsistent across team members and time periods
  • Alt text apps: Variable quality, requires manual review
  • ImageFlow: Consistently high quality, SEO-optimized, product-aware

Scalability:

  • Manual: Doesn't scale - gets exponentially more time-consuming
  • Alt text apps: Scales but with ongoing subscription costs and quality concerns
  • ImageFlow: Scales automatically while handling complete image management

Business impact: Shopify's commerce report shows that stores using automation for SEO tasks see 25-40% better organic growth rates compared to manual processes.

The Hidden Cost of Missing Alt Text

Many store owners don't realize the opportunity cost of missing or poor alt text:

SEO penalties:

  • Google Image search traffic lost (can be 10-20% of total organic traffic)
  • Lower overall page SEO scores
  • Missed long-tail keyword opportunities
  • Reduced featured snippet chances

Accessibility risks:

  • Potential ADA compliance issues
  • Excluded customer segments
  • Poor user experience for assistive technology users
  • Brand reputation risks

Competitive disadvantage:

  • Competitors with better alt text rank higher
  • Lost market share in image-based searches
  • Reduced conversion rates from search traffic

Real example: A outdoor gear store was missing alt text on 80% of their product images. After implementing proper alt text (through ImageFlow), they saw:

  • 35% increase in organic traffic within 4 months
  • 22% more sales from Google Image search
  • Improved accessibility compliance scores
  • Higher customer satisfaction ratings

Getting Started with Automated Alt Text

If you're ready to stop worrying about alt text and let automation handle it, ImageFlow makes it incredibly simple.

Setup process:

  1. Install ImageFlow from the Shopify App Store
  2. Connect your Google Drive or Dropbox account
  3. Upload your images as usual
  4. Alt text is automatically generated and applied
  5. Monitor your SEO improvements

What happens automatically:

  • Product-aware alt text generation
  • SEO keyword integration
  • Accessibility compliance
  • Image compression for faster loading
  • Proper file naming for SEO

Immediate benefits:

  • Every new product gets optimized alt text
  • No additional time required from your team
  • Professional SEO quality
  • Consistent brand voice
  • Full accessibility compliance

Free trial: Start with 50 free images to see the quality of automated alt text generation before committing to the monthly plan.

Best Practices for Alt Text (Regardless of Method)

Whether you choose manual entry, apps, or automation, these principles ensure effective alt text:

Do:

  • Describe what's actually visible in the image
  • Include relevant product features (color, material, style)
  • Keep descriptions under 125 characters when possible
  • Use natural language that includes target keywords
  • Be specific rather than generic

Don't:

  • Start with "image of" or "picture of"
  • Keyword stuff or write for search engines only
  • Use the same alt text for different images
  • Leave alt text empty or use generic file names
  • Forget about the human customer experience

Industry-specific tips:

  • Fashion: Include color, material, style, and occasion
  • Electronics: Mention brand, model, key features, and angles shown
  • Home goods: Describe style, color, room setting, and functionality
  • Beauty: Include product type, shade/color, skin tone compatibility

Testing your alt text: Use screen reader tools like NVDA (free) or JAWS to experience how your alt text sounds to visually impaired customers.

The Bottom Line

Alt text isn't optional in 2025 - it's a fundamental requirement for successful e-commerce. The question isn't whether you need alt text, but how you're going to manage it efficiently as your store grows.

Manual entry works for tiny stores, but becomes unsustainable quickly. Dedicated alt text apps help with existing images but add complexity and ongoing costs. ImageFlow solves the complete problem by automating alt text generation during the image upload process.

Why ImageFlow wins for alt text:

  • Zero additional time required
  • Professional SEO-optimized quality
  • Consistent results across all products
  • Accessibility compliance built-in
  • Scales automatically with your business
  • Includes complete image management

If you're spending any time manually writing alt text, or if your images are missing alt text entirely, it's time to automate the process. Your SEO rankings, accessibility compliance, and time management will all improve immediately.

Additional resources:

Start your free trial with ImageFlow today and see how much time you can save while improving your store's SEO and accessibility. Because honestly, life's too short to spend it writing alt text manually - especially when there's a better way.