Do product images also need accessible descriptions?
In short and in plain language
Yes. Images with content need a short text. It describes the product, such as colour or material.
Purely decorative images get an empty text. Then the screen reader skips them.
The product name alone is rarely enough. For large catalogues we help with a clear plan for these texts.
Yes. Informative product images need meaningful alt texts that describe the product and purchase-relevant features, such as color, material or variant. A good alt text conveys what sighted users take from the image, no more and no less. Purely decorative images, by contrast, receive an empty alt attribute (alt="") so screen readers skip them and the reading flow is not disrupted.
With extensive catalogs of thousands of items, manual maintenance is barely feasible. Here we develop a systematic alt text strategy that, for example, turns product data from your PIM or shop backend into sensible image descriptions in a structured way.
The distinction matters: the product name alone as alt text is rarely enough, and redundant or empty descriptions are just as unhelpful. We check these nuances concretely on your assortment in the WCAG audit.