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Issue #122 · important

The og:image:alt meta tag provides alternative text for your Open Graph image.

What is this issue?

The og:image:alt meta tag provides alternative text for your Open Graph image. This describes the image content for accessibility tools and displays when the image cannot be loaded.

This issue checks whether your page has the og:image:alt tag implemented. A passing implementation must include:

  • og:image:alt - A descriptive text alternative for the OG image

Example of passing implementation:

<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/team-photo.jpg" />
<meta
  property="og:image:alt"
  content="Our team of 10 engineers working on laptops in a modern office"
/>

Why does it matter?

The og:image:alt tag is important for accessibility and social media sharing:

  • Accessibility: Screen readers and assistive technologies can describe the image to visually impaired users
  • Fallback content: Displays when images fail to load due to network issues or blocking
  • Context: Provides additional context about the image content
  • AI Search / AEO: AI systems use alt text to understand image content and relevance
  • Social platforms: Some platforms may use alt text for accessibility features

Without the og:image:alt tag:

  • Images are inaccessible to visually impaired users
  • No context is provided if images don't load
  • Missed opportunity for additional content description

Resolving this issue improves accessibility and contributes to a higher overall SEO health score by making your social sharing more inclusive.

How to fix it

  1. Add the og:image:alt tag to your HTML <head> section:

    • Place it after the og:image tag
    • Write descriptive text that conveys the image's content and purpose
    • Keep it concise but informative (under 100 characters recommended)

  2. Write good alt text:

    • Describe what's in the image objectively
    • Include relevant context (people, objects, setting, action)
    • Avoid starting with "Image of..." or "Picture of..."
    • Don't repeat the og:description verbatim

  3. Test your implementation:

    • Use Facebook Sharing Debugger to verify alt text is detected
    • Check accessibility with screen reader tools
    • Ensure alt text displays appropriately on social platforms

Examples

Example 1: Missing OG Image Alt

Problematic state (what fails):

<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/team-photo.jpg" />
<!-- Missing og:image:alt tag -->

Corrected state (what passes):

<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/team-photo.jpg" />
<meta
  property="og:image:alt"
  content="Our team of 10 engineers working on laptops in a modern office"
/>

Example 2: Poor Alt Text

Problematic state (what fails):

<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Image" />
<!-- Too vague, not descriptive -->

Corrected state (what passes):

<meta
  property="og:image:alt"
  content="Diverse team of engineers collaborating on code reviews around a whiteboard"
/>

Example 3: Alt Text Repeating Description

Problematic state (what fails):

<meta property="og:description" content="Learn SEO best practices for 2024" />
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Learn SEO best practices for 2024" />
<!-- Alt text just repeats description -->

Corrected state (what passes):

<meta property="og:description" content="Learn SEO best practices for 2024" />
<meta
  property="og:image:alt"
  content="Infographic showing SEO checklist with checkmarks on clipboard"
/>

How PixyScan detects this

PixyScan checks for the og:image:alt tag by:

  1. Fetching the page HTML after following all redirects
  2. Parsing the <head> section to extract the meta tag with property="og:image:alt"
  3. Validating presence: Checks that the og:image:alt tag exists
  4. Validating content: Ensures the tag has a non-empty, meaningful value
  5. Flagging the issue if the tag is missing or empty

The detection is performed on the raw HTML response without JavaScript execution, matching how social media crawlers see your pages.

References