ALT text

The term ALT text makes reference to a feature of HTML that allows the author to define a textual description for images (IMG) and other types of non-textual items (AREA, APPLET, and INPUT) for user agents (web browsers) that don t support graphics.

In the early years of Internet development these descriptions where helpful to people using text-only browsers (like Lynx (web browser)). Nowdays, even when graphical capabilities are a commodity, alternate text is still highly appreciated by users with Accessibility requirements and users looking for ways to optimize their network bandwidth use.

In modern browsers alternative text is still accessible as a tool tip text that appears while hovering the pointer over the image for a brief period of time.

=HTML Alternate Text sample=

=References=

[http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/objects.html#adef-alt WC3 HTML 4.01 Specification on Alt text]