Alt text examples › Team photos & headshots
Photos of people raise two questions: how much to describe, and what not to assume. Name the person when the page identifies them. Describe what is visible and relevant to the page (setting, action, expression on a team page) and do not guess at things like ethnicity, age, or gender identity unless they are relevant and known.
| # | The image | Bad alt | Good alt | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headshot on a team page; the name and role are written right under it | Maria Lopez, Head of Design | (empty alt="") or "Maria Lopez smiling, in front of a whiteboard" | Repeating the caption makes the screen reader say it twice. Either hide the image or add only what the photo adds. |
| 2 | Author photo next to a blog byline | author | Photo of Daniel Kim | Named author photos just need the name when the byline is not adjacent. |
| 3 | Group photo of the whole team at an offsite | team | The 14-person Acme team on a hiking trail at the 2026 offsite | How many, where, and the occasion: the facts a sighted visitor gets at a glance. |
| 4 | CEO speaking on stage at a conference | Asian man in his 40s in a suit | Acme CEO Ken Sato speaking on stage at WebSummit 2026 | Do not guess at ethnicity or age. Identity plus context is what the photo communicates. |
| 5 | Customer testimonial photo | happy customer | Priya Shah, owner of Bloom Bakery | Testimonial photos lend credibility through identity. Name and company are the information. |
| 6 | Stock photo of anonymous people in a meeting, used as a section illustration | business people meeting | Four colleagues reviewing a printed chart at a table | Anonymous stock people: describe the action, which is why the photo was chosen. |
| 7 | LinkedIn-style profile photo on a speaker card | profile picture | Lena Weber | Small profile photos are identification; the name is enough. |
| 8 | Event photo where a specific product is the point | people at booth | Visitors trying the Acme VR headset at the CES 2026 booth | Describe what the people are doing with the thing the page is about. |
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A). When the name already appears as visible text next to the photo, the alt can be empty or add only what the photo shows that the text does not. The full requirement is explained in our guide to WCAG 1.1.1 alt text requirements.
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