Image alt Property
Example
Return the alternate text of an image:
var x = document.getElementById("myImg").alt;
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Description
The alt property sets or returns the value of the alt attribute of an image.
The required alt attribute specifies an alternate text for an image, if the image for some reason cannot be displayed (because of slow connection, an error in the src attribute, or if the user uses a screen reader).
Note: Internet Explorer displays the value of the alt attribute as a tooltip when mousing over the <img> element. This is NOT the correct behavior, according to the HTML specification. All other browsers are following the specification, and will only display the alt text if the image cannot be displayed.
Tip: If you want to create a tooltip for an image, use the global title attribute.
Browser Support
| Property | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Syntax
Return the alt property:
imageObject.alt
Set the alt property:
imageObject.alt = text
Property Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| text |
Specifies an alternate text for an image. Guidelines for the alt text:
|
Technical Details
| Return Value: | A String, representing the alternate text of the image |
|---|
More Examples
Example
Change the alternate text of an image:
document.getElementById("myImg").alt = "newAlternateText";
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Related Pages
HTML reference: HTML <img> alt attribute
❮ Image Object