Key Takeaways
Since 28 June 2025, alt texts for online shops have been a legal requirement (BFSG); missing texts represent a warning risk.
Good alt texts describe features crucial for purchase: colour, material, model, function.
Side effect: better rankings in Google Image Search and a fallback if images fail to load.
Systematic maintenance via CMS/PIM beats individual maintenance; in Shopify found under "Content: Files".
Introduction
Product images are the heart of an online shop. However, for many users they remain invisible: people with visual impairments rely on screen readers that make image content understandable only via alt text.
The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has been in force since 28 June 2025. Online shops must make their digital offerings accessible. This also includes the consistent maintenance of alternative texts.
In this article, you will find out:
What alt texts are and what function they perform
Which legal requirements BFSG and WCAG make
How you can practically create good alt texts for products in your shop
What are alt texts?
An alt text (alternative text) describes the content of an image for users who cannot see the image. Screen readers read the text aloud, thereby enabling access to the information.
Example:
Instead of: "Image123.jpg"
Better: "Women's trainers in white with grey accents, model XY"
Alt texts have three main functions:
Accessibility: Access for people with visual impairments
SEO: Search engines can index image content better
User Experience: Fallback when images do not load
Legal basis: BFSG and WCAG
The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG)
Since 28 June 2025, digital offerings in Germany must be designed as accessible. This includes websites, mobile applications and online shops.
For shop operators, this specifically means:
Product images must be provided with meaningful alt texts
Image information that is important for purchasing decisions (for example colour, shape, application) must be described
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The WCAG 2.1 define international standards for accessible web content. Important specifications for alt texts:
Perceivable: Images must be described in text
Understandable: Descriptions should be precise and easy to grasp
Functional: The text must convey the functional benefit of the image, for example "Add to shopping cart button" for icons
Practice: How to create good alt texts in your online shop
1. Describe what is really relevant
Alt texts should cover all characteristics relevant to a purchase decision: colour, material, model, function. Example:
"Black men's leather shoe with lacing, model Classic Business"
2. Avoid unnecessary words
Screen readers usually announce images with "Image of...". An alt text should therefore describe directly. Example:
Incorrect: "Image of a red handbag"
Correct: "Red women's handbag made of leather with a gold buckle"
3. Consider the context
An icon in the checkout does not need a detailed text, but a functional description. Example:
Alt text: "Open shopping cart" instead of "Shopping cart icon"
4. Ensure consistency
Maintain alt texts systematically. Use your CMS or PIM system for this. This is how you ensure that thousands of products are consistently described. On Shopify, you can see your alt texts under the "Content" menu and then "Files".
5. Keep SEO in mind
Alt texts are also a ranking factor. Link relevant keywords sensibly, but without keyword stuffing.
Benefits for online shops
Compliance with the BFSG is not only an obligation, but also brings opportunities:
Reach more customers: People with disabilities have significant purchasing power
Better Google ranking: Alt texts improve visibility in image search
Brand image advantage: Accessibility strengthens brand perception and shows a sense of responsibility
Conclusion
Alt texts are no longer optional since June 2025, but are required by law. They are a central component of accessibility and are therefore not only a mandatory task, but also a competitive advantage.
Online shops that consistently provide their product images with good alt texts do not only meet the legal requirements of the BFSG and the standards of the WCAG. They also benefit from better visibility and a more inclusive customer experience.
💡 CTA for you: Check your shop immediately for missing or inadequate alt texts. Every image that is not maintained is a potential legal risk and a missed sales opportunity.
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SubscribeHow do you write alt texts that are legally compliant and sell?
A good alt text describes the key purchase-deciding feature in one precise sentence, without filler words like "image of". It must work just as well for a screen reader as it does for Google.
A fixed structure has proven successful: product type, then the most important properties (colour, material, model, function), then optionally the context. This keeps every text consistent, no matter how many people maintain it.
Fashion: "Women's white sneakers with grey accents, model XY"
Furniture: "Rectangular oak table, 180 cm, oiled surface"
Checkout icon: "Open shopping cart" instead of "shopping trolley symbol"
💡 Pro tip: Keep purely decorative images intentionally blank (empty alt attribute). This way, the screen reader skips them instead of slowing down your users with irrelevant descriptions.
Which mistakes will cost you a warning letter or ranking?
The most expensive mistakes are completely missing alt attributes, filenames as alt text and keyword stuffing. All three are immediately noticed by both testing tools and search engines.
Empty or missing attribute for purchase-relevant images: clear BFSG (German Accessibility Act) violation
"IMG_2837.jpg" or "Product 1" as text: no added value, pure risk
Ten keywords lined up: harms ranking and reading flow
Identical alt text for 200 variants: screen reader users lose orientation
⚠️ Frequent mistake: Many shops only maintain alt texts on the homepage and forget about category, shopping cart and checkout. The obligation applies to every functional image throughout the entire purchase process.
You want to know what your shop delivers daily leaves behind?
Want to know where your shop is leaving revenue on the table? We'll find out with a free CRO audit.
Request a CRO auditHow do you make your shop BFSG-compliant this week?
With a 60-minute audit of your image assets: export, prioritise by reach, and describe the most important images first. You don't have to update all images at once, just the revenue-relevant ones first.
The concrete roadmap:
Export the image list (on Shopify under "Content" and then "Files")
Prioritise by traffic: bestseller and most visited categories first
Write alt texts according to a fixed pattern (product type, characteristics, context)
Establish a fixed process in the CMS or PIM so that every new product directly gets an alt text
Check a random sample with a screen reader or an accessibility checker
Anyone who implements this cleanly reduces their legal risk, improves visibility in Google Image Search, and creates a shopping experience that truly reaches all customers.
Let us talk about yours Talk about the funnel.
15 minutes, free of charge: we will take a look at your shop together and you will leave with at least one concrete test suggestion.
Choose appointmentDoes the BFSG also apply to small online shops?
Yes, in principle, the BFSG applies to digital e-commerce offerings since June 2025. Exceptions only exist for micro-enterprises below certain thresholds; anyone above them must design accessibly, including using alt texts.
How long should a good alt text be?
As short as possible, as descriptive as necessary—in practice, 5 to 15 words. What matters are the features that influence the purchasing decision, not every image detail: "Red leather ladies' handbag with gold buckle" instead of "Image of a bag".
Do alt texts really help with SEO?
Yes, search engines use alt texts to understand image content. This improves visibility in image search and draft the topical relevance of the page. You should avoid keyword stuffing.
Do icons and decorative images also need alt texts?
Functional icons do, but described functionally ("Open shopping basket" instead of "shopping trolley symbol"). Purely decorative images get an empty alt attribute so that screen readers skip them.
For years, Jonas has been optimising shops for conversion — with data-driven A/B testing for over 103 e-commerce brands like LuckyHemp and Alb-Filter. At SCAEL, he is responsible for strategy and testing.
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