Matan · WCAG · Perceivable
Decorative images (WCAG)
role=presentation/none images should use alt="" so they are skipped by assistive tech.
Pass condition in our engine: Decorative images do not combine role=presentation with a non-empty alt.
This WCAG check is part of SEO-GEO scoring 2.2.1, last updated 2026-09-18. About 90 percent of the evaluation runs on the HTML we crawl, so you can verify the same pass condition with a free report.
1. Problem description
If you mark an image as decorative but give it a verbose alt, screen readers still announce it. The opposite (missing alt on a meaningful image) is a different check.
2. Most common causes
- A design system sets role=presentation on all icons but copies the filename into alt.
- CMS default alt is the media title.
3. How to fix it
- For decorative images: alt="" and optionally role="presentation".
- If the image is informative, drop the presentation role and write real alt.
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