How to Add Alt Text to an Image on UMBC Sites

If you have an image already embedded on a website page, you can update the alt text directly from the page edit screen.

1. Click the image you want to add alt text to.

2. A small toolbar will pop-up above the image. Click the small pencil icon, which will say “edit” if you hover over it.

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A screenshot of the “Page edit” view, where the cursor is hovering over an image, and then over the “Edit” function of the toolbar that appears over the image.

3. A large pop up window (“Image details”) will appear. The first text box in the top-left is called “Alternative Text” and this is where you should put your alt text. 

4. Click “Update” in the bottom-right corner to save your changes to the image and close the pop-up window.

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A screenshot of the “image details” screen, with the alternative text box highlighted and an arrow pointing to the update button, reminding you to save your changes.

5. Don’t forget to hit “Update” on the page edit screen to save your changes to the page!

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A screenshot of the “Page edit” view again, with an arrow pointing to the update button to remind you to save your changes.

You can edit the alt text of any image uploaded to your website (whether it is live on a page or not) from the Media Library. Any changes you make to images from the Media Library are universal changes and will reflect on your lives pages.

1. The Media Library can be reached from the left-hand tool bar.

2. Click on the image you want to add alt text to.

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A screenshot of a Sites Media Library page, with a box highlighting an available image, and an arrow pointing to the icon on the left-hand toolbar to indicate where to find the Media Library.

3. A large pop-up called “Attachment details” will open.  There is a box in the middle-right called “Alternative Text” and this is where you should put your alt text.

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A screenshot view of the “attachment details” pop-up, with a box highlighting where the alternative text box is.

4. This window does not have an update or save button, it will automatically save your changes once you click out of the text box you were editing. If you want to confirm your changes saved, close the pop-up, and reopen it to ensure your alt text is still present.