About these prompts
Accessible content helps people who use screen readers, people with low vision or cognitive disabilities, people on small screens and, in practice, everyone in a hurry. Much of it comes down to writing: describing images, using clear headings, writing links that make sense on their own and keeping language plain. AI assistants can help with all of these.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by the W3C are the widely used standard. These prompts help with the writing side; they do not replace testing your site with real accessibility tools and, ideally, real users.
Copy any prompt below, or build a custom one with the Prompt Builder. Highlighted [PLACEHOLDERS] are the parts to replace with your own details.
The prompts
01Alt text for images
For every meaningful image on your site.
Write alt text for these images. For each, I describe the image and the page it appears on:[IMAGE DESCRIPTION] on [PAGE / PURPOSE]Describe what matters about the image in that context, in about 125 characters or less. Do not start with "image of" or "photo of". If an image is purely decorative, say so and recommend empty alt text (alt=""). If an image contains text, include that text.
TipThe same photo may need different alt text on different pages, because what matters about it depends on why it is there.
02Describe a chart or diagram
For charts, maps, infographics and diagrams.
I have a [CHART TYPE / DIAGRAM] showing: [DESCRIBE THE DATA OR CONTENT].Write: a short alt text (one sentence summarizing the main point), and a longer text description I can place near the image that explains the key information for someone who cannot see it. Use only the data I gave you.
03Plain-language rewrite
For important pages such as policies, pricing or instructions.
Rewrite the text below in plain language for a general audience. Use short sentences, common words, active voice and clear headings. Keep every requirement, condition and fact exactly the same; if simplifying would change the meaning, keep the original wording and flag it.[PASTE TEXT]
TipFor legal text such as terms or privacy policies, have a professional check that the plain version still says the same thing.
04Descriptive link text
When your pages use "click here" or "read more".
Here is a page from my website with its links marked like [link text](destination):[PASTE]Rewrite each link's text so it makes sense on its own and says where it goes, for example "see our pricing" instead of "click here". Do not change anything else.
05Check heading structure
When a page is long or hard to scan.
Here are the headings on my page in order, with their levels: [e.g. H1 ..., H2 ..., H3 ...]Check that there is one H1, that levels are not skipped, and that each heading describes the section below it. Suggest a corrected structure.
06Accessible form instructions
For contact, booking and checkout forms.
Review the text of my form: [PASTE LABELS, HINTS, ERRORS]Make sure every field has a visible label, required fields are clearly marked in text (not just color), instructions appear before the field, and error messages explain how to fix the problem. Rewrite anything that falls short.
Worked example
What a response looks like
The prompt we ranPrompt 1 with: a photo of a smiling technician handing keys to an older woman at her front door, on the homepage of a locksmith.
The responseAlt text: "Our technician handing a homeowner the new keys after replacing her front door lock."
The assistant added that if the same photo were used as a background behind text, it would be decorative and should have empty alt text.
Sample response, produced by running this prompt in Claude (Anthropic) with the fictional business above. AI responses vary every time you run a prompt; use this to see the kind of result to expect, not as copy to reuse.
Mistakes to avoid
- Alt text stuffed with keywords.
- Leaving decorative images with descriptive alt text that clutters screen readers.
- Links that say only "click here".
- Assuming writing fixes alone make a site fully accessible.
Frequently asked questions
How long should alt text be?
Long enough to convey what matters about the image, and usually short. Around 125 characters is a common guideline because some screen readers break up longer text, but clarity matters more than a fixed number.
Does alt text help SEO?
Alt text helps search engines understand images, which can help in image search. Its main purpose is accessibility, so write it for people first.
Updated October 2026Written by the AI Website Prompts editors