How To Write Alt Text For Gifs

As a user with low vision that is sensitive to strobe, flashing, and fast-moving animations, I frequently rely on others knowing how to write alt text for GIFs or how to describe GIFs so that I can engage in social interactions or posts without triggering an adverse medical effect. Writing alt text for GIFs is unique compared to writing alt text for other types of content— alt text for images focuses on a single frame or point in time, and alt text/video descriptions for videos often include sound in some capacity to provide additional context or clarification. GIFs can be several images stitched together or an excerpt from a video, and show up everywhere from social media feeds to text message conversations. Here are my tips on how to write alt text for GIFs in a variety of contexts, and how this inclusive practice benefits users with visual impairments (inclusive of blind/low vision/neurological visual impairment) and other disabilities.

WHAT IS ALT TEXT? WHAT IS AN IMAGE DESCRIPTION?

Alternative text (alt text) and image descriptions are text-based descriptions of visual details in an image or GIF written primarily for people who are visually impaired (inclusive of blind, low vision, and neurological visual impairment). If an image fails to load on a website, alt text will be displayed in its place, and alt text is also used for search engine optimization and image search tools.

Image descriptions are similar to alt text descriptions that are used by screen readers to recognize images, though there are a few key differences between alt text and image descriptions:

LOCATION

Alt text is typically attached to an image metadata or added in the “alt text” box on social media. Image descriptions may be in the image caption, in a text post, or shared in a text link for extended descriptions.

Some platforms will insert automatic alt text for GIFs, which can be edited before posting. Because automatic alt text may fail to capture the context of a GIF, I strongly recommend viewing the automatic alt text and making edits as needed.

VISIBILITY

Alt text is usually only visible to screen readers, which read the alt text out loud or display it on a braille display. Image descriptions are “exposed” and can be read by anyone, since they are in a caption or other location that isn’t embedded in an image. Saving a GIF does not save its alt text, and neither does copy/pasting a GIF into a document.

BlueSky and X are examples of social media platforms that allow users to read alt text whether they have a screen reader or not by selecting the ALT button on an image or gif that has alt text included. Selecting the ALT tag will not play the GIF if auto-play is turned off.

LENGTH OF TEXT

While a picture can say a thousand words, a gif may only be able to accommodate a thousand characters. To learn more about how to insert alt text for GIFs, check out my post on “How to Add Alt Text On Social Media” linked below.

For X, the alt text character limit for GIFs is 1000 characters, and alt text cannot be added or edited after posting.

For BlueSky, the alt text character limit for GIFs is 2000 characters, and alt text cannot be added or edited after posting. Some GIFs load with automatically generated alt text that can be edited.

For Tumblr, the alt text character limit for GIFs is 4096 characters, and alt text can be added or edited after posting.

Image descriptions have a more flexible character limit since they are included in the caption of a post, in a comment, or in another easy-to-locate area. It is important to remember that the purpose of alt text is to describe information for visually impaired audiences and to provide nonvisual access to an image, not to add additional easter eggs or jokes about an image or gif for those who can see it.

LEVEL OF DETAIL

Image descriptions tend to go more in-depth about visual details than alt text due to the larger character limit. For example, alt text might tell a user there is a samoyed making a confused expression, while an image description might share that a white fluffy samoyed dog tilts their head to the left and furrows their brow.

It’s worth noting that some people will use the same text for both alt text and image descriptions, which is an accepted practice. However, I prefer to include more detailed descriptions as exposed image descriptions so everyone can read them whether they have a screen reader enabled or not.

SHOULD I USE BOTH ALT TEXT AND IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS?

This is very platform-dependent. Some platforms like Twitter (X), BlueSky, and Tumblr support alt text for gifs, while others do not support adding alt text to GIFs at all or only support automatic alt text that may not be helpful for visually impaired audiences. I recommend including a short image description at the end of a caption that describes what is in the gif, especially if it contains strobe or flashing lights.

On platforms that do not support alt text for gifs, an image description is appropriate for ensuring content is accessible to audiences and can be read with large print, a screen reader, or other assistive technology. I recommend using the label “ID:” or “Image Description:” in front of the text so that it is easier to locate. Some creators choose to enclose the description in parenthesis or brackets, which is also helpful for separating the description from the rest of the caption. Using the label “Alt text:” in a caption is also acceptable and conveys the same message, but the term image description is more appropriate.

Related links

• How To Add Alt Text On Social Media
• How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired
• How To Write Video Descriptions For Animal Videos
• BlueSky Accessibility Features For Low Vision
• Options For Writing Extended Image Descriptions On Social Media

Why should I add alt text to GIFs?

The vast majority of GIFs that I encounter are used in the same way that body language or facial expressions are used in conversation— people use them as an extension of the message they want to convey in a caption, or to express a specific emotion. For example, instead of responding to a message with just “yay!”, someone might instead insert a gif of a person clapping, cheering, and with a huge smile on their face saying “yay!” to adequately convey how excited they are about something.

When one of my friends sent me a GIF matching this description after I told them about an acceptance letter I had received, I noticed that the alt text with this image said “a man yelling.” While I knew my friend was happy for my good news, this would have been confusing if I couldn’t see the GIF at all, and would have probably led to several follow-up questions. A lot of the GIFs I encounter are shared in low resolution, so I often rely on alt text to provide additional context or clarity for what is happening.

In addition, I have auto-play for GIFs turned off because I am sensitive to strobe, flickering, flashing, and fast-moving animations. I only play a GIF if I am absolutely sure that it will not hurt my brain or eyes, and often rely on alt text or image descriptions to let me know if a GIF is safe to play, or to capture the essential details I need to understand what is happening in a GIF without being able to see it/interact with it.

Related links

• Lemon On A Pear: Accessible Memes For Low Vision
• Avoiding Flashing Lights On Social Media
• How To Check Videos For Flashing Lights
• How To Write Alt Text For Amateur Art

THINGS TO INCLUDE WHEN WRITING ALT TEXT FOR GIFS

A helpful strategy to consider when learning to write alt text for gifs is to think of how this gif would be described in conversation or on a radio show/podcast where the audience cannot see the original image. What is the first thing the viewer should notice about the image? What message is this gif trying to convey? This can change depending on the context in which the content is being shared.

BASIC DESCRIPTIONS OF PEOPLE/SUBJECTS IN THE VIDEO

• If the subject of the video is the person who posted it, use their name or username. For example, if I posted a video where I am the only subject, I would say “Veronica” (my display name) or “@Veron4ica” (my username). Names of pets or service animals can also be used.
• When names or other identifying info is not available, I would give a basic description such as “yellow lab”, “happy blonde girl”, “Target employee”, or other contextual info that is important for understanding the video
• For celebrities or people with their own Wikipedia page, I would use their name, e.g. “David Bowie” or “Rose from Doctor Who”— for the latter, I would not need to specify that Rose is played by Billie Piper.
• If I knew who was in the video but they didn’t identify themselves, I would not share this information- for example, if I recognized my brother but he was not otherwise identified or well-known to the audience, I would not mention his name when adding alt text for a GIF.

TIME AND PLACE

• The setting of a gif can provide important contextual info, such as a backyard at night or a sidewalk. However, if the background provides no contextual info, it’s okay to focus on the subject alone.
• In some contexts, knowing the year or approximate time in which content takes place can be helpful for understanding what is happening, especially in fandom spaces that share content spanning years or decades. This can include specific tours for musicians, dates of events, seasons, or episodes.
• For gifs that are scenes from a movie or TV show, mention the name of the movie/TV show and give a basic description, such as “the set of iCarly” or “Monica’s apartment from Friends.” In some cases, just mentioning the movie/TV show may be appropriate if the focus is on the character and not how they are specifically interacting within their environment.
• If the location is not tagged but is a place I recognize (like a nearby coffee shop or shopping mall), I do not mention the location of the video unless it is a landmark like the Statue of Liberty. However, saying something like “coffee shop” or “mall” is fine since this does not give away location information.

PROPS OR OTHER ITEMS OF SIGNIFICANCE

• What is the subject holding? Is there an item in the background that the subject is focusing on? I wouldn’t need to know that there is a stop sign in the background of a video where a dog is running around, but I would want to know about the stop sign if the dog interacts with it in some way
• At the beginning of one of my favorite YouTube videos, the camera zooms in on a picture of a calendar marked September 21st, which is a significant date for the context of this video. If someone was creating a description for this, it would be more valuable if they mentioned the calendar had September 21st circled, instead of just mentioning a calendar on the wall
• Is there a specific way that the audience is intended to “read” something? Make sure the alt text reflects this. One example I have shared is the meme “lemon on a pear” being associated with “Livin’ on a Prayer”— writing “pear against a lemon” doesn’t let audiences know what the joke is or how the image is intended to be interpreted.

ON-SCREEN TEXT

• All on-screen text should be written out verbatim, similar to captions. Since gifs do not have audio, this is a must-have when writing alt text for gifs since the text often relates back to the caption of a post. Describing the font is not necessary, unless it is the primary focus of the content (e.g. if someone is handwriting text in a journal)
• If emoji show up on screen, those should also be mentioned as well, such as “three cake emoji.” If the emoji are covering something, I recommend mentioning what they are covering, i.e a face. Do not place emoji in the alt text field as these may not be read correctly by screen readers.

MOVEMENT OR SETTING CHANGES

• Mention when the subject moves, changes their expression, or changes locations. For example, “Veronica leaves the kitchen and runs outside”
• If the subject makes different facial expressions that are relevant to the context of the gif, this should also be noted. For example, “Veronica stops smiling and looks confused as she notices a bird on top of the TV”

If content strobes or flashes, I recommend explicitly mentioning this in the alt text. This can include descriptions of colors (“rapidly flashing rainbow lights”), how light reflects across someone’s face (“Taylor walks through a row of white strobe lights”), or the source of the lights (“camera flashes”). Avoid using terms like epilepsy or “content warning” without providing more specific information, as these do not provide specific information.

Related links

• How To Write Alt Text For Memes
• How To Write Video Descriptions For TikTok
• How To Make Accessible ASCII Art and Emoji Memes
• How To Create Image Descriptions For Red Carpet Looks

THINGS NOT TO INCLUDE WHEN WRITING ALT TEXT FOR GIFS

When writing alt text for gifs, avoid including the following information:

• Over-describing appearances or what items look like. People with visual impairments have mental models of lots of different items/animals, so no need to describe what a giraffe is or go into detail about what a specific character looks like in this context.
• Using racist, derogatory, or inappropriate ways to describe people or objects in images. However, if there is any text that has this type of language, write it out verbatim and do not censor it
• Any non-relevant information about what someone looks like. Clothes are typically considered irrelevant information, unless they are the primary focus of something and the audience is expected to focus on what the clothing looks like
• Random information that has nothing to do with the gif, such as thoughts about a celebrity or what someone had for lunch

Related links

• How To Describe Primary Source Videos For Visually Impaired Audiences
• Creating Audio Description For Viral Videos With YouDescribe
• How To Write Alt Text For Amateur Art
• How To Make Your Instagram Feed Accessible For Visual Impairment

Examples of good alt text for GIFs

Looking for an example of high-quality yet concise alt text for gifs that are helpful to audiences with visual impairments? Here are some examples of descriptions I have encountered:

• Homer Simpson slowly backing away and disappearing behind a grassy hedge
• Troy from Community walking into a room smiling and holding pizza, switching to a horrified expression when he realizes the apartment is on fire and there is chaos everywhere
• Husky lifting its paw for a high-five with the caption “you rock!”
• Taylor Swift smiling and dancing to “22” on the Eras Tour
• Rose from Doctor Who says “I want chips” with an annoyed expression
• A woman does a spit take while drinking coffee and starts laughing

The goal of each description is to capture the author’s intent in choosing a gif for a specific context, and what they want their audience to notice about it or potentially how it connects back to their original message. For example, someone may include the spit take gif to accompany a post where they mention laughing a lot, so the description of what the person looks like doesn’t really matter as much as the fact they are laughing.

Summary of how to write alt text for gifs

• Alt text and image descriptions provide information about what is in an image for people who may not otherwise be able to see it
• Social media platforms that support alt text for gifs include Twitter (X), BlueSky, and Tumblr.
• Image descriptions can be created by adding brackets at the end of the tweet with the phrase “image description” or “ID:” and writing a short description of what is in the image
• Helpful information to include when writing alt text for gifs can be the name of a celebrity or character, descriptions of people or animals, the background/setting, any emotion or relevant movement, transcriptions of captions, and any other visual effects such as animation effects
• Things not to include are overly detailed descriptions of what a person or object looks like, using racist or derogatory language that is not otherwise written in the gif, or personal thoughts on the gif
• If someone is posting a gif with lots of flashing lights, add a trigger warning or “tw” for flashing lights, strobe lights, or photosensitivity so that people do not accidentally open a gif that could harm them.

Published February 3, 2020. Updated December 2024