Add a caption or ALT text to an image

Captions and alternative (ALT) text improve the accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) of images. Captions add visual context, while ALT text helps search engines and screen readers understand the image.

A caption appears below the image or, in some themes, overlaid on the image. Follow these steps to add a caption to an image:

1. Start at your WordPress.com dashboard.
2. Edit the page, post, or template where you added the image. 
3. Click on the image you want to add the caption to.
4. Click the “Caption” icon In the toolbar that appears above the image. The icon looks like a square with a dotted line at the bottom:

5. Type the caption where the “Add caption” placeholder appears.

Captions added in the Media Library automatically appear when inserting a new image. Captions added to the Media Library will not appear on previously added images. Manually add the caption, or re-insert the image. 

You can use the AI Assistant (the three stars next to the caption icon in the toolbar) to generate a caption to accompany your image:

1. In the editor, click on the image you want to add the caption to.
2. Click the AI Assistant icon in the toolbar that appears when you click the image. It looks like three stars:

3. Select the option to “Generate caption” to automatically generate a caption based on the image you added.
4. You can then manually edit the caption by clicking on it.
5. Click Save to save your changes.

Use the toolbar above the caption to format text, including bold, italics, links, and additional options. The steps are:

1. Start at your WordPress.com dashboard.
2. Edit the page, post, or template where you added the image. 
3. Highlight a portion, or all of the caption, you want to format. 
4. Select from the formatting options, including:
   • Bold
   • Italic
   • Add a Link
   • The More icon includes:
     • Adding a Footnote
     • Highlight: Change the text and background color
     • Inline Code
     • Inline Image
     • Keyboard Input style
     • Language attribute
     • Strikethrough
     • Subscript
     • Superscript

The caption’s alignment (left, center, right) will mirror the alignment of the image. 

Use the Alternative Text (ALT) field to describe the image’s purpose. This text is used by search engines and screen readers.

1. Start at your WordPress.com dashboard.
2. Edit the page, post, or template where you added the image. 
3. Click on the image you want to add the ALT text to.
4. Open the sidebar settings by clicking the “Settings” icon in the top toolbar.
5. Find the “Alternative Text” field and enter your description. Here are some best practices for creating alternative text descriptions.

You can use the AI Assistant (the three stars next to the caption icon in the toolbar) to write alt text that describes your image:

1. In the editor, click on the image you want to add the alt text to.
2. Click the AI Assistant icon in the toolbar that appears when you click the image. It looks like three stars:

3. Select the option to “Generate alt text” to automatically write alt text based on the image you added.
4. You can then manually edit the alt text by clicking on it, if needed.
5. Click Save to save your changes.

Mark an image as decorative to hide it from screen readers and other assistive technologies. Use this setting for images that are purely visual and carry no information a reader needs, such as:

• Borders and dividers
• Background or spacer images
• Purely decorative graphics

For these decorative images, check the “Mark as decorative” checkbox in the Image block sidebar settings, below where you add ALT text:

When you mark an image as decorative, the image is hidden from assistive technologies. WordPress sets the image’s ALT text to empty, so the Alternative Text field is no longer used.

The image still displays on your site as usual. To learn more, read about how to improve your site’s accessibility.

Follow these steps to reset the ALT text for an image:

1. Click on the image you want to edit.
2. Open the sidebar settings by clicking the “Settings” icon in the top toolbar.
3. Open the “Settings options” menu by clicking the three dots to the right of the “Settings” header.
4. Click the “Reset” option next to the Alternative text setting.