Facebook uses automatic alternative (alt) text to provide a visual description of any image posted. While this is helpful and convenient, you should still consider replacing this text to provide a better description of the image. It allows you to describe the image from a human-centered perspective thus making it more relatable to readers.
Below is a step by step guide to adding alt text to your Facebook photos.
To see and edit alt text for a photo before you post it:
1. Click “Photo/Video” at the top of your News Feed. Select the photo you want to add then click “Open” to proceed.
![01-a Screenshot of Facebook News Feed. "Photo/Video" button is encircled for emphasis.](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/01-a.jpg)
![Upload image window](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/02.png)
2. Hover over the photo and click Edit then go to Alternative Text.
![Alt Text 3 A screenshot of the Advanced Settings page for an Instagram post. One of the options is Accessibility and there is a link "Write Alt Text" which is encircled.](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/03.jpg)
![](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/04.jpg)
3. The automatically generated text will be shown on the left side of your photo. Click custom alt text to override and edit.
![05](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/05.jpg)
4. Write your alt text in the box. (To change back to the automatically generated text, click Clear.) To save your alt text, click Save in the bottom left.
![06-a](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/06-a.jpg)
To change the alt text of a photo after you’ve posted it:
1. Click the photo to open it. Click the 3 dots in the top right for the Photo Settings. Select “Change Alt Text”.
![edit-02](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/edit-02.jpg)
![edit-03](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/edit-03.jpg)
2. Change the alt text in the text box. You can also click Clear to change your edited alt text back to the automatically generated text. Click Save.
![edit-04](https://accessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/edit-04.jpg)
Want to add alt text to your Instagram photos too? We’ve got a guide for that.
If you need any help with writing alt text or image descriptions, please don’t hesitate to email us.