Missing image alt text (WCAG 1.1.1)
Why images without alt attributes fail screen readers, how Curbcut flags them, and what to fix in Shopify themes and product media.
What fails
An <img> without an alt attribute is invisible to many screen readers. Empty alt="" is valid for decorative images; missing alt is not. Curbcut flags tags that lack alt and are not marked presentation/aria-hidden.
Why it shows up on Shopify
Product galleries, app blocks, and theme sections often emit images without alt. Merchant-uploaded product photos frequently omit alt text in the admin media fields.
What Curbcut records
Each finding is fingerprinted to a page type and URL sample so you can see first-seen / last-seen across scans. Fixing alt and re-scanning marks the issue resolved in the ledger.