How to write alt text

Alt text is a written description of what's in an image.

It lets people using screen readers understand your images.
It's shown as fallback text when the image can't be displayed, for example on a poor connection.

thamit encourages adding alt text so your page comes across to everyone.

Where can I set it?

Image block: enter it in the "Alt text (image description)" field.
Photo album: enter it per photo in the "Alt text (optional)" field.

Both are limited to 200 characters.

For other images — link thumbnails, owned-avatar images, and so on — thamit adds a description automatically, so you don't need to enter anything.

The basics

The core idea: write as if you're describing the image, in words only, to someone who can't see it.
Keep it short and focused. You don't need to describe everything in the picture.
No need to write "an image of…" or "a photo of…". Screen readers already announce that it's an image.
If there's text inside the image, always include that text. Dates and times on a flyer are completely lost to anyone who can't see the image.

Examples of images common in VRChat

Avatar photos

Write the avatar's name plus its notable features or pose.

✕ Avatar
◯ "Kikyo", a white-haired avatar with animal ears, doing a peace sign in a cherry blossom world

For modified avatars, mentioning your favorite customization points is a nice touch.

Group photos with friends

Write where it was taken and what's happening. No need to describe everyone.

✕ Group photo
◯ Group photo with five friends around a campfire in the world "Fuji"

World scenery

Write the world's name and what the scene shows.

◯ A nighttime amusement park world, with the Ferris wheel lit up

Event flyers and posters

Include the text from the image (event name, day of week, time, how to join, and so on) in the alt text too.

✕ Event flyer
◯ Flyer for the music event "Moon Cafe". Every Friday from 10 PM, held in a Group instance

When to leave it empty (decorative images)

Divider lines, background decorations, and other images that carry no meaning of their own can be left empty. An empty alt text makes screen readers skip the image, which actually makes listening easier.

Common mistakes

Leaving the file name as-is (like VRChat_2026-07-01_22-15.png)
Listing keywords (like avatar cute animal ears modded)
Writing too much (the main point gets lost)