How to fix image redundant alt on Squarespace

Steps for Squarespace

1. Click the image block on your page to select it → click the pencil (Edit) icon → go to the 'Design' or 'Content' tab → find 'Caption' or 'Filename' used as alt → switch to the 'Accessibility' or 'Alt Text' field (available in Squarespace 7.1) and clear it if the surrounding content already describes the image.
2. For product images in Squarespace Commerce: go to Commerce → Inventory → select product → click the product image → find the 'Image Alt Text' field in the image dialog and clear it.
3. For gallery blocks: click the gallery → Edit → click the pencil on each image → clear the 'Alt Text' field.
4. Squarespace uses the image filename as a fallback alt if no alt text is set; rename image files to empty or generic names (e.g., decorative.jpg) to avoid filename-based redundancy.

<img src="red-running-shoes.jpg" alt="" />
<!-- alt="" marks image as decorative when surrounding text (e.g. an <h2>) already says "Red Running Shoes" -->

<!-- For a linked image where the anchor text already describes the link: -->
<a href="/red-running-shoes">
  <img src="red-running-shoes.jpg" alt="" />
  Red Running Shoes
</a>

What is image redundant alt?

Every image on a web page can have an "alt" attribute — a short text description that screen readers announce aloud to blind or visually impaired shoppers. The "image-redundant-alt" issue means an image's alt text says exactly (or nearly) the same thing as visible text right next to it — for example, a product photo with alt="Red Running Shoes" placed directly beneath a heading that already reads "Red Running Shoes." Screen readers end up announcing the same phrase twice in a row, which is confusing and disorienting for shoppers who rely on them.

When screen reader users hear the same text repeated back-to-back, it wastes their time and creates a disjointed, unprofessional shopping experience — making them more likely to abandon your store. Accessibility failures like this can expose your business to legal risk under laws such as the ADA (US), the Equality Act (UK), and the European Accessibility Act (EU). Google's crawlers also read alt text: redundant, repetitive alt attributes are a low-quality signal that can dilute the value of your image SEO. Fixing this is a quick win that simultaneously improves the experience for assistive-technology users, reduces legal exposure, and keeps your image metadata clean for search engines.

See the complete Image redundant alt guide for every platform and the full background.