How to fix input image alt on Shopify
Add a descriptive `alt` attribute to every `<input type="image">` element so screen readers can announce its purpose to visually impaired shoppers.
Steps for Shopify
- In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes → click the three-dot menu beside your active theme → Edit code.
- Use the search box (top-left of the code editor) to search for `type="image"` across all theme files.
- For each match found (commonly in `sections/header.liquid`, `snippets/search-form.liquid`, or `templates/cart.liquid`), add or update the `alt` attribute: `<input type="image" src="..." alt="Submit search">`.
- If the button is rendered by an app (e.g. a PayPal app), open the app's settings — most reputable payment apps include their own alt text; if not, contact the app developer.
- Click Save, then preview the theme and verify with the axe browser extension.
What is input image alt?
An `<input type="image">` is an image used as a clickable button — common examples include a custom "Buy Now" graphic, a PayPal button, a search icon, or a branded "Submit" image on a form. Like a regular `<img>` tag, it requires an `alt` attribute that describes what the button does. When that attribute is missing or empty, a screen reader has no text to read aloud, so it either skips the button entirely or announces something unhelpful like the image file name (e.g. "btn_buynow_92x26.gif"). WCAG Success Criterion 1.1.1 — Non-text Content — requires all non-text interactive elements to have a text alternative.
Roughly 7–8 million Americans use screen readers, and missing `alt` text on a button can make it completely impossible for them to complete a purchase or submit a form — a direct loss of sales. Beyond conversions, this is a legal compliance issue: the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and similar laws worldwide increasingly require websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, and failing audits can trigger demand letters or lawsuits. Google's crawlers also read `alt` text to understand image context; descriptive text on interactive elements contributes to the overall accessibility and quality signals that influence rankings. Fixing this is typically a one-line code change with an outsized positive impact.
See the complete Input image alt guide for every platform and the full background.
Not sure if your Shopify store has this?
Run a free SEOLZ scan — we’ll find input image alt and every other issue across your whole site.
Scan my site free