Add Alternative Text to Image Input Buttons

This check finds <input type="image"> controls without an alt attribute. Unlike a content image, this element is a submit button, so its alternative text should describe the action.

Why this matters

The image may not load or may not be visible to a screen-reader user. Without an alternative, the form control can have no useful accessible name, leaving its purpose unclear.

How to fix it

1. Set alt to the action, such as alt="Search" or alt="Submit order".
2. Keep the wording concise and avoid filenames or visual descriptions that do not explain the result.
3. If the image is decorative beside a standard button, use a real <button> and hide the decorative image from assistive technology.
4. Ensure the control also has a clear focus indicator and sufficient target size.

When the finding appears across many URLs, fix the shared component or layout that produces it instead of patching generated HTML page by page. Recheck representative templates and responsive states after deployment so the correction does not create a regression elsewhere.

How to verify the fix

Inspect the computed accessible name, disable image loading, and submit the form with a keyboard. The control’s action should remain obvious and operable.

Keep before-and-after evidence for the affected URL, original output, correction, and verification method. If markup changes after load, test consent states, localization, responsive variants, and client-side navigation because the initial HTML and rendered DOM can differ.

Further reading

• MDN image input reference