How can I add alternative text to images on the collections page?

Store Design

Topic summary

A user seeks to add alternative text to collection page images, noting that the alt attribute remains empty on the /collections page despite adding alt text in Shopify Admin. This issue specifically affects the Dawn theme.\n\nProblem identified:\n- Alt text can be added to collection images in Shopify Admin\n- However, the alt attribute outputs as empty (alt=\

Summarized with AI on November 4. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello guys,

I am trying to add Image Alternative Text to the /collections page. I can´t find the file that contains the code so I can add something to the alt=“” field. Does anybody know where to make changes so the alt field of the images don’t stay blank?
**Already try to add an image to any collection and add an Alternative Text to each one on Admin. It doesn’t change anything.

https://fiezaimports.com.br/collections
https://fiezaimports.com.br/collections1142×587 60.1 KB

Alt="" for every single collection
Alt="" for every single collection938×510 75.8 KB

2 Likes
2

Hi @FiezaImports ,

You can edit the alt text in the collections.

  1. From your Admin Page, click Products then Collections.

  2. Find the collection you want to edit.

  3. Go to Collection image and click Edit button, then Edit image alt text. See image below

made4Uo_0-1656534405476.png
made4Uo_0-1656534405476.png1156×878 111 KB

3

Hello, @FiezaImports

You can add image alt text in different ways

1. HTML

  • ALT text – the concept of adding a screen reader friendly text alternative description of an image. ALT attribute (HTML) – In HTML, the ALT text is inserted into the ALT attribute within the IMG tag.
  • ALT “Tag” – Shorthand reference to the ALT attribute.

2. Shopify Admin

You can also add alt text to your product images from the Shopify admin.
Tap Edit.

  • From the theme editor sidebar, click the section with the image that needs alt text.
  • Below the image, click Edit.
  • In the dialog, enter the alt text, and then click Save.
  • Click Save.

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4

It doesn’t work for the YourShop.com/collections (at least for the Dawn Theme).
That´s the problem I mentioned on the description of my question.

Thank you.

5

It doesn’t work for the YourShop.com/collections (at least for the Dawn Theme).
That´s the problem I mentioned on the description of my question.

The Alt Attribute comes out empty like alt=“” just for the page where Shopify lists all your collections by default.

Thank you.

1 Like
6

I get what you’re trying to do - we ran into this issue as well with the Dawn theme. You can add alt text to the collection images in the Shopify admin, but that text does not show on the front end of the site, because the alt tags in the liquid templates are blank. No idea why this is, but if you run your Shopify site through an SEO tool, it will flag Collection images for not having alt text.

Here’s how we fixed it for the Dawn theme.

sections/main-collection-banner.liquid

This adds alt text to the collection image at the top of a Collection page.

Around line 37

Change 
alt=""
to 
alt="{{ collection.image.alt }}"

snippets/card-collection.liquid
This adds alt text to the Collection images wherever they appear in Collection lists.
Around line 53

Change
alt=""
to
alt="{{ card_collection.featured_image.alt }}"

View source after making these changes and you should be set.

3 Likes
7

We went into more detail about fixing the blank alt tags on collection images in a blog post: https://www.shopmode.digital/blog/fix-shopify-collection-image-blank-alt-text

8

I couldn’t edit or delete the previous comment, so I’m noting that the blog post moved here: https://www.gomasuga.com/blog/fix-shopify-collection-image-blank-alt-text

9

This solution works, thanks

10

How could we do it for theme Origin?/

we have this alt=“{{ collection.image.alt | escape }}” both in main collection and in card collection.
site is www.brilliancedirect.com
Thanks