# How to add alt text to an image in PowerPoint on Mac: steps for Microsoft 365

> How to add alt text to an image in PowerPoint on Mac: right-click the picture, open View Alt Text, and type one or two plain sentences.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-alt-text-to-an-image-in-powerpoint
Updated: 2026-11-08

In PowerPoint for Mac, right-click the picture, choose View Alt Text, and type one or two sentences that describe what the picture shows and why it matters. If the picture adds nothing to the meaning, check Mark as decorative instead, and screen readers will skip it.

## Quick answer

- Right-click the picture and choose View Alt Text, or select it and go to Picture Format > Alt Text.
- Write one or two sentences about what the picture shows and why it is on the slide.
- Check Mark as decorative for pictures that add no meaning, such as borders or a repeated logo.
- Microsoft does not document a keyboard shortcut for alt text. The only related one is ⌘, for preferences.
- Read every AI-drafted description before you share the deck, and delete extra comments.

Applies to: PowerPoint for Mac in Microsoft 365, and Office 2021 to 2024 for Mac. Time: 3 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- PowerPoint for Mac from Microsoft 365, or Office 2021 to 2024 for Mac
- A picture on a slide that you can select with a click
- Microsoft 365 subscription and version 16.107 or later for AI-drafted alt text

## How to Add alt text to a picture in PowerPoint on Mac in PowerPoint on a Mac

1. **Open the deck and select the picture.** Open the presentation in PowerPoint for Mac. Go to the slide with the picture and click the picture once so that it is selected.
2. **Open the right-click menu.** Shortcut: ⌃ click. Control-click the picture, or right-click it with your trackpad or mouse. The context menu opens over the picture. Tip: If nothing opens, set Secondary click under System Settings > Mouse or Trackpad.
3. **Choose View Alt Text.** (Right-click menu > View Alt Text) Click View Alt Text in the menu. The Alt Text pane opens with a text box for your description.
4. **Type one or two sentences.** Describe what the picture shows and why it is on this slide. Keep it to one or two sentences. Skip the words image of or picture of.
5. **Use the ribbon instead if you prefer.** (Picture Format > Alt Text) Select the picture, open the Picture Format tab, and choose Alt Text. The same pane opens, so you can type the description there. Tip: In some versions the command sits on the Format tab instead.
6. **Mark decorative pictures.** (Picture Format > Alt Text > Mark as decorative) For a picture that adds no meaning, select the Mark as decorative checkbox. The text box grays out, which is expected.
7. **Generate a draft if you want one.** (Picture Format > Alt Text > Generate alt text for me) Select the picture, go to Picture Format > Alt Text, and choose Generate alt text for me. This needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and version 16.107 or later.
8. **Read and correct the text.** Compare the draft with the picture. Correct anything wrong, and delete extra comments such as Description automatically generated.
9. **Check the rest of the deck.** (Review > Check Accessibility > Missing Alt Text) Close the Alt Text pane and repeat for each picture. Then run a check for pictures that still lack alt text.
10. **Save the file.** Shortcut: ⌘S. Save the presentation. The alt text is part of the file, so anyone who opens it gets the same descriptions.

Alt text is a short written description attached to a picture. A screen reader reads it aloud when it reaches the picture. People who cannot see the slide hear the description instead of silence. The text stays in the file, so it travels with the deck when you share it.

## Why alt text matters in a PowerPoint deck

Decks outlive the meeting. They get forwarded, uploaded and reused for months. A picture with no description tells a screen reader user nothing, and that gap stays in every copy. Missing alt text is common across the web too. An automated scan of the top one million home pages found missing image alt text on 53.1% of them, according to WebAIM. That number covers websites, not PowerPoint, so read it as a sign of the problem, not a score for your slides.

- **53.1%** of top one million home pages had images missing alt text in WebAIM's 2026 scan ([source](https://webaim.org/projects/million/))
- **16.2%** of all images in that scan lacked alt text, counting missing alt attributes only ([source](https://webaim.org/projects/million/))
- **1.3 billion** people worldwide experience significant disability, 16% of the population (WHO, March 2023) ([source](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health))

Disability is common. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, experience significant disability. Some of them will read your deck with a screen reader. Others use magnifiers or text-to-speech tools. Clear descriptions help all of them.

![Person at a laptop reviewing a presentation deck before sharing it with a team](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-alt-text-to-an-image-in-powerpoint/how-to-add-alt-text-to-an-1-03e105.jpg)

## Open the Alt Text pane in Microsoft 365 for Mac

Microsoft 365 for Mac gives you two routes to the same pane. The right-click route is the fastest once you know it. Control-click the picture, and the context menu opens. Choose View Alt Text, and the pane opens with a text box ready for you.

The ribbon route takes one more click, but it is easier to find when a menu behaves oddly. Select the picture, open the Picture Format tab, and choose Alt Text. Some versions put the same command on the Format tab. If Picture Format does not show, check that the picture is selected.

| Version | Right-click label | Ribbon route | Decorative option |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 for Mac | View Alt Text | Picture Format > Alt Text | Mark as decorative checkbox |
| Office 2021 to 2024 for Mac | Edit Alt Text | Format > Alt Text | Decorative checkbox |
| PowerPoint for the web | Alt Text | Picture > Alt Text | Not listed in Microsoft's web steps |

_Alt text menu labels by version. Check your own menu before you follow a guide._

> **Labels change by version:** Older guides may use different words than your menu. If your menu says something else, look for Alt Text in the right-click menu or on the ribbon.

## What to type in the alt text box

Microsoft suggests one or two sentences that describe the object and its context. Describe what the picture shows and why it sits on this slide. Skip phrases like image of or picture of. Screen readers already announce that the item is a picture.

Take a bar chart of quarterly sales that rises every quarter. A weak description says Chart. A useful one says: Bar chart of quarterly sales, rising each quarter across the year. The second version tells the listener what the chart shows, which is the reason it is on the slide.

![Man typing on a Mac laptop at a desk, reviewing slides for a PowerPoint deck](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-alt-text-to-an-image-in-powerpoint/how-to-add-alt-text-to-an-2-bc2c33.jpg)

Now take a photo of a team at a whiteboard, used on a slide about project planning. The alt text might read: Several colleagues stand at a whiteboard, sketching a project timeline. The description names the people, the activity and the topic. It does not guess at names or feelings, which you cannot verify from a photo.

Keep the description short. Long alt text makes a screen reader user wait through every word. If the slide needs more detail, put it in the slide text or the speaker notes. You can read more in [how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-speaker-notes-in-powerpoint).

## Mistakes people make with alt text

- Leaving the box empty and trusting the file name. A name like photo-final-copy tells a listener nothing.
- Repeating the slide title word for word. The slide title already gives that context.
- Using the same words for every picture in the deck.
- Describing a decorative border in detail, instead of marking it decorative.
- Forgetting charts and diagrams, which need your own words even when a draft appears.
- Accepting AI text without reading it.

## Mark decorative images so screen readers skip them

Some pictures add nothing to the meaning. Borders, textures, and a logo repeated on every slide often fall into this group. Microsoft lets you mark these as decorative, so screen readers skip them. Select the picture, choose Picture Format > Alt Text, and select the Mark as decorative checkbox.

When the box is checked, the text field grays out. That is expected. It does not mean something broke. Clear the checkbox if you need to type a description again.

Use this option carefully. A chart, a diagram, a result screenshot or a photo of a person carries meaning. Marking it decorative hides that meaning from a screen reader user. When in doubt, describe it.

## Let PowerPoint draft alt text, then check it

Microsoft switched automatic alt text for Word and PowerPoint for Mac to a generative AI model. It replaced the earlier Azure Vision model. The feature needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and PowerPoint for Mac version 16.107 or later. To check your version, choose PowerPoint > About PowerPoint in the menu bar.

To draft one picture, select it and go to Picture Format > Alt Text, then choose Generate alt text for me. To find every picture that still lacks a description, go to Review > Check Accessibility > Missing Alt Text. Work through the list one picture at a time.

You can also have PowerPoint generate descriptions as you insert pictures. Press ⌘, to open preferences, select Accessibility, and select or clear Automatically generate alt text for me. Users with a perpetual license use an older opt-in setting instead, under File > Options > Accessibility.

Read every draft before you trust it. Microsoft's guidance says to always check auto-generated alt text for accuracy. Delete extra comments such as Description automatically generated. Those phrases are not a description of the picture.

## Charts, SmartArt and shapes need your own words

Microsoft's PowerPoint accessibility guidance says charts, SmartArt, screenshots and shapes need manual alt text. A generated draft can miss the point of a chart or the order of a process. Write these yourself, even when a draft appears.

For a chart, name the chart type, the topic and the main trend. For SmartArt, list the boxes in order, because the order carries the meaning. For a screenshot, name the app and the part of the screen the slide focuses on. For a shape, say what it does on the slide, such as a callout box.

![Laptop screen showing a presentation slide, the kind of slide that needs alt text on a Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-alt-text-to-an-image-in-powerpoint/how-to-add-alt-text-to-an-3-0faaef.jpg)

## Office 2021 to 2024 and PowerPoint for the web

Older versions use different words. In Office 2021 to 2024 for Mac, control-click the object and select Edit Alt Text. You can also choose Format > Alt Text. The decorative option is a Decorative checkbox in the pane.

Choosing Generate a description for me in those versions opens a dialog called Use Intelligent Services? with a Turn on button. Read the prompt before you accept it, so you know what you are switching on.

PowerPoint for the web uses its own labels. Right-click the picture and select Alt Text, or select the picture and choose Picture > Alt Text. Shapes and embedded videos use Shape > Alt Text. SmartArt uses SmartArt > Alt Text. Tables use Table Layout > Alt Text.

Microsoft's web steps do not mention a Mark as decorative option. Check the pane before you rely on it. The web app can also draft a description with Generate a description for me.

## When the alt text option does not appear

Start with the simplest check. Click the picture itself, not the slide background, then right-click again. If View Alt Text still does not show, use the ribbon route. Microsoft's guidance does not list a fix for a missing menu item, so the ribbon route is the safe fallback.

If control-click does nothing, your Mac may be set to a different secondary click. Open System Settings, choose Mouse or Trackpad, and set Secondary click. Then try the right-click route again.

## Check the whole deck before you share it

1. Run Review > Check Accessibility > Missing Alt Text and work through every item it lists.
2. Read each description against its slide. Does it match what the picture shows?
3. Confirm decorative pictures are checked, and meaningful ones are not.
4. Delete generated comments and filler phrases.
5. Test the deck with VoiceOver, the screen reader built into macOS, if you have time.

Then save the file. Press ⌘S. The alt text lives in the file, so the people who receive it get the same descriptions you wrote.

## Next steps after the alt text is done

Once your pictures have descriptions, the rest of the deck is easier to check. If you present from a laptop with a second screen, [use Presenter View](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/use-presenter-view-in-powerpoint). If you record the talk with narration, [record a slide show in PowerPoint on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/record-a-slide-show-in-powerpoint).

Once you have a routine, the work is quick. Most of the thinking goes into charts. Give those your full attention.

## Shortcuts

- Open PowerPoint preferences to find Accessibility settings: ⌘,
- Open the right-click menu on a picture: ⌃ click
- Save the presentation: ⌘S

## If it does not work

- **View Alt Text is missing from the right-click menu.** Click the picture itself, not the slide background, then right-click again. If it still does not show, use Picture Format > Alt Text. Check your version under PowerPoint > About PowerPoint, because labels differ between versions.
- **Control-click does nothing on the picture.** Open System Settings, choose Mouse or Trackpad, and set Secondary click. Then try the right-click route again.
- **The alt text box is grayed out.** The Mark as decorative checkbox is probably selected. Clear it to type a description.
- **Generate alt text for me does not appear.** The feature needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and version 16.107 or later. Update Office, then check your version under PowerPoint > About PowerPoint.
- **The description says Description automatically generated.** Delete that phrase. It is an extra comment, not a description of the picture. Write one or two plain sentences instead.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where's the alt text option?”: Lazur circles View Alt Text and labels it. You still make the click yourself. (Points at it)

## FAQ

### Where is alt text in PowerPoint for Mac?

In Microsoft 365 for Mac, right-click the picture and choose View Alt Text. You can also select the picture and go to Picture Format > Alt Text. Office 2021 to 2024 uses Edit Alt Text and Format > Alt Text.

### Is there a keyboard shortcut for alt text?

Microsoft does not document one for alt text. The only related shortcut in its guidance is ⌘, for preferences, where you can select or clear Automatically generate alt text for me under Accessibility.

### How long should alt text be?

Microsoft suggests one or two sentences. Describe what the picture shows and why it is on the slide. Put long detail in the slide text or the speaker notes instead.

### Should I write alt text for a logo?

Often not. A logo repeated on every slide is usually decorative, so mark it as decorative. If the logo tells people who is presenting, describe it in a few words, such as Company logo.

### Can I trust AI-generated alt text?

Check it every time. Microsoft says to always check auto-generated alt text for accuracy. Fix mistakes and delete extra comments before you share the deck.

### Do I need alt text on slides I only use in my own talks?

Yes, if the deck might be shared, recorded or reused later. Alt text helps anyone who uses a screen reader, and the file often outlives the meeting it was made for.

### Does PowerPoint for the web work the same way?

Close, but the labels differ. Right-click the picture and select Alt Text, or choose Picture > Alt Text. Microsoft's web steps do not mention a Mark as decorative option.

### Which version do I need for AI-drafted alt text?

You need a Microsoft 365 subscription and Word and PowerPoint for Mac version 16.107 or later. Check your version under PowerPoint > About PowerPoint.

## Sources

1. [Add alternative text to a shape, picture, chart, SmartArt graphic, or other object](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/office-accessibility/add-alternative-text-to-a-shape-picture-chart-smartart-graphic-or-other-object), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-08
2. [Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/powerpoint/make-your-powerpoint-presentations-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-08
3. [Generate richer alt text in Word and PowerPoint for Mac](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/generate-richer-alt-text-in-word-and-powerpoint-for-mac/4499422), Microsoft Tech Community, checked 2026-11-08
4. [Release notes for Office for Mac](https://learn.microsoft.com/officeupdates/release-notes-office-for-mac), Microsoft Learn, checked 2026-11-08
5. [WebAIM Million 2026](https://webaim.org/projects/million/), WebAIM, checked 2026-11-08
6. [Disability and health fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health), World Health Organization, checked 2026-11-08