HTML <area> alt Attribute
Example
An image-map, with clickable areas:
<img src="planets.gif"
width="145" height="126"
alt="Planets"
usemap="#planetmap">
<map
name="planetmap">
<area shape="rect" coords="0,0,82,126" href="sun.htm" alt="Sun">
<area shape="circle" coords="90,58,3" href="mercur.htm" alt="Mercury">
<area shape="circle" coords="124,58,8" href="venus.htm" alt="Venus">
</map>
Try it yourself »
Definition and Usage
The alt attribute specifies an alternate text for an area, if the image cannot be displayed.
The alt attribute provides alternative information for an image if a user for some reason cannot view it (because of slow connection, an error in the src attribute, or if the user uses a screen reader).
The alt attribute is required if the href attribute is present.
Browser Support
| Attribute | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML5
In HTML 4.01 the alt attribute is required.
In HTML5, the alt attribute is only required if the href attribute is present. If the href attribute is not present, the alt attribute should not be used.
Syntax
<area alt="text">
Attribute Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| text | Specifies the alternate text for the area, if the image cannot be displayed |
HTML <area> tag
