🔍 What Is the Onpage Audit Flagging?
When you run an Onpage Audit in Search Atlas, the tool scans every image on your page — including SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files. If an SVG element is missing an alt attribute, the audit flags it as an actionable task, just like it would for a standard JPG or PNG image.
You may notice that some of these SVG images do not display a visual preview inside the audit task panel. This is expected behaviour. SVGs are code-based graphics, and the platform may not render a thumbnail for every SVG type. The task is still valid and worth addressing.
📋 Why Alt Text Matters for SVG Images
Alt text serves two important purposes:
- Accessibility: Screen readers use alt text to describe images to visually impaired users. Missing alt text on SVGs can make your page non-compliant with accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.1.
- SEO: Search engines read alt text to understand image content. While SVGs are often used for icons or decorative elements, providing descriptive alt text helps search engines index your page content more accurately and can contribute to image search visibility.
💡 What Alt Text Should You Write for an SVG?
The right alt text depends on the purpose of the SVG on your page. Use the guidance below to decide:
- Informative SVG (charts, diagrams, illustrations): Write a concise description of what the image communicates. For example: "Bar chart showing monthly organic traffic growth from January to June 2025."
- Functional SVG (logos, buttons, icons that link somewhere): Describe the action or destination. For example: "Search Atlas logo — link to homepage" or "Download report icon."
- Decorative SVG (purely visual, adds no information): Use an empty alt attribute: alt="". This tells screen readers to skip the image, which is the correct approach for decoration-only graphics.
Keep alt text under 125 characters, avoid phrases like "image of" or "graphic of," and include a relevant keyword naturally if it fits the context — do not force it.
⚠️ Will Skipping SVG Alt Text Hurt My SEO?
Yes, leaving SVG alt text empty or absent can have a negative impact in several ways:
- Missed ranking signals: Search engines cannot interpret the SVG content without alt text, so you lose a potential on-page optimisation opportunity.
- Accessibility penalties: Poor accessibility can indirectly affect SEO. Google has stated that it values pages that are usable by all visitors.
- Audit score: Unresolved alt text tasks will continue to lower your Onpage Audit score in Search Atlas, which affects your overall site health rating.
Addressing these tasks is a quick win that improves both your SEO performance and the experience for all users visiting your site.
🛠️ How to Fix SVG Alt Text Issues
- Open your Onpage Audit report in Search Atlas and locate the task flagging missing alt text on an SVG image.
- Visit the page in question and identify the SVG — check your page source or CMS if the preview is not visible in the audit panel.
- Determine whether the SVG is informative, functional, or decorative (see the guidance above).
- Add the appropriate alt attribute directly in your HTML, CMS, or page builder. For decorative SVGs, add alt="". For all others, write a descriptive, keyword-relevant phrase.
- Save your changes, re-crawl the page, and re-run the Onpage Audit to confirm the task is resolved.
✅ Quick Reference: Alt Text Cheatsheet
- Informative SVG: Describe the content clearly and concisely.
- Functional SVG: Describe the action or link destination.
- Decorative SVG: Use alt="" (empty, not missing).
- All cases: Keep it under 125 characters and avoid keyword stuffing.
💬 Still Need Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.