Success Criteria

WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content

Success Criterion 1.1.1 requires that all non-text content presented to the user has a text alternative that serves an equivalent purpose — with a short, defined list of exceptions. It's a Level A criterion, part of the Perceivable principle, under Guideline 1.1 (Text Alternatives).

What it actually requires

Any non-text content — images, icons, charts, image buttons, CAPTCHA — needs a text equivalent that conveys the same information or purpose, so it remains available to someone who can't perceive the non-text content directly (a screen reader user, or someone with images disabled).

The exceptions

WCAG defines specific cases where a full text alternative isn't required:

• Controls and inputs need a name describing their purpose, not a full description (a search icon button needs alt="Search", not a description of what a magnifying glass looks like)
• Time-based media (audio/video) just needs a text label identifying it here — full alternatives are covered by separate criteria under Guideline 1.2
• Tests or exercises that would be invalidated by a text version (like a visual perception test) are exempt, though a text description of the purpose is still expected
• Purely decorative content — visual flourishes carrying no information — can be implemented so assistive technology ignores it entirely (alt="")
• CAPTCHA needs a text alternative identifying its purpose, plus alternative CAPTCHA forms for different disability types

How it's tested

This is one of WCAG's most fully automatable criteria — a scanner can reliably detect the presence or absence of an alt attribute, though judging whether the alt text is actually good requires human review. See Missing Alt Text for concrete fix patterns and the most common failure modes.

Why this criterion ranks first

1.1.1 is the first success criterion in the entire WCAG spec, and not by accident — non-text content is one of the most fundamental and most common accessibility barriers on the web, and industry data consistently shows it as the single most-cited issue in accessibility litigation.

Common questions

What is WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content?

A Level A criterion requiring a text alternative for all non-text content, so screen reader users get the same information sighted users get from the image or control.

What counts as an exception?

Purely decorative images just need an empty alt (alt='') so they're skipped; controls, CAPTCHAs, tests, and sensory content have their own relaxed but specific requirements.

How is 1.1.1 tested?

Automated tools reliably detect missing alt attributes on images and image buttons; whether existing alt text is actually meaningful requires human review.