New automatic alt tag feature for shopping cart products 
Author: John W.I received the e-mail today about the BETA version 2022.2.11.0 having the ability to create automatic ALT tags for the shopping cart images. So since I have been asking for this for a couple of years, I most certainly upgraded my version.
I went to my website, and brought up the source code on a page with shopping cart items. Then I did an upload of the site. Brought up the same page in a new tab, and looked at the source code. Here is an example of what I am seeing:
<imgclass="imProductListImage" src="images/Hera-FR68-MC-LED-light.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.eclectic-ware.com/images/Hera-FR68-MC-LED-light.jpg">images/Hera-FR68-MC-LED-light.jpg" alt=""
So, it did not work. ALT tag is empty. I went into the shopping cart section of the software, and into image, noticed there was an edit button, so selected the image, selected edit, resaved, re-uploaded, and same result.
Try #3 was to go into the image tab, delete all the images, re-enter the images, save, upload, and still the same result.
Try #4 was to tell the upload to Upload all files, not just changed files. Same result.
So I am suspecting that if I create a new part number, I am hoping this function works. But what about the near 2000 part numbers I already have created. How do I get the software to start dishing out ALT tags for all those shopping cart images?
Hello. I sent a notification about your question to the company employees, expect an answer from them here in the comments.
Hello John
I can confirm that the automatic ALT tag was mainly added to make sure that most SEO tools out there won't report that these images do not have an ALT tag. Even though it is acceptable for the ALT tag to be empty, it should always be there. So this is the main problem this update aimed at fixing
That being said, the ALT tag will automatically be filled with the product name in the Product Sheet and the Product Search page, while it will remain empty when presenting products via the Product Catalog Object
This was done because, in theory, it is not always right no place the name of the product as ALT tag per each of their image. If this happens on a page where only products is available, that is okay, but it might not be when the products are placed on pages where a lot of other content is present
For this reason, the ALT tag will now be automatically filled only on the pages I mentioned
Thank you
Stefano
Author
Hi Stefano,
Is is possible to allow the ALT tag to self populate with the file name of the JPEG? That would make the most sense. We have control over how we name our image files. And when we give them a description which defines them, whether it is one image or 10 added to a product card, having that image file have an ALT tag using the file name would be a BIG SEO plus. If someone is searching Google images for "white ceramic towel bar" and my ALT tag has that phrase inside the quotes instead of a blank, that is a big help toward selling a product.
How can we expand upon this to either give us control of adding a manual ALT tag to every image added to a product card, or just having the file name become the automatic ALT tag. I like your product card feature of the software, it is nice and it has many variables and control to it. We really need to get a manual or automatic ALT tag entry process for it.
The software has other automatic naming functions, such as when in a blog post, the canonical tag self names and posts an HTML entry using the blog title. Since you guys can do that, you should be able to let an ALT tag self fill.
Thanks,
Hello John
I will indeed let the developers know this so that the matter can be kept under consideration, as always without being able to guarantee whether this change will be implemented too though
Thank you for your feedback
Stefano
Author
Stefano,
Diving deeper into the program, it is obviously seeing a command to insert ALT="" whenever an image is dropped into a shopping cart card. Any way for us to access the location of where that command is being placed and then allowed to populate the field even manually? But then, each time you upload, if it does not store that entry and overwrites it with a blank, that would not be good.
I'm just trying to get myself, and the thousands of Website X5 customers of yours to gain favor in Google Image Search. That is big.
Hello John
Unfortunately, any access to such logic is restricted inside the software itself. There is no way to modify such behavior when using the final build of the software
Unless something changes on our side, manually editing the web files exported online is the only way to go. I'm sorry about the trouble this may cause
I remain available here
Stefano
Author
Stefano, here's another thought. When on a page or even in the templates section, there is a way to insert HTML code with the HTML editor. What if when creating a shopping cart card and you are in the image entry screen, there was a button that said "Insert HTML" or something similar. Thus in that field, you could type ALT="whatever I want to write"
Could an add on function per image be added like that?
Of course it would be much nicer to be automatic, but manual works for those of us who do our own SEO.
Hello John
I can and would definitely recommend turning this topic into an Idea, so that any feedback you're able to provide here can be kept highlighted to the developers
Unfortunately, and discussion about what to actually implement is done by the developing team at a different time, so any feedback I might provide about what you mention here I am afraid wouldn't be too helpful
If you're okay with it, I will turn the topic into an Idea
Thank you
Stefano
Author
Wave your wand. Idea become-a-cus.