What this check inspects
Shipwork parses the img tags in a page and counts three things: images with no alt attribute at all, images missing width or height, and images not marked loading=lazy. An empty alt, which is the correct markup for a decorative image, is reported separately so real omissions are not hidden by it. It records the first hundred images with their source, alt and loading values.
What a failure means
Images with no alt attribute are an error: screen readers announce nothing and image search cannot interpret them. Missing dimensions are a warning because they cause layout shift. More than a few non-lazy images is informational.
How to fix it
- Give content images a short, specific alt attribute that describes what the image shows.
- Use an empty alt, alt="", for genuinely decorative images so they are skipped rather than announced.
- Set width and height attributes so the browser reserves space before the image loads.
- Add loading=lazy to images below the fold, but leave the main product image eager so it does not delay the largest paint.
A typical failure, worked through
The setupA store marks every product gallery image decorative, including the main image, because the theme author used an empty alt to avoid double-reading with the caption.
What the check reportsThe check reports few missing alt attributes but many empty ones, and notes that empty alt is correct only for decorative images. The main product image is invisible to image search.
The pointAn empty alt is a deliberate statement, not a neutral default. Reserve it for images that carry no information.