Alt text and transcript checker for AI search

AI retrieval is text retrieval. Every image without alt text and every video without a transcript is work you did that engines cannot use.

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3 checks · 3% of the Slurp Score · Updated July 2026

Why images and video need text for AI search

Alt text is the only route an image has into a text index. A transcript is the only route a video has. Media schema fills in what a machine cannot extract on its own, like what a video shows, when it was published and where its thumbnail lives.

The rule matches accessibility, which makes it easy to apply. Informative media gets a real text alternative. Decorative images get an empty alt attribute so screen readers and crawlers skip them. GetSlurp never penalizes a correctly empty alt.

Studies and sources: Google: video best practices

What GetSlurp checks

  • Alt text coverage How many informative images carry a description.
  • Video transcripts Whether embedded video has text on the page.
  • Media schema VideoObject and ImageObject metadata.
  • Decorative images Correctly empty alt attributes, never penalized.

Every check in this category

This list comes straight from the audit engine, so it always matches what the extension and MCP server actually run.

media.alt-textGraded

Alt text is the only way image content enters text-based retrieval; images without it simply do not exist for AI answers.

Fix: Write descriptive alt text for every informative image.

media.video-transcriptGraded

Video content is invisible to text retrieval without a transcript or captions on the page.

Fix: Publish a transcript (or caption track) alongside embedded video.

media.schemaGraded

VideoObject/ImageObject schema gives machines the metadata (title, description, thumbnail) they cannot extract from the media itself.

Fix: Add VideoObject schema for embedded videos and ImageObject for key images.

Alt text and transcript checker for AI search: frequently asked questions

Does alt text help AI search?

Yes. AI retrieval is text retrieval, and alt text is the only way an image enters a text index. An image without it is invisible to AI, however good the image is.

How do videos get into AI answers?

Through text. A transcript is the only way a video's content enters a text index, and media schema fills in what machines cannot extract on their own, like what it shows and when it was made.

Should decorative images have alt text?

No. Decorative images take an empty alt attribute so screen readers and crawlers skip them, while informative images get a real description. GetSlurp does not penalize a correctly empty alt.

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