What this analysis does
Run a message-level accessibility preflight that highlights missing alt attributes, compatibility-sensitive markup and source choices that deserve human verification before a campaign is released.
Email accessibility is decided by markup that visual editors routinely discard. Alt text, table semantics, language declaration and heading structure determine whether a message is usable with a screen reader or with images disabled — a condition many clients apply by default.
Alt text is the highest-value fix
Many mail clients block remote images until the recipient allows them, so the alt attribute is what a large share of recipients read first regardless of assistive technology. An image with no alternative text is simply absent for them, and an image-only campaign becomes an empty message.
Decorative images should carry an explicitly empty alt attribute so they are skipped rather than announced by filename. Meaningful images need text that conveys the same information, which for a button means the action rather than a description of the graphic.
- Blocked images make alt text the primary content for many recipients.
- Decorative images need an explicitly empty alt attribute, not a missing one.
- Button images should describe the action, not the artwork.
Layout tables must not be announced as data
Email layout still depends on tables, and assistive technology cannot distinguish a layout table from a data table without markup that says so. A layout table marked with a presentation role is skipped structurally, while an unmarked one is announced cell by cell and turns a simple message into an unnavigable grid.
Genuine data tables need the opposite treatment: header cells and scope so that values can be associated with their columns and rows. The two cases are handled differently and both are commonly wrong in generated templates.
Language, structure and contrast
A declared language attribute lets a screen reader select the correct pronunciation rules; without it, content is read with the reader’s default voice, which can render a message incomprehensible. It is a single attribute and it is missing from a large proportion of templates.
Heading structure and link text carry the rest. Headings marked as real elements rather than styled paragraphs allow navigation by structure, and descriptive link text works where a list of links reading "click here" does not.
Example: an image-only campaign
Evidence supplied
A template built as a single large image with a link, and no alternative text.
How to read the result
The audit reports the message as unreadable when images are blocked and inaccessible to assistive technology, since no text alternative exists for the only content the message contains.
Known limits
- Automated analysis detects structural problems and cannot judge whether alt text is meaningful.
- Client support for accessibility markup varies considerably.
- Passing structural checks is a floor, not a substitute for testing with real assistive technology.
Common questions
Does alt text matter if recipients allow images?
Yes. Many clients block remote images by default, and alt text remains the fallback whenever an image fails to load for any reason.
How should decorative images be handled?
Give them an explicitly empty alt attribute so assistive technology skips them instead of announcing a filename.
Do layout tables need to be replaced?
No. Mark them with a presentation role so they are not announced as data. Email layout still depends on them.