We know writing ALT text on your Squarespace website isn’t the most exciting part of building your website, but it’s non-negotiable.

ALT descriptions are key for both SEO and accessibility, helping your site show up in search and making sure it’s usable for people using screen readers.

The problem? Manually writing ALT descriptions for every single image on your site can be mind-numbing. And easy to skip.

Thankfully, Squarespace has rolled out a brand-new AI tool that helps you generate ALT text in bulk, no plugin, no external tool, no drama.

Here’s how to use it properly (and why you still need to tweak a few things to make it work for your SEO goals).

Step 1: Open Your SEO Settings

Head to your Squarespace dashboard. On the left-hand menu, go to:

Settings → Marketing → SEO Appearance

This is where you’ll find your site-wide SEO tools and now, a little AI magic.

Step 2: Spot the Missing ALT Text

You’ll land on your SEO report. Look for the section that shows how many images are missing ALT descriptions. It’ll look something like:

“12/57 images missing ALT text”

Underneath that, you’ll see a button that says: Improve with AI.

Click it.

This is where Squarespace’s AI tool steps in and starts generating ALT text suggestions based on what it can detect in your images.

Step 3: Review (and Edit!) the AI Suggestions

Once the AI’s done its thing, you’ll see a list of suggested ALT descriptions. And here’s the part most people skip, don’t just click save and walk away.

Go through each one.

Hit Edit.

Tweak the copy so it reflects:

1. What the image is actually showing
2. Your brand tone of voice
3. The keywords you actually want to rank for

If the AI suggestion is totally off or too generic? Click Regenerate.

But remember: AI is a starting point, not the final say.

Why ALT Text (and Keywords) Matter More Than You Think

Search engines can’t “see” images, they rely on ALT text to understand what those visuals are about.

That means every image on your site is a little SEO opportunity.

But here’s the catch: generic ALT text like “woman holding laptop” doesn’t do much.

Specific, keyword-rich descriptions like “Creative brand kit mockup for Squarespace websites”? That’s where the gold is.

This is why we always recommend keeping a Master Keyword List on hand.

Your Master Keyword List = Your Secret Weapon

If you’re serious about being found online, your ALT text strategy should tie back to your SEO strategy and that starts with knowing which keywords actually matter to your business.

We recommend creating a list of 10–20 core keywords that:

1. Reflect what you offer
2. Match what your dream client is searching for
3. Have a healthy balance of search volume (demand) and search difficulty (competition)
   

Then use this list across:

1. Your page titles
2. Your product names
3. Your blog posts
4. And yes, your ALT descriptions
   

The key? Add keywords naturally. It should still read like a human wrote it, not like you shoved a search term in where it didn’t belong. This isn’t just for Google’s benefit, it also supports users who rely on screen readers.

Final Thoughts

We love that Squarespace is finally making ALT descriptions easier to manage.

But even with AI on your side, your eyes and strategy are still the most powerful tools in the room.

Use the tool to save time, then use your keyword list to make it work even harder.

And if you’re building out your site and want to get everything looking sharp and SEO-smart from the start?

Check out our [brand kits] and [code snippets] made for Squarespace users who want standout design with no guesswork (or coding headaches).

Because strong SEO doesn’t start with Google, it starts with how you show up.