How to Add Alt Text to Instagram Reels

Adding alt text to your Instagram Reels is one of the quickest wins you can get for your account, improving both accessibility and discoverability in just a few seconds. This guide will show you exactly how to add alt text to new and existing Reels, what to write for maximum impact, and why this small step is a game-changer for your content strategy.

What Is Alt Text, and Why Does It Matter for Instagram Reels?

Alternative text (or alt text) is a written description of an image or video that gets embedded in the post's code. Its primary purpose has always been accessibility. Screen reader software uses alt text to describe visual content to users with visual impairments, allowing them to understand and engage with content they might otherwise miss. Making your content inclusive for all audiences is reason enough to make this a standard part of your posting routine.

But the benefits don't stop there. Over time, search engines and social media platforms got smarter. They started using alt text as a direct signal to understand what a piece of visual content is about. For Instagram, alt text is a powerful SEO tool. When you write a clear and descriptive alt text for your Reel, you are telling the algorithm exactly what's happening in your video. This helps Instagram show your content to:

• Users who are searching for related topics. If your Reel is a "Quick Sourdough Loaf Recipe" and your alt text describes the process of kneading dough and placing it in an oven, Instagram can more confidently surface your Reel when someone searches for baking tips.
• Users who have shown interest in similar content. The algorithm is always looking for patterns. By understanding your video's content through alt text, it can better match your Reel to the right audience on the Explore page and in their main feed.
• People who have "Similar Content Muted." In instances where a user has poor internet connectivity and videos can't load, the alt text can be displayed instead, giving them context.

Adding alt text is a simple habit that makes your content more accessible to a wider audience while simultaneously feeding the algorithm valuable information. This leads to better visibility, more relevant reach, and a more inclusive brand presence. It's an easy, two-for-one win.

How to Add Alt Text to a New Instagram Reel (Step-by-Step)

The best time to add alt text is right before you hit "Share." By building this into your posting workflow, you'll never forget it. The process takes less than a minute once you know where to find the setting.

Here's how to do it when you're uploading a brand new Reel:

1. Create Your Reel: Record or upload your video clips, add your audio, stickers, text overlays, and any other creative edits. When you're happy with how it looks, tap "Next" to proceed to the final sharing screen.
2. Find Advanced Settings: On the screen where you write your caption and tag people, scroll all the way down. Below options like "Tag people" and "Add location," you'll find a menu item called "Advanced settings." Tap it.
3. Navigate to 'Accessibility': Inside the "Advanced settings" menu, scroll down again. You'll see several sections like "Likes," "Comments," and "Branded content." Near the bottom is a section labeled "Accessibility."
4. Write Your Alt Text: Under the "Accessibility" heading, tap on "Write alt text." A text box will appear where you can type your description of the video. (We'll cover what to write in the next section!)
5. Save and Share: Once you've finished writing your description, tap "Done" in the top right corner. You'll be taken back to the "Advanced settings" menu. Tap the back arrow to return to the final sharing screen, then share your Reel as you normally would.

That's it! Your Reel is now live with custom alt text baked right in, helping both people and the algorithm understand your content from the moment it's published.

How to Add Alt Text to an Existing Instagram Reel

Forgot to add alt text during your upload? No problem. One of the best things about this feature is that you can go back and add or edit it on any Reel you've already posted. This is a great task to tackle if you have some downtime - spend 15 minutes updating your top-performing Reels to give them a potential new discovery boost.

Here's how to edit alt text on an existing Reel:

1. Open the Reel: Go to your Instagram profile and navigate to your Reels tab. Find the video you want to update and open it.
2. Tap the Three-Dot Menu: At the bottom right of your screen, you'll see a small icon with three dots (...). Tap it to open a menu of options.
3. Select 'Edit': From the menu that pops up, choose "Edit." This is the same screen you'd use to change your caption or cover photo.
4. Tap 'Edit Alt Text': On the video's cover image, you'll see tag or product icons and, to the side, a button that says "Edit alt text." On some older versions, you may need to look for an "Accessibility" option first. Tap it.
5. Write and Save: A text box will appear for you to type in your new alt text. Once you're finished, tap "Done." Your alt text has now been added to your published Reel without affecting your existing likes and comments.

Adding alt text to older content is a fantastic way to refresh it and potentially get it reshared by the algorithm. It signals to Instagram that you're actively managing your content and providing more context for its systems to work with.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Alt Text for Reels

Knowing how to add alt text is only half the battle. Knowing what to write will make the biggest difference. The goal is to be helpful and specific. Remember, you're writing for two audiences: people who can't see your video and an algorithm that can't "watch" it in a human way.

Be Descriptive, but Keep It Simple

Your description should paint a picture. Go beyond the obvious and describe the setting, actions, and mood. Think about what a person would need to know to grasp the point of your video without seeing it.

• Vague: "Woman talking to camera."
• Effective: "A smiling woman with brown, curly hair stands in a home office with a bookshelf behind her. She speaks directly to the camera, gesturing with her hands to emphasize her points."

You don't need to describe every single second or scene, but capture the overall narrative and key visual moments. Who is there? What are they doing? Where are they?

Focus on What Matters Most

If your Reel is a tutorial, the action is the most important thing to describe. If it's a scenic travel video, the landscape is what matters. Don't get lost in tiny details that don't add to the core message of the video.

• For a Recipe Reel: Describe the key steps. Example: "A pair of hands is shown chopping fresh basil on a wooden cutting board, then adding it to a pot of simmering tomato sauce on a stove."
• For a Fitness Reel: Describe the movements. Example: "A split-screen video shows the correct form for a squat on the left and a common mistake on the right, with a user bending his knees properly instead of at his waist."
• For a Before &, After Reel: Describe the transformation. Example: "A shot of a cluttered, disorganized 'before' garage transitions to a clean, organized 'after' view with neatly labeled storage bins on white shelves."

Include Keywords Naturally

This is where the SEO benefit comes in. Think about the terms someone might search for to find content like yours and weave them into your description without sounding robotic. Your alt text should be a human-readable sentence, not a list of comma-separated keywords.

• Keyword stuffing (bad): "fashion, style, OOTD, outfit of the day, thrift flip, DIY clothes."
• Natural keywords (good): "A person models a DIY thrift flip, turning an oversized denim jacket into a stylish cropped coat. The video shows a step-by-step tutorial on how to get the perfect frayed hem."

This description naturally includes terms like "DIY thrift flip," "denim jacket," and "tutorial," which helps Instagram's search and recommendation systems understand the Reel.

Mention Important On-Screen Text

If you have crucial text overlays or titles in your Reel, mention them in your alt text. The caption is a separate field, so don't assume a person or the algorithm will connect the text in your caption with the text appearing in your video. This is especially important for text that provides context or instructions.

• Example: "A colorful animated video a checklist. White text on the screen reads: 'Top 3 Packing Hacks for Your Next Vacation'."

Don't Bother with "Image Of" or "Video Of"

Screen readers already announce that the content is a video or image, so starting your description with "A video of..." is redundant. Jump right into the description to provide the most value without taking up unnecessary time. It's a small detail, but it makes for a much better user experience.

Final Thoughts

Adding thoughtful alt text to every Instagram Reel is a small change in your workflow that delivers significant results. You're not only making your content accessible to a wider audience but also giving Instagram's algorithm precise signals that help your video find the right viewers, boosting its reach and long-term performance.

All these small, important steps - optimizing captions, writing good alt text, planning your content - they all add up. At Postbase, we believe that your energy should be spent on creating engaging, accessible Reels like these, not wrestling with clunky scheduling tools. That's why we built a visual planning calendar and a reliable scheduler that prioritizes video, freeing you up to focus on the details that make your content truly stand out.