Images & icons

An Embedded Object Has No Text Alternative

Content shown with an `<object>` element has no name, so screen reader users don't know what it is or what it shows.

object-altWCAG 2.0Introduced in WCAG 2.0.Level AA — the minimum. Missing it blocks people outright.

Status: SeriousSerious — Significant friction, or information that is lost.CurrentScanners run this rule today.
Owner: DevContentTest
Audit: Automated+ManualA scanner finds it; a person confirms the fix.

Why it matters

The <object> element embeds things like charts, PDFs, maps or animations. Screen readers can't look inside many of these. They rely on a text name or fallback text to describe them.

Without that text, people hear nothing, or a vague word like "object". They miss the information everyone else can see.

Who it affects

Who it affects, and how much
Who	What they experience	Impact
Screen reader users	They hear "object" or nothing at all, with no clue what the content is.	High impact
Low-vision users (magnification)	Affected if they use a screen reader or text-to-speech; otherwise they can usually still see it.	Partial impact
Cognitive and neurodivergent users	Text-to-speech tools skip it, so they lose a description that could help.	Partial impact
Voice control users	With no name, they can't easily refer to the object by voice if it's interactive.	Partial impact

Business & product impact

Business & product impact, with how much each claim weighs
Area	Why	Impact
Legal	It fails WCAG 1.1.1 at Level A, the minimum. Australia's Disability Discrimination Act complaints refer to WCAG 2.2 AA, and EN 301 549 covers it in Europe.	High impact
Conversion	If the object holds a price chart, map or product demo, some customers miss key information.	Moderate impact
SEO	Search engines may read fallback text a little, but the gain is small.	Low impact
Brand trust	Blank or silent content looks careless to people who rely on screen readers.	Moderate impact
Cost to fix	Adding a name or fallback text takes minutes. Writing a good description takes a bit longer.	High impact

Fixing it in code

An embedded chart

Don't

<object data="sales-chart.svg" type="image/svg+xml"></object>

A screen reader says: “(nothing, or "object")”

<object data="sales-chart.svg" type="image/svg+xml" role="img" aria-label="Sales rose 20% from January to June"></object>

A screen reader says: “Sales rose 20% from January to June, image”

The label gives the object a name that screen readers read out.

An embedded PDF with fallback

Don't

<object data="menu.pdf" type="application/pdf"></object>

A screen reader says: “(nothing)”

<object data="menu.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="Lunch menu">
  <a href="menu.pdf">Download the lunch menu (PDF)</a>
</object>

A screen reader says: “Lunch menu”

The title names it, and the link gives everyone another way in.

Fixing it in design and content

Write what the object shows

Don't

Alt text that just says "chart" or the file name, like "sales-chart.svg".

A screen reader says: “chart, image”

Alt text that gives the main point, like "Sales rose 20% from January to June".

A screen reader says: “Sales rose 20% from January to June, image”

People need the meaning, not the format.

Designer's handoff note

For every chart, map or embed in your designs, write the short text a screen reader should say.

If the content is complex, plan a text version or data table nearby.

Quick test

Tool

NVDA (opens in a new tab) (free for Windows)

Checklist

Step 1: Turn NVDA on with Ctrl + Alt + N.
Step 2: Press the Down arrow to read through the page to the embedded object.
Step 3: Listen to what NVDA says.

Pass: You hear a clear description, like "Lunch menu" or what the chart shows.
Fail: You hear nothing, "object", or a file name.

Check these at the same time

An image has no text alternative image-alt

What a green scan still misses

A scanner checks that some text exists. It can't tell whether that text truly describes the content, or whether the embed itself is accessible inside.

Reference

Rule ID: object-alt
Raised by: axe-core: “<object> elements must have alternative text”
WCAG: 1.1.1 Non-text Content (opens in a new tab) · Level A · since WCAG 2.0
Other standards: EN 301 549 9.1.1.1 · RGAA 1.1.6
Read more: Deque University: object-alt (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026