Amazon removes alt text from images: what changes for your SEO?

For years, many Amazon sellers have exploited a low-visibility but useful field: the alt text of images within A+ Content and Brand Story. This field allowed for the discreet insertion of additional keywords, expanding indexing coverage without touching titles or bullet points. Today, that door is closed. Amazon has indeed removed the possibility of entering alt text manually, replacing it with descriptions automatically generated by artificial intelligence.

The change is already active in several European marketplaces, and a global rollout is considered highly likely. But what changes?

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Alt text: what has Amazon changed

Amazon has introduced an automatic system that generates alt text for all images in A+ Content and Brand Story modules. The texts are produced by the platform’s AI and, according to available information, Amazon has already applied retro-filling to existing Brand Story assets, replacing seller-written texts with automatically generated ones.

Control over alt text has therefore been completely taken out of the seller’s hands, regardless of the module type or layout used. And it is certainly not a partial or experimental change. The system was designed to operate in a standardized way, reducing variability in the content present on the platform.

The transition is already complete in some markets, while implementation is underway elsewhere. Those managing listings across multiple European markets have likely already encountered the impossibility of modifying these fields.

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Did alt text really index keywords

The occasion of this change allows us to settle an often-debated topic. That is, did alt text really serve to index keywords? The answer, in light of tests conducted over time, is that alt text was not a direct ranking field. Therefore, Amazon did not use it as a primary signal for organic search in the traditional sense of the term.

However, it is also true that many sellers found correlations between keywords entered in the alt text and visibility on certain queries, particularly for searches in languages other than English, such as Spanish. The loss of this field has caused drops in positioning on specific queries that were previously supported by that additional coverage, even if indirect.

In any case, today Amazon moves the interpretation of images toward image recognition systems and automatic contextual understanding. The engine evaluates visual content autonomously, without depending on metadata written by the seller. And of this, one can only take the proper awareness.

Which listings are most at risk

Not all products are equally exposed to this novelty. The most vulnerable listings appear to be those that over the years had built part of their keyword coverage on this field, without in parallel strengthening the fields indexed with certainty.

In particular, those who had used alt text to:

• cover keyword variants not present in the title
• reach queries in foreign languages on international marketplaces
• test new terms without modifying the main structure of the listings

could already be seeing a drop in traffic on some queries. Monitoring the performance of your ASINs in the following weeks is the first step to understanding the extent of the real impact.

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Where to move keywords now

The change does not eliminate the possibility of optimizing, but it forces you to do so in fields that Amazon considers truly valid for indexing purposes. Here is where to concentrate efforts:

• The product title remains the field with the highest weight. The most relevant keywords must be present here, possibly in the first part, while maintaining readability and consistency with buyer expectations.
• Bullet points are the second priority field. They must contain medium-weight keywords in a natural way, without forcing, integrating product information that answers the most common questions.
• Backend search terms remain a valuable space for secondary keywords, synonyms, terms in other languages, and spelling variations. Many sellers underestimate this field or use it in a disorganized way: reorganizing it can compensate for part of the lost coverage.
• FAQs within A+ Content are another area worth investing in. This is visible, crawlable, and structured text that Amazon can read and interpret. Building questions and answers around pertinent keywords is one of the most effective techniques in the current context.

Moving the focus to indexed textual content is the correct direction: Amazon increasingly prioritizes information it can read, verify, and compare with user expectations.

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How ZonWizard helps you monitor the impact of these changes

Reorganizing your SEO strategy after an Amazon update requires time and, above all, a clear vision of how these variations influence the real profitability of your business. If the loss of indexing on alt text causes a drop in organic sales or forces you to increase advertising spend, you must be able to immediately evaluate the impact on your margins.

ZonWizard allows you to have total control over your numbers in real-time. While testing new titles or optimizing backend terms, you can monitor the trend of profits, ROI, and the incidence of advertising costs without having to manually cross-reference dozens of reports. Thanks to precise management of sales and cost analysis, you will know exactly if your changes are protecting the financial health of your account or if it is necessary to intervene in stock and margin management.

Protect your margins while optimizing your listings

Amazon’s changes can be silent, but their effects on profits are felt quickly. Sellers who do not constantly monitor their financial data risk noticing performance drops too late. Those who use certain data can face these transitions with confidence, ensuring that every strategic decision is supported by solid profitability.

Maximize your profits and stop wasting time with manual reports: try ZonWizard for free for 30 days and take the efficiency of your Amazon orders to a higher level!