# Use the Person's Name as Avatar Alt Text

> Fills the empty alt attribute of avatars with the display name of the user or commenter, so accessibility checkers stop reporting images without alt text.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Run everywhere
- Category: [Users](https://wpide.com/library/category/users/)
- Tags: users, avatars, accessibility, alt-text
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/avatar-alt-text-from-name/

## Code

```php
// Alt text for avatars that have none. %s is replaced with the person's display name.
$wpide_avatar_alt_pattern = '%s';

add_filter( 'get_avatar_data', function ( $args, $id_or_email ) use ( $wpide_avatar_alt_pattern ) {
    if ( ! empty( $args['alt'] ) ) {
        return $args;
    }

    $name = '';

    if ( $id_or_email instanceof WP_Comment ) {
        $name = $id_or_email->user_id ? get_the_author_meta( 'display_name', $id_or_email->user_id ) : $id_or_email->comment_author;
    } elseif ( $id_or_email instanceof WP_User ) {
        $name = $id_or_email->display_name;
    } elseif ( $id_or_email instanceof WP_Post ) {
        $name = get_the_author_meta( 'display_name', $id_or_email->post_author );
    } elseif ( is_numeric( $id_or_email ) ) {
        $name = get_the_author_meta( 'display_name', (int) $id_or_email );
    } elseif ( is_string( $id_or_email ) && is_email( $id_or_email ) ) {
        $user = get_user_by( 'email', $id_or_email );
        $name = $user ? $user->display_name : '';
    }

    $name = trim( wp_strip_all_tags( (string) $name ) );

    if ( '' !== $name ) {
        $args['alt'] = sprintf( $wpide_avatar_alt_pattern, $name );
    }

    return $args;
}, 10, 2 );
```

## Notes

Avatars that already have alt text keep it. Change the pattern to something like 'Photo of %s'. Snippets that replace the whole avatar image (such as Initials Avatars Instead of Gravatar) build their own tag, so this one does not change theirs.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Use the Person's Name as Avatar Alt Text" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/