Skip to main content
External Relations
  1. External Relations
  2. Accessibility Hub
  3. Social media

Social media

Use this guidance when creating social media posts to help make your content accessible to as many people as possible.

Key accessibility considerations

Images and alt text

Add alt text to images when uploading them to social media. Write a short, meaningful description that explains the important visual information, including any text in the image that is essential to understanding the post.

Describe what is happening and why it matters in the context of the post, and avoid starting with phrases such as "Image of" or "Picture of". If an image is purely decorative, use the platform's decorative image option where available.

Captions for videos

Add accurate closed captions to all video content. Captions should include spoken words and relevant sounds, such as music or applause, where these are important to understanding the video.

Review auto-generated captions for spelling, punctuation and transcription errors before publishing. Make sure captions are readable, synchronised with the audio and do not cover important content.

Hashtags

Use CamelCase for multi-word hashtags, capitalising the first letter of each word. This helps screen readers identify individual words. For example, use #AccessibleContent rather than #accessiblecontent.

Keep hashtags relevant and avoid using too many, as a long list can make posts harder to read.

Emojis

Use emojis sparingly and place them at the end of your post rather than in the middle of sentences. This helps avoid interrupting the reading experience for people using screen readers.

Do not use emojis as a replacement for words or essential information.

Links

Use descriptive link text where the platform allows it. Avoid raw URLs or generic phrases such as "click here". For example, use "Read our guidance on accessible newsletters" rather than "Click here".

If you are sharing a link in a post, explain where it leads and what people will find there.

Colour and contrast

Make sure there is sufficient contrast between text and background colours. Avoid using low-contrast text or relying on colour alone to communicate important information.

When creating graphics, check that any text is easy to read. Include important information in the post caption or alt text as well as in the image, where appropriate.

Platform-specific guidance

The location and availability of accessibility features can change as platforms update. Check the options available in your version of the app or website.

Add alt text to images

  1. Create a new post and upload your image.
  2. On the final editing screen, scroll down and tap 'Advanced settings'.
  3. Under Accessibility, select 'Write alt text'.
  4. Enter your description and tap Done on iOS or the checkmark on Android.

Add captions to Reels and videos

  1. Record or upload your video in the Reels editor.
  2. Tap the Stickers icon.
  3. Select the Captions sticker to generate a transcription.
  4. Review and correct the captions before publishing.

Add alt text to images

  1. Upload a photo to your post draft.
  2. Select Edit or the three dots on the photo.
  3. Choose 'Edit alt text'.
  4. Replace the automatically generated description with your own meaningful description.
  5. Save your changes.

Add captions to videos

  1. Upload your video using the Facebook app or Meta Business Suite.
  2. Find the Video Optimisation or Optimise stage.
  3. Turn on auto-generated captions.
  4. Review and edit the transcription to correct any errors before publishing.

Add alt text to images and documents

  1. Start a post and upload an image or PDF document.
  2. Select 'Alt text' on mobile, or 'Add alt text' on the image preview on desktop.
  3. Write a description of the image. LinkedIn supports up to 300 characters.
  4. Save your changes.

Add captions to videos

  1. Upload a video to your post.
  2. Select the 'Edit' icon on the video preview.
  3. Choose 'Select caption file'.
  4. Upload an .srt file containing your timed captions.
     

Add alt text to images and GIFs

  1. Add an image or GIF to your post draft.
  2. Select the '+ALT' button or 'Add description' on the image thumbnail.
  3. Write a meaningful description, up to 1,000 characters.
  4. Select Done or Save.

Add captions to videos

X supports captions for videos uploaded through iOS and Android. For web uploads, use the Upload caption file (.srt) option where available to provide an accurate caption file.

Make sure to review the captions before publishing.

Add captions to videos

  1. Record or upload your video and go to the editing screen.
  2. Select the 'Captions' tool.
  3. Review the automatic transcription and select the 'Edit' icon to correct mistakes.
  4. Save the captions and position them so they do not cover important content or the username and caption overlay.

Add alt text to carousel photos

  1. Create a photo carousel and go to the editing screen.
  2. Select 'Alt text', where available.
  3. Add a description for each individual slide.
Back to top