# Social media accessibility: what to review before publishing

> Review images, post copy, video and captions in the piece you are about to share.


**Social media accessibility is the practice of reviewing how a post communicates its point to people who perceive and read content in different ways.** Before publishing, review the copy, images, video, audio, captions and final platform preview. Keep the main point in readable text, describe each informative image in context, and check captions against the audio.

Editorial accessibility is reviewed by post and format. W3C explains that alternative text should communicate the meaning an image serves in context; listing every visible object does not always help someone understand the post. [W3C WAI: informative images](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/informative/)

## What to check in each format

A single post may include a photo, text in a graphic, a carousel and a reel. Review each item and how it supports the message.

| Format | Review question | Check before publishing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photo | What does the scene add to the post? | Write contextual alt text. Keep dates, conditions and calls to action in the post copy too. |
| Graphic or carousel | Does essential information appear only in the image? | Repeat key dates, figures and steps in readable text. Describe each slide in the order it appears. |
| Post copy | Can someone follow it when reading quickly or at a larger size? | Separate ideas, name a link's destination and avoid relying only on color, an abbreviation or an emoji to explain something. |
| Video and audio | What do the voice, sounds and visuals communicate? | Correct captions against the audio, preserve words and timing, and describe important visuals in speech or text. |
| Publishing destination | Will this format retain the description and captions? | Check the fields available in the platform or scheduler, then review the final post at its destination. |

For a photo, describe the action or detail that helps explain the post. If the image announces a date or offer, include that information in the post copy so it remains available when the alt text is brief. Avoid repeating the entire post in alt text when a visual description already does its job.

For graphics and carousels, check text at phone size, its contrast against the background and whether color alone carries a distinction. Use readable capitalization. Keep hashtags legible, links clear about their destination and emojis from interrupting an instruction. Open the preview at the size people will see it to catch cropping or hard-to-read text.

For video, captions are synchronized text for speech and the sounds needed to understand the content. W3C describes their coverage and synchronization; use that guidance to check that captions match the audio. If a video contains important visual information, communicate it in narration or an accessible description. [W3C WAI: captions and subtitles](https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/captions/) · [Description of visual information](https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/description/) · [Transcripts](https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/transcripts/)

## A complete example post

This case is fictional. **Horno Claro**, a bakery in Valdivia, is promoting a workshop on shaping and scoring a loaf. The business, dates and assets are invented to show how image description, post copy, video and captions can work together.

**Photo alt text:** An instructor folds dough on a floured worktop; two baked loaves sit in the background.

**Post copy:**

> On Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, Horno Claro is teaching a workshop on shaping and scoring a loaf in Valdivia. Ingredients and baking are included. Eight places are available. Book through the link in our profile.

The copy retains the date, location, class inclusions and booking action. The alt text describes the photograph without repeating those details.

**Reel voice-over:**

> First fold the dough and let it rest. The workshop is on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Horno Claro in Valdivia. Ingredients and baking are included. Book through the link in our profile.

**Reviewed captions**

```text
00:02 Instructor: First fold the dough and let it rest.
00:05 [An oven bell rings.]
00:06 Instructor: The workshop is on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Horno Claro in Valdivia.
00:12 Instructor: Ingredients and baking are included. Book through the link in our profile.
```

**Descriptive transcript for the same reel**

```text
00:00 On screen: “Sourdough bread workshop.” An instructor folds dough on a floured worktop.
00:02 Instructor: First fold the dough and let it rest.
00:05 An oven bell rings as a baked loaf appears.
00:06 Instructor: The workshop is on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Horno Claro in Valdivia.
00:10 The instructor scores the loaf with a blade.
00:12 Instructor: Ingredients and baking are included. Book through the link in our profile.
```

The transcript explains the on-screen title and actions that help viewers follow the process. For a short video, decide whether a separate reading version adds access to information that the post copy does not already provide. These timestamps are illustrative; check captions against the final video file.

**An alt description that explains the visual contribution**

**Generic alt text**

Sourdough workshop.

**Contextual alt text**

An instructor folds dough on a floured worktop; two baked loaves sit in the background.

*Fictional example. The second alt describes the relevant action in the photo; the post copy carries the date and booking details.*

## The last review happens on the platform

Available controls vary by platform, format and publishing route. LinkedIn, for example, lets people add alt text to feed and article images and says it may assign alt text automatically; check what text was saved to the post. [LinkedIn Help: alternative text](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a519856/adding-alternative-text-to-images-for-accessibility?lang=en)

YouTube provides controls for adding captions and notes that automatic captions can misrepresent words because of pronunciation, accents, dialects or background noise. Play the video and correct the text and timing before closing review. [YouTube Help: automatic captions](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en)

If a scheduler does not show an alt-text or caption field, check the platform’s native options and look for a text alternative the audience can find with the post or on a linked page. Review each version separately when publishing to more than one channel. Available fields and their limits can change.

## Keep this check with your editorial process

Download the [English checklist](/blogs/social-media-accessibility/checklist-en.txt) or the [Spanish version](/blogs/social-media-accessibility/checklist-es.txt). Edit the text to add formats or owners. Confirm that descriptions and captions are available in the final publishing destination.

Add this review while preparing a [social media content brief](/en/guides/social-media-content-brief-template/). The [content approval workflow](/en/guides/social-media-content-approval-workflow/) helps record the reviewed version and who confirms changes. For copy in context, see the [brand voice and tone guide](/en/guides/brand-voice-tone-guidelines/).

For additional reading, see [UW–Madison’s social media accessibility guide](https://digitalaccessibility.wisc.edu/make-it-accessible/social-media/) and [W3C WAI’s audio and video resources](https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/).

## Plan your next post in HeyMark.

Keep the idea, review the draft with your team, and see how it performed in the accounts you connected.

[Start free](https://app.heymark.ai) · [See how it works](https://heymark.ai/en/#product)

## Developer and agent resources

- [HeyMark MCP documentation](https://heymark.ai/en/mcp/)
- [llms.txt](https://heymark.ai/llms.txt)
- [Full site content for language models](https://heymark.ai/llms-full.txt)
- MCP protocol endpoint: `POST https://mcp.heymark.ai`
- OAuth protected-resource metadata: [/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource](https://mcp.heymark.ai/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource)
- MCP server card: [/server-card](https://mcp.heymark.ai/server-card)