Skip to main content
Image alt text is the only thing ChatGPT’s Deep Research agent can read from an image — and it treats it as page content. Peec’s recorded session logs (full study, Jun 2026) show every image rendered into the read text as a marker carrying its alt attribute. Two documented behaviors (Jun 2026):
  • Alt text becomes facts in answers. On a comparison task the agent lifted a rating straight from alt text — “The image alt text mentions ‘Defaqto 5-star’ and ‘Which? Recommended Provider…’. I’ll note these details and verify their accuracy.” A badge, chart, or award graphic with rich alt text can put its claim into the AI answer.
  • No alt text means invisible. With alt="" or a meaningless filename, the agent reads the filename and gives up: “It seems to be a vector graphic (‘awardwinning-360x140.svg’)… likely just decorative, so I’ll skip it.”
The action: write real, fact-carrying alt text on every meaningful image — ratings, award names, chart takeaways — because in this pipeline alt text is content, not an accessibility afterthought. How the rest of the page gets read: How Deep Research reads your site. Source: How ChatGPT Deep Research reads your site: What the logs reveal, Peec (David Konitzny), Jun 2026.