alt text to be available on hover for buttons to allow for screen reader use

[J_Eastwood]

Is it possible to set the alt text to be read by screen readers on hover for Power BI buttons, or update the automated hover text? The purpose of the buttons on my report is to navigate the user to elsewhere - either back to a home page, to refresh the data, or to move to the next page. On the screen reader however it doesn't read the alt text out when hovered, you need to click / return on the element and by that point it is too late as the button completes the action - the screen reader just reads the generic "click here to follow link", or "CTRL+click here to follow link" when in desktop mode when hovered.

this is frustrating as obviously I want the users to be able to have the alt text read to them when the button is selected / hovered over without having to action the button, as they won't know what the action has been

[nilendraFabric · Accepted solution]

Hello @J_Eastwood 

alt text in Power BI is not read aloud by screen readers when hovering over buttons or visuals. Alt text is designed to provide descriptions for screen readers when an object is selected or focused, not during hover interactions

try using tooltip instead.

Tooltips can be used to display additional information when a user hovers over a button. While tooltips are primarily visual, they can be customized to provide meaningful context.

if this helps please accept the answer 

[Vanchy_Liao · Accepted solution]

@J_Eastwood ,

I think "alt text" is not the good choice for your purpose because it may be used when the visual can not be seen.

Providing alt text ensures that consumers of your report understand what you're trying to communicate with a visual, even if they can't see the visual, image, shape, or textbox.

---

if you want to change the text or image when hovering the button, you can set the "state" of the button in the following steps:

click the button -> format pane -> Button tab -> Style -> Choose "On hover" -> Set what ever you want

for futher reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/desktop-buttons?tabs=powerbi-desktop#butto...

[Poojara_D12 · Accepted solution]

Hi @J_Eastwood 

In Power BI, setting alt text for buttons enhances accessibility, but screen readers typically do not read the alt text on hover. Instead, they announce it when the button is selected or activated. This is because Power BI buttons primarily act as navigation or action triggers, and the default behavior of screen readers follows the system's accessibility settings rather than Power BI’s internal formatting. Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to modify the hover behavior of screen readers directly within Power BI. However, a potential workaround is using tooltip visuals or custom tooltips that appear on hover, which screen readers may detect depending on the user’s settings. Another option is to use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes if embedding Power BI reports into a web application, as these can provide more control over how screen readers interpret elements. Microsoft may improve accessibility features in future updates, so keeping track of Power BI’s accessibility roadmap is recommended.

[Vanchy_Liao · Accepted solution]

@J_Eastwood ,

I think "alt text" is not the good choice for your purpose because it may be used when the visual can not be seen.

Providing alt text ensures that consumers of your report understand what you're trying to communicate with a visual, even if they can't see the visual, image, shape, or textbox.

---

if you want to change the text or image when hovering the button, you can set the "state" of the button in the following steps:

click the button -> format pane -> Button tab -> Style -> Choose "On hover" -> Set what ever you want

for futher reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/desktop-buttons?tabs=powerbi-desktop#butto...

[nilendraFabric · Accepted solution]

Hello @J_Eastwood 

alt text in Power BI is not read aloud by screen readers when hovering over buttons or visuals. Alt text is designed to provide descriptions for screen readers when an object is selected or focused, not during hover interactions

try using tooltip instead.

Tooltips can be used to display additional information when a user hovers over a button. While tooltips are primarily visual, they can be customized to provide meaningful context.

if this helps please accept the answer