Verified Confidence: high
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
Safe rephrasing
Google indexes images from <img> src attributes but not images placed via CSS.
What the source says
Google can find images in src attribute of <img> element (even when it's a child of other elements, such as the <picture> element). Google doesn't index CSS images.
Google Search Central — Google image SEO best practices
- Commonly cited as
- "Will Google index my CSS background image?"
- True origin
- Google Search Central — Google image SEO best practices
- Type
- Reference fact: A frequently needed number or rule taken directly from a primary source (e.g. Pew, Census, IAB/PwC, FTC), with its as-of date.
- Year
- Current documentation
- Data as of
- Documentation read on 2026-10-17
- Last checked
- Method & sample
- Official Google documentation (current version read Oct. 17, 2026).
- Drift between quote and source
- Applies to image indexing; use <img> with alt text for images you want found
- Interest
- Google operates Google Search and documents its own systems.