How to Find and Copy Any Unicode Symbol

Step 1: Search by Name or Codepoint

The fastest way to find a symbol on Symbolwise is to search for it. Type any of the following into the search bar:

• A descriptive name — "check mark", "right arrow", "degree sign", "euro"
• A Unicode codepoint — "U+2713", "U+00B0", "U+2192"
• A keyword or category — "currency", "math", "greek", "box drawing"
• The symbol itself — paste "✓" or "→" directly to find its details

Search results appear instantly as you type. Symbolwise searches across symbol names, aliases, and codepoints, so you'll find what you need even if you don't know the exact Unicode name. Results span symbols, collections, Unicode blocks, and articles — giving you comprehensive results in one place.

Each result shows the symbol's glyph, official Unicode name, and codepoint. Click any result to open the full detail page with complete technical information and all copy formats.

Step 2: Browse Collections and Unicode Blocks

When you're not looking for a specific symbol, browsing is the best way to discover characters. Symbolwise offers two complementary approaches:

Curated Collections

Collections group symbols by theme and use case. Instead of scrolling through thousands of codepoints, you can jump to exactly the category you need:

• Arrows — Directional arrows, double arrows, curved arrows, and more
• Checkmarks — Check marks, crosses, and ballot symbols
• Currency — Dollar, euro, pound, yen, bitcoin, and global currency signs
• Math — Operators, set notation, logic, and comparison symbols
• Greek Letters — Complete uppercase and lowercase Greek alphabet
• Emoji — Smileys, people, objects, animals, and more

Each collection includes a description, related collections, and a full list of symbols ready to copy.

Unicode Blocks

For exhaustive coverage, the Unicode blocks browser lets you explore the official Unicode character ranges. Every block shows its name, codepoint range, plane, and the symbols it contains. This is the way to go when you need to see every character in a specific range — such as all Mathematical Operators (U+2200–U+22FF) or all Box Drawing characters (U+2500–U+257F). Read What Is Unicode? for background on how blocks and planes organize the standard.

Step 4: Save Symbols for Later

If you use certain symbols regularly, save them to your personal library with My Symbols. Here's how it works:

• Save — Click the bookmark icon on any symbol card or detail page to add it to your library. You can save up to 512 characters.
• Search your library — Use the search bar in My Symbols to quickly find saved characters by name or codepoint.
• Copy from your library — Each saved symbol supports the same six copy formats as the main search results.
• Export — Export your entire library in any format, including JSON for backup and portability.
• Import — Paste text or JSON to import symbols into your library on any device.

Your saved symbols are stored in your browser's localStorage. No account or sign-up is required, and no data leaves your device. This means your library is private and fast, but it's tied to your browser — use the export/import feature to transfer your collection between devices or browsers.

For a detailed walkthrough on building and managing your collection, see how to build a personal symbol library.

Tips for Finding Symbols Faster

Here are a few strategies to speed up your symbol workflow:

• Try synonyms — If "checkmark" doesn't return what you want, try "check mark", "tick", or "ballot". Unicode names can be surprising, so experimenting with different terms often helps.
• Use codepoints for precision — When you know the exact codepoint from documentation or another tool, searching by U+XXXX is the fastest path.
• Browse collections for discovery — If you know the category but not the specific character, collections group related symbols together and often surface characters you didn't know existed.
• Check the detail page — Every symbol's detail page shows related characters, the Unicode block it belongs to, and links to browse the full block. This is a great way to find variants (like different arrow styles or check mark weights).
• Save frequently used symbols — Building a personal library of your go-to characters saves time on repeated lookups.

Next Steps

Now that you know how to find, copy, and save symbols, here are some guides to deepen your knowledge:

• What Is Unicode? — Understand codepoints, planes, and encoding from the ground up.
• HTML Entities for Symbols — Named, decimal, and hex entity formats with copy-ready examples.
• Symbol Collections Guide — A tour of curated symbol sets and how to use them.
• Build a Personal Symbol Library — Detailed guide to saving, exporting, and importing your favorites.

Ready to start? Search for your first symbol or browse collections to see what's available.