Right arrow (→) in HTML
The rightwards arrow is the standard forward pointing arrow. Its named reference is → and its code point is U+2192.
At a glance
- Character
- →
- Named entity
- →
- Decimal reference
- →
- Hex reference
- →
- Unicode code point
- U+2192
- Unicode name
- RIGHTWARDS ARROW
- In the entity reference
- Arrows, and pinned in quick access
In detail
This is the arrow that ends most calls to action on the web, and the way it is usually written is the way that causes trouble. Typed directly into the link text it becomes part of the accessible name, so a link reading read more with an arrow can be announced as read more rightwards arrow. Moving it into a CSS pseudo element, or marking a span aria-hidden, keeps the visual affordance and leaves the name clean.
There is a second reason to move it into CSS: animation. A pseudo element can be translated on hover to nudge the arrow forward, which is a compositor friendly transform, whereas an arrow that is part of the text content has to be wrapped in a span before it can move at all.
Direction is not absolute. In a right to left language the forward direction is leftwards, so a next control that hard codes this character points backwards for an Arabic or Hebrew reader. The fix is to flip the icon with a transform in a right to left context, or to use a logical CSS property, rather than to keep two strings.
The character also carries meaning in technical prose, where it stands for maps to, results in or navigates to. Used that way it is content rather than decoration and should stay in the text, because removing it removes information. The test is simple: if deleting the arrow changes what the sentence says, it belongs in the accessible name.
Examples
<a class="cta" href="/pricing">See pricing</a>
.cta::after {
content: "\2192";
margin-inline-start: 0.4em;
display: inline-block;
transition: transform 150ms ease-out;
}
.cta:hover::after { transform: translateX(0.2em); }<p>The pipeline runs source → parse → render.</p>
<p>Settings → Account → Delete.</p>Things that catch people out
- An arrow inside link text is read aloud with the link name. Hide it or move it into CSS when it is only decoration.
- Hard coding this direction breaks right to left layouts, where the forward arrow points the other way.
- CSS content takes the code point without an ampersand or a semicolon, so the escape in a stylesheet is a backslash followed by the hex value, not an HTML entity.
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HTML Entity Reference
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152 entities across 9 categories
Commonly Used
→Arrows(13)
±Math(35)
$Currency(8)
…Punctuation(21)
©Symbols(24)
πGreek(30)
½Fractions(6)
●Geometric(7)
æLatin Special(8)
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Related HTML entities
All html entities →Left arrow (←) in HTML
The leftwards arrow at U+2190, its entity forms, why a back link needs a real destination, and the direction problem in right to left interfaces.
Double arrows (⇐, ⇒, ⇔) in HTML
The double stroke arrows at U+21D0, U+21D2 and U+21D4, their case sensitive entity names, and what implication and equivalence actually assert.
Up and down arrows (↑ and ↓) in HTML
The upwards and downwards arrows at U+2191 and U+2193, their entity forms, their use as sort indicators, and why aria-sort does the real work.
Diagonal arrows: north east, south east and neighbours
The four diagonal arrows at U+2196 to U+2199, their numeric references, the external link convention, and why they have no named HTML entities.
Alpha (α) in HTML
The Greek letter alpha at U+0391 and U+03B1, its entity forms, its meanings in transparency and statistics, and the Latin A it is indistinguishable from.
Beta (β) in HTML
The Greek letter beta at U+0392 and U+03B2, its entity forms, its meanings in regression and finance, and the German eszett it is mistaken for.
Tools for this
- HTML Entity Reference Free online HTML entity reference - search and copy HTML entities with live preview
- HTML Entity Encoder Free online HTML entity encoder - encode or decode HTML entities to prevent XSS and display issues