HTML Entity for Down Zigzag Arrow (↯)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21AF

HTML Entity for down zigzag arrow (U+21AF) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is Down Zigzag Arrow?

Down zigzag arrow (↯) is the Unicode character at U+21AF in the Arrows block. Official name: DOWNWARDS ZIGZAG ARROW. It is a zigzag (lightning-style) down arrow — useful for flow, transition, and diagram cues.

Remember

Character     ↯
Unicode       U+21AF
Hex entity    &#x21AF;
Decimal       &#8623;
CSS escape    \21AF
Named entity  (none)
Not the same  ↓ (&darr;) · ⇝ (&zigrarr;) · ⟿ (&dzigrarr;)

Prefer ↯ or ↯ in HTML (no named form). You can also type ↯ in a UTF-8 document.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	None	—
Hex entity	`↯`	HTML markup (preferred)
Decimal entity	`↯`	HTML markup
Direct character	`↯`	HTML text (UTF-8)
CSS escape	`\21AF`	Stylesheet `content`
Right squiggle (related)	`&zigrarr;` (⇝, U+21DD)	Rightwards — not down zigzag

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Down zigzag / lightning arrow	`↯` or type `↯`
Plain / white / double down	`↓` / U+21E9 / `&dArr;`
Rightwards squiggle arrow	`&zigrarr;` (⇝)
Long rightwards squiggle	`&dzigrarr;` (⟿)
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21AF"`

See it

Live Preview

Down zigzag arrow rendered alone, in a label, and compared with related arrows.

Glyph ↯

Large glyph ↯

UI label Flow ↯

Compared ↯ ↓ ⇩ ⇝ ⟿

With entities Hex: ↯ | Decimal: ↯

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Down Zigzag Arrow with hex, decimal, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed

Four ways to display ↯ in HTML and CSS.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Down Zigzag Arrow (U+21AF) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21AF";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Hex: &#x21AF;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: &#8623;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Typed: ↯</p>
  <p>Label: Flow ↯</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: ↯ inserts code point U+21AF → ↯.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8623 → ↯. Same visual as hex.

3. CSS: use \21AF in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends ↯.

4. Typed: paste ↯ in a UTF-8 document, or pair it with a label like Flow ↯.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Down Zigzag Arrow.

Name

No named entity

There is no HTML5 named entity for U+21AF. Use ↯ or ↯.

⇝

Not &zigrarr;

&zigrarr; is a rightwards squiggle (U+21DD). U+21AF points down with a zigzag shaft.

⟿

Not &dzigrarr;

&dzigrarr; is a long rightwards squiggle (U+27FF). Do not use it as a down zigzag substitute.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21AF belongs in CSS strings. ↯ / ↯ belong in HTML.

Fonts

Arrow font coverage

Some fonts omit zigzag-arrow glyphs. Prefer a font with solid Arrows-block coverage.

a11y

Add accessible text

A lone zigzag arrow can be unclear to screen readers. Pair it with visible text or an aria-label.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish numeric entities with ; — write ↯, not &#x21AF.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Down zigzag arrow (U+21AF) and its entity forms (↯, ↯, CSS \\21AF) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Arrows-block font coverage.

✓ Universal support

Down Zigzag Arrow (↯)

Encode with hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the character — same code point everywhere encoding is supported.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer All versions

Yes

U+21AF / entities Full support

Bottom line: Prefer ↯ in HTML (no named form). Use ↯ when decimal form is required, and \\21AF only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: down zigzag arrow is U+21AF (decimal 8623) — glyph ↯.
HTML: no named entity — use ↯ / ↯ / type ↯.
CSS: use \21AF inside content for generated text.
Direction: down zigzag ≠ &zigrarr; / &dzigrarr; (right squiggles).

One line: U+21AF → ↯ / ↯ / CSS \21AF.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display ↯ in HTML?

Use ↯ (hex), ↯ (decimal), type ↯ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \21AF in content. There is no named HTML entity for U+21AF.

What is the Unicode value for this mark?

U+21AF (DOWNWARDS ZIGZAG ARROW). Hex 21AF, decimal 8623. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+21AF?

No. Use numeric forms ↯ or ↯. Related named forms &zigrarr; and &dzigrarr; are rightwards squiggle arrows, not this down zigzag.

When should I use U+21AF?

Use it for zigzag or lightning-style down cues in diagrams, flow charts, and UI. Prefer ↓ for a plain solid down arrow, and U+21E9 for a white/outlined down arrow.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+21AF?

HTML entities (↯ or ↯) go in markup. The CSS escape \21AF goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).

Is U+21AF the same as &zigrarr;?

No. U+21AF is ↯ (downwards zigzag). &zigrarr; is ⇝ (U+21DD, rightwards squiggle). &dzigrarr; is ⟿ (U+27FF, long rightwards squiggle).

Did you know?

Down zigzag arrow is Unicode U+21AF (decimal 8623) — glyph ↯ (DOWNWARDS ZIGZAG ARROW) in the Arrows block. There is no HTML5 named entity; use ↯ or ↯. Do not confuse with &zigrarr; (⇝, rightwards squiggle) or &dzigrarr; (⟿, long rightwards squiggle). Plain down is ↓ (↓).

Next: Downward Paired Arrows

Learn the HTML entity for downward paired arrows (U+21CA).

Downward Paired Arrows tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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