HTML Entity for Left Open Headed Arrow (⇽)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21FD

HTML Entity for Left Open Headed Arrow (U+21FD) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Left Open Headed Arrow Entity?

Left Open Headed Arrow (⇽) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+21FD (LEFTWARDS OPEN-HEADED ARROW). The arrow points left and uses an open (hollow) arrowhead.

Remember

Character     ⇽
Unicode       U+21FD
Hex entity    &#x21FD;
Decimal       &#8701;
Named entity  &loarr;
CSS escape    \21FD
Not the same  &larr; (←) · &roarr; (⇾)

All of these produce the same glyph: ⇽. Prefer &loarr; when you want an explicit entity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&loarr;`	HTML markup (best entity default)
Hex entity	`⇽`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`⇽`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\21FD`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`⇽`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML entity source	`&loarr;`
Need a numeric entity	`⇽` or `⇽`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21FD"`
Solid left arrow	Use ← (U+2190)
Right open-headed arrow	Use `&roarr;` (U+21FE)

See it

Live Preview

Left Open Headed Arrow in common UI and diagram contexts.

Label snippet ⇽ Back

Large glyph ⇽

Named entity &loarr; → ⇽

vs ← / &roarr; ⇽ | ← | ⇾

With entities Hex: ⇽ | Decimal: ⇽ | Named: ⇽

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows this symbol with hex, decimal, named, and CSS. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + Named + CSS

All four ways to produce ⇽ in a single document.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Left Open Headed Arrow (⇽)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21FD";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x21FD;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8701;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &loarr;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><code>&loarr; Back</code></p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+21FD → ⇽ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇽.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8701 → ⇽. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &loarr; is the HTML5 name for this character.

4. CSS: use \21FD in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇽ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Open Headed Arrow.

Look-alikes

⇽ ≠ ← ≠ ⇾

&loarr; (open head), ← (solid), and &roarr; (right open) are different characters.

Name

`&loarr;` ≠ `←`

The o in &loarr; marks the open-headed form. Do not drop it.

Fonts

Glyph may be missing

Open-headed arrow coverage varies. Test on your target devices or provide a fallback font.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21FD belongs in CSS. &loarr; / ⇽ / ⇽ belong in HTML.

A11y

Add nearby words

Pair the glyph with label text (for example &loarr; Back) or use aria-label when it stands alone.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &loarr;, not &loarr.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Open Headed Arrow (U+21FD) and its entity forms (&loarr;, ⇽, ⇽, CSS \\21FD) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.

✓ Universal encoding

Left Open Headed Arrow (&loarr;)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⇽ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer IE 9+

Yes*

U+21FD / &loarr; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &loarr; for readable HTML. Use \\21FD only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+21FD (decimal 8701).
HTML: prefer &loarr; — or use ⇽ / ⇽.
CSS: use \21FD inside content for generated text.
Watch out: &loarr; ≠ ← ≠ &roarr;.

One line: U+21FD → &loarr; / ⇽ / ⇽ / CSS \21FD.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Left Open Headed Arrow (⇽) in HTML using entities?

Use &loarr; (named), ⇽ (hex), ⇽ (decimal), or the CSS escape \21FD in the content property. You can also type ⇽ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

What is the Unicode value for Left Open Headed Arrow?

U+21FD (LEFTWARDS OPEN-HEADED ARROW). Hex 21FD, decimal 8701. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

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

Yes. &loarr; is the HTML5 named entity. You can also use ⇽ or ⇽.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for navigation, diagrams, and directional labels when you want a left arrow with an open (hollow) head. Prefer &loarr; for readable HTML.

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

HTML entities (&loarr;, ⇽, or ⇽) go in markup. The CSS escape \21FD is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⇽.

How is &loarr; different from ← or &roarr;?

← (U+2190) is a standard solid left arrow. &roarr; (U+21FE) is the rightwards open-headed arrow. &loarr; (U+21FD) is the leftwards open-headed form.

Did you know?

Left Open Headed Arrow is Unicode U+21FD (decimal 8701) — LEFTWARDS OPEN-HEADED ARROW. HTML5 provides &loarr;. Prefer it for readable source. Do not confuse it with a solid left arrow (←, U+2190) or the right open-headed form (&roarr;, U+21FE).

Next: Left Paired Arrows

Learn the HTML entity for Left Paired Arrows — next in this sequence.

Continue 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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