HTML Entity for Reference Mark (※)

Beginner

6 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+203B

HTML Entity for reference mark (※) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Reference Mark Entity?

Reference mark (※) is the General Punctuation character at Unicode U+203B (REFERENCE MARK). It marks footnotes, citations, and notes — and is widely known in Japanese typography as komejirushi (米印). There is no named HTML entity; use hex, decimal, UTF-8, or CSS.

Remember

Character     ※
Unicode       U+203B
Named entity  none
Hex entity    &#x203B;
Decimal       &#8251;
CSS escape    \203B

All numeric and UTF-8 forms produce the same glyph: ※. Prefer ※ for portable markup; paste ※ in UTF-8 when convenient. Do not confuse it with the ASCII asterisk (*) or the dagger (&dagger;).

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	none	Not defined in HTML5
Hex entity	`※`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`※`	HTML markup
Direct character	`※`	HTML text (UTF-8 default)
CSS escape	`\203B`	Stylesheet `content`

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Portable HTML without pasting Unicode	`※` or `※`
UTF-8 notes / East Asian copy	Type or paste `※`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\203B"`
Western first footnote marker	`&dagger;` (`U+2020`) or `*`
Second Western footnote level	`&Dagger;` (`U+2021`)
Accessible notes	Glyph + clear note text (do not rely on the symbol alone)

See it

Live Preview

Reference mark rendered in common note and citation contexts.

Glyph ※

Large glyph ※

In a note ※ See footnote for details

With entities Hex: ※ | Decimal: ※ | Named: none

Related * (asterisk) · † (dagger) · ‡ (double dagger)

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows the reference mark with hex, decimal, direct, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + Direct + CSS

Four ways to produce ※ in a single document (no named entity).

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Reference Mark (※) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\203B";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x203B;</p>
  <p>Using Decimal: &#8251;</p>
  <p>Using Direct Character: ※</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>&#x203B; See footnote for details</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+203B → ※ in HTML. Best portable choice (no named entity).

2. Decimal: same code point as 8251 → ※. Same glyph.

3. Direct: paste ※ in a UTF-8 file with <meta charset="UTF-8">.

4. CSS: use \203B in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ※ after the paragraph text.

5. Named: HTML5 has none — do not invent a name like &kome; for this symbol.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with this punctuation entity.

No name

Do not invent a named entity

There is no &…; name for U+203B. Use ※ or ※.

Not *

Not the ASCII asterisk

* (U+002A) is a different character. ※ is the dedicated reference mark (komejirushi).

Not †

Not the dagger

† (&dagger;) is the usual Western first footnote marker. ※ is a separate reference mark.

A11y

Pair glyph with text

Screen readers may announce ※ inconsistently. Keep clear note wording nearby.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\203B belongs in CSS. ※ / ※ belong in HTML.

UTF-8

Declare charset

If you paste ※ directly, serve the page as UTF-8 with <meta charset="UTF-8">.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Reference mark (U+203B) and its entity forms (※, ※, CSS \\203B) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Glyph availability depends on the font.

✓ Universal support

Reference Mark (※)

Prefer ※, or encode with decimal or CSS escape — same glyph everywhere (when the font has it).

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+203B / entities Full support

Bottom line: There is no named entity. Prefer ※ or ※ in HTML, and \\203B only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: reference mark is U+203B (decimal 8251), General Punctuation.
HTML: no named entity — use ※ or ※.
CSS: use \203B inside content for generated text.
Meaning: note / reference marker (komejirushi) — not * or †.

One line: U+203B → ※ / ※ / CSS \203B (no named entity).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the reference mark (※) in HTML?

Use ※ (hex), ※ (decimal), type ※ in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \203B in content. There is no named HTML entity for U+203B.

What is the Unicode value for the reference mark?

U+203B (REFERENCE MARK). Hex 203B, decimal 8251. It belongs to General Punctuation. Also known as komejirushi in Japanese typography.

Is there a named HTML entity for ※?

No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Prefer ※ or ※, or paste ※ in a UTF-8 document.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for footnotes, citations, editorial notes, and East Asian reference marks (komejirushi). Prefer ※ for portable markup. Pair the glyph with clear note text for accessibility.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for ※?

HTML numeric entities (※ or ※) go in markup. The CSS escape \203B is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ※.

How is ※ different from * or †?

※ (U+203B) is the reference mark (often used as komejirushi). * (U+002A) is the ASCII asterisk. † (U+2020, &dagger;) is the dagger, a common Western footnote marker. They are different characters.

Did you know?

Reference mark (※) is Unicode U+203B (decimal 8251) — REFERENCE MARK in General Punctuation. There is no named HTML entity; use ※, ※, UTF-8 ※, or CSS \203B. In Japanese it is often called komejirushi (米印, “rice symbol”) and used for notes and attention marks.

Next: Registered Trade Mark Sign

Learn the HTML entity for the registered sign (®) — the next character in this entity sequence.

Registered Trade Mark tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

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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.

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