HTML Entity for Up Down Arrow (↕)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2195

HTML Entity for Up Down Arrow (U+2195) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Up Down Arrow Entity?

Up Down Arrow (↕) is the Arrows character at Unicode U+2195 (UP DOWN ARROW). HTML5 names it &varr;. Use it for vertical bidirectional cues in UI and navigation.

Remember

Character     ↕
Unicode       U+2195
Named entity  &varr;
Hex entity    &#x2195;
Decimal       &#8597;
CSS escape    \2195
Not the same  &harr; (↔) · &uarr; (↑) · &darr; (↓)

Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ↕. Prefer &varr; in HTML markup. For horizontal bidirectional use ↔ (U+2194).

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&varr;`	HTML markup (best default)
Hex entity	`↕`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`↕`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2195`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`↕`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Vertical up/down cue	`&varr;` (preferred)
Numeric-only markup	`↕` or `↕`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2195"`
Horizontal left/right cue	Use ↔ (U+2194)
Single direction only	Use `↑` or `↓`

See it

Live Preview

Up Down Arrow in UI context, compared with horizontal and single-direction arrows.

Scroll / sort Scroll ↕ | Sort ↕

Large glyph ↕

Named entity &varr; → ↕

vs horizontal ↕ | ↔

With entities Named: ↕ | Hex: ↕ | Decimal: ↕

Code

Complete HTML Example

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

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed

Five ways to display ↕ in HTML and CSS.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Up Down Arrow (↕)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2195";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Named: &varr;</p>
  <p>Built with Hex: &#x2195;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: &#8597;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Typed: ↕</p>
  <p>Scroll &varr;</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &varr; is the preferred HTML5 name for U+2195 → ↕.

2. Hex: ↕ inserts the same code point. Same visual as named.

3. Decimal: same code point as 8597 → ↕.

4. CSS: use \2195 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends ↕.

5. Typed: paste ↕ in a UTF-8 document, or write Scroll &varr;.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Up Down Arrow.

Named

Prefer `&varr;`

&varr; is the clear HTML5 named form. Alias &updownarrow; also works. Always end with ;.

Look-alikes

↕ ≠ ↔ ≠ ↑/↓

&varr; is vertical. ↔ is horizontal. Single-direction arrows use ↑ and ↓.

A11y

Label controls

A lone ↕ may be unclear. Add aria-label (e.g. “Sort” or “Resize vertically”) when it conveys an action.

Fonts

Glyph coverage

Arrows coverage is strong in common fonts, but still test icon buttons on mobile.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2195 belongs in CSS. &varr; / ↕ / ↕ belong in HTML. Do not write \02195.

Semicolon

End references

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

Compatibility

Browser Support

Up Down Arrow (U+2195) and its entity forms (&varr;, ↕, ↕, CSS \\2195) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage is strong in common fonts.

✓ Universal encoding

Up Down Arrow (↕)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ↕ directly in UTF-8 HTML. Prefer &varr;.

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+2195 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &varr; for readable HTML. Use \\2195 only inside CSS content. Do not confuse with ↔.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+2195 (decimal 8597) — up down arrow.
HTML: prefer &varr; — or use ↕ / ↕.
CSS: use \2195 inside content for generated UI markers.
Watch out: not the same as ↔ (horizontal) or single up/down arrows.

One line: U+2195 → &varr; / ↕ / ↕ / CSS \2195.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Up Down Arrow (↕) in HTML using entities?

Use &varr; (named), ↕ (hex), ↕ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2195 in the content property. All render ↕. Prefer &varr; for readable markup.

What is the Unicode value for Up Down Arrow?

U+2195 (UP DOWN ARROW). Hex 2195, decimal 8597, named entity &varr;. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+2195?

Yes. HTML5 defines &varr; (and &updownarrow;) for U+2195. Prefer &varr; in source for clarity.

How is U+2195 different from U+2194?

U+2195 is UP DOWN ARROW (&varr;), vertical bidirectional. U+2194 is LEFT RIGHT ARROW (↔), horizontal bidirectional. Same idea, different axis.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for sort controls, scroll indicators, resize handles, and any UI that needs a vertical up-and-down cue.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2195?

HTML entities (&varr;, ↕, or ↕) go in markup. The CSS escape \2195 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ↕.

Did you know?

Up Down Arrow is Unicode U+2195 (decimal 8597) — glyph ↕ (UP DOWN ARROW) in the Arrows block. HTML5 names it &varr; (also &updownarrow;). Prefer it for vertical bidirectional cues. Do not confuse it with the left-right arrow (↔, U+2194).

Next: Up Down Arrow Base

Learn the HTML entity for Up Down Arrow Base — 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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