Adding special characters to text

Use unicode to add special characters to your site’s text.

Last updated February 23, 2024

Unicode is a standardized character-encoding format supported by most computers and browsers. You can use Unicode to add special characters to your site, like math symbols or different languages. You can also add extra design elements, like arrows, carets, and other icons.

For example, the Harris template's demo content includes Unicode caret and telephone symbols:

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Before you begin

While Unicode is widely used and supported, there's a chance some visitors may access your site from a device or browser that doesn't display Unicode. These visitors would see a box, question mark, or another symbol in place of the special character.

For this reason, we suggest using special characters strategically, so your meaning is clear even if the character is missing.

Note

Adding Unicode is an advanced modification that falls outside of the scope of Squarespace support.

Step 1 - Copy a character

You can find symbols in many places on the web. Here are a few resources:

Tip

Here are symbols used in our demo content: ☎ ➤ → ©

When you find a character to use, highlight and copy the symbol (Ctrl + C or + C) as if it were regular text.

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Step 2 - Paste it into your site

You can paste Unicode anywhere on your site that supports text, including text blocks, the site title, banner text, and image captions.

When you paste the symbol, ensure you paste it as plain text. You can use these keyboard shortcuts:

  • Mac - + Shift + V
  • PC - Ctrl + Shift + V

Usually, the character takes the same style as that text area. For example, if you add it as normal text in a text block, it will follow your template's body font style settings.

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Adding special characters to text