HTML Email Entities
When you’re coding HTML emails, using special codes called HTML entities helps make sure your content looks right across all email apps — like Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or on a mobile device.
Why Use HTML Entities?
Some characters in HTML have special functions. If you type them directly, they might break your layout. HTML entities let you safely show those characters.
For example, if you want to display a less than sign (&), you should write & instead.
Common Characters to Replace
| Character | Meaning | Entity Name | Entity Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| < | Less than | < | < |
| > | Greater than | > | > |
| & | Ampersand | & | & |
| “ | Double quote | " | “ |
| ‘ | Single quote | Use ‘ | ‘ |
✅ Note: Not all email clients support '. For single quotes, consider using smart quotes like ‘ or ’.
Non-Breaking Space
A non-breaking space keeps words or numbers from splitting across lines.
Examples:
10 AMbecomes: 9 AMMr. Smithbecomes: Mr. Smith
Use this carefully — for spacing, try using inline CSS instead of lots of s.
Common Symbols and Currency HTML Entities
| Character | Description | Entity Name | Entity Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | © | © |
| ® | Registered trademark | ® | ® |
| ™ | Trademark symbol | ™ | ™ |
| ¢ | Cent symbol | ¢ | ¢ |
| £ | Pound sign | £ | £ |
| € | Euro sign | € | € |
| ¥ | Yen sign | ¥ | ¥ |
| Non-breaking space | |
Accented Letters and Diacritical Marks
If you’re sending emails in different languages, you may need special characters like á, é, or ñ. You can build these with character codes.
| Mark | Example Letter | Code | Display |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute (́) | a | á | á |
| Grave (̀) | a | à | à |
| Circumflex (̂) | a | â | â |
| Tilde (̃) | a | ã | ã |
| Acute (́) | O | Ó | Ó |
💡 These characters improve readability and professionalism in localized emails. Always test them across major email clients for proper rendering.
Quick Tips for Email Developers
- Replace special characters with their HTML entity versions.
- Use numeric codes (like
&) when in doubt. They’re widely supported. - Test your emails in multiple apps to make sure they render correctly.
- Use CSS for spacing when possible. Only use
when needed.