About UTFpad
UTFpad is a free, browser-based tool for finding, composing, and decoding Unicode characters. Search the entire Unicode set by name or codepoint, collect the characters you need into a pad, and copy the result — no account, no installation, and nothing stored on a server.
What you can do with it
- Find a character without knowing its name. Type a plain description — "degree sign", "heart", "arrow", "alpha" — and the matching characters appear, ranked by relevance.
- Compose longer text. Mix typed text with characters you search for into a single pad, then copy it all at once.
- Decode any text. Paste a string and break it down into its individual characters, each labelled with its name and codepoint — handy for spotting invisible or look-alike characters.
- Preview in your own font. Upload a font file under Typography to see how your text and the result glyphs render in it.
How to use Compose mode
- Make sure the Compose tab is selected.
- Type a word that describes the character you want into the search box, or paste a glyph to look it up directly.
- Click a result to add it to your pad. Type around it to build a phrase.
- Use the copy button to copy the whole pad, then paste it anywhere.
How to use Decode mode
- Select the Decode tab.
- Paste or type any text into the field.
- Read the breakdown: every character is listed with its Unicode name and codepoint, so you can identify exactly what a string contains.
Who it’s for
Writers reaching for an em dash or curly quotes, students and engineers inserting maths and Greek letters, designers picking symbols and arrows, developers debugging encoding issues and invisible characters, and anyone who needs an emoji or accented letter that isn’t on their keyboard.
Privacy by default
Your recent characters, bookmarks, preferred categories, and any uploaded font are saved locally in your browser, so there is no account to create and nothing to sign in to. Just open the page and start composing.
Guides
Learn more about working with Unicode characters:
- How to Type and Copy Special Characters
- Finding and Copying Emoji
- A Guide to Math Symbols in Unicode
- Greek Letters: A Complete Reference
- Arrows, Accents, and Diacritics
Have a question? Browse the frequently asked questions.