HTML entities are short codes that let you display reserved or special characters in a web page without breaking the markup. Each character has a named code such as & and a numeric code such as &. Both render the same character. This is a reference of the most useful ones, grouped by type.
It is a code that represents a character, used so reserved or special symbols display correctly instead of being treated as markup.
What is the difference between named and numeric entities?
A named entity uses a word, such as ©, while a numeric entity uses the character code, such as ©. Both produce the same character.
When do I have to use entities?
Always for the reserved characters less-than, greater-than, and ampersand inside HTML, and for quotes inside attributes. Other symbols are optional but safe.
Do I need entities if my page is UTF-8?
For most symbols you can type the character directly in a UTF-8 page. Entities are still required for the reserved markup characters.
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