Emoji are special characters that depict faces, objects, and symbols. They’re not emoticons, which are strings of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks that create symbols like :-)︎ and <3. The plural of emoji is emoji (not emojis).
Should you use emoji?
Emoji help keep our content modern and feel more human. Typically, we use them more for greetings and small talk, and less for task-related content or delivering important news.
Consider how emoji impact the tone of your content. Do they enhance the message or muddy it? Emoji should never feel forced. When in doubt, don’t use them.
Here are some other things to consider:
Examples
- Is the emoji widely recognized and easily interpreted?
- Can it be seen in both light and dark mode?
- Read the content as a screen reader would. Does the alt text make sense?
- How does the emoji look on iOS and Android?
- Are there other visuals on the page? Emoji shouldn’t compete with our branded illustrations.
Best practices
Emoji have ever-changing tone, meaning, and connotation. Use them wisely. It’s important to prioritize accessibility, inclusion, and clarity.
Remember, let your words do the talking. Emoji are just a visual aid.
You crushed it 🎉
The emoji emphasizes this celebratory moment. A screen reader would read this as “You crushed it tada.”
You crushed it 🎉🎉🎉
Don’t use more than one emoji in the same message. A screen reader would read this as “You crushed it tada tada tada.” Avoid this—we don’t want to confuse or annoy the customer.
Thanks for working with us 💚
Put the emoji at the end of the message. No punctuation is needed—the emoji serves as the punctuation.
We 💚 your business!
Don’t replace a word with an emoji or use an emoji to save characters. It makes the sentence look and sound fragmented.
Meet your new team 👋
Stick to the default yellow skin tone. It appears well in both light and dark mode.
Meet your new team 🙏🏻
The high-five emoji could be misinterpreted as a prayer emoji. Before using an emoji, look up its meaning.
You weren’t approved for your loan.
Oftentimes, no emoji is the best option.
You weren’t approved for your loan 😢
Don’t use emoji when delivering bad news.
Link your bank account to start sorting expenses 🏦
The emoji complements the message without being redundant.
Birds 🐦 of a feather, bank together 🏦
Avoid using emoji to support a pun. We aim to be clear and concise, not funny or clever.
Resources
- To get a full list of emoji and see how they appear across different browsers, use Unicode
- To find out what each emoji means in different contexts and cultures, check out Emojipedia
- To ensure all our of customers feel accepted and understood, lean on our accessibility and inclusion guidelines
