Emoji Picker and GitHub Emoji Cheat Sheet
Searchable emoji picker with GitHub, Slack and Discord shortcodes. Find any emoji, copy the :shortcode: or character, and browse the full cheat sheet.
Showing the first 400; search or pick a category to narrow the list.
Most shortcodes are identical across the three, but a few differ. GitHub accepts every name in this picker; Slack uses hyphens in some flag names; Discord renames a handful of faces and people.
| Emoji | GitHub | Slack | Discord |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👍 | :+1: / :thumbsup: | :+1: / :thumbsup: | :thumbsup: |
| 👎 | :-1: / :thumbsdown: | :-1: / :thumbsdown: | :thumbsdown: |
| 🎉 | :tada: | :tada: | :tada: |
| 🚀 | :rocket: | :rocket: | :rocket: |
| ❤️ | :heart: | :heart: | :heart: |
| ✅ | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: |
| ❌ | :x: | :x: | :x: |
| ⚠️ | :warning: | :warning: | :warning: |
| 😄 | :smile: | :smile: | :smile: |
| 🙂 | :slightly_smiling_face: | :slightly_smiling_face: | :slight_smile: |
| 😂 | :joy: | :joy: | :joy: |
| 🔥 | :fire: | :fire: | :fire: |
| 👀 | :eyes: | :eyes: | :eyes: |
| 🐛 | :bug: | :bug: | :bug: |
| 📝 | :memo: / :pencil: | :memo: | :pencil: |
| 🧑💻 | :technologist: | :technologist: | :technologist: |
| 🤷 | :shrug: | :shrug: | :person_shrugging: |
| 🏳️🌈 | :rainbow_flag: | :rainbow-flag: | :rainbow_flag: |
What Is an Emoji Picker?
An emoji picker is a searchable grid of every emoji, with the name, category and the :shortcode: that markdown platforms understand, so you can find the right symbol and copy it in the form you need. This one is built on the gemoji dataset, GitHub's own list, which means every shortcode it shows works in READMEs, issues, pull requests and commit messages. Search by name ("rocket"), by tag ("happy") or by description ("thumbs up"), filter by category, and click to copy.
Switch to the cheat sheet view for a github emoji list you can scan as a table, and check the compatibility section when the same message goes to Slack or Discord. Search and copying run in your browser; the recently used list is kept in local storage.
How to Find and Copy an Emoji
- Type a word in the search box. Names, aliases, tags and descriptions are all matched, and colons are ignored so :tada: works too.
- Narrow the results with the category menu if the list is long.
- Set Click copies to the emoji character or the :shortcode:, depending on where you will paste.
- Click an emoji. It is copied, shown under "Last copied" and added to Recently used.
- For a table with every alias, open the Cheat sheet tab and use its Copy buttons.
GitHub Emoji Categories
| Category | Examples | Typical use in docs |
|---|---|---|
| Smileys & Emotion | :smile: :thinking: :tada: | Tone in comments, release announcements |
| People & Body | :+1: :wave: :technologist: | Reactions, greetings in profile READMEs |
| Animals & Nature | :bug: :fire: :seedling: | Bug reports, hot fixes, new projects |
| Objects | :memo: :wrench: :package: :lock: | Gitmoji-style commit prefixes |
| Symbols | :white_check_mark: :x: :warning: | Feature matrices, status tables |
| Travel & Places, Activities, Food & Drink, Flags | :rocket: :trophy: :coffee: :jp: | Launches, milestones, localisation notes |
Markdown Emoji Support by Platform
Markdown emoji shortcodes are not part of CommonMark; they are an extension each platform adds. GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Discord, Slack, Discourse and Docusaurus (with a plugin) all expand :name:. Plain markdown converters, static site generators such as Hugo (unless enableEmoji is set), and most email tools do not, and will show the literal text. When in doubt, copy the emoji character instead of the shortcode: a character renders everywhere a font supports it, while a shortcode only renders where the platform expands it.
Using the Emoji Picker for READMEs and Commits
A good use of this emoji picker is a consistent set of markers: :white_check_mark: and :x: in a feature comparison table, :warning: before a caveat, :rocket: for releases in a changelog. Keep to a handful and use the same ones throughout a project. The emoji cheat sheet view is handy for teams that follow gitmoji-style commit messages, where :sparkles: means a new feature, :bug: a fix and :memo: a docs change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use emoji in GitHub markdown?
Type the shortcode between colons, such as :rocket: or :white_check_mark:, anywhere in a README, issue, comment or commit message and GitHub replaces it with the emoji. You can also paste the emoji character itself. This emoji picker copies either form with one click.
Where does the github emoji list come from?
From the gemoji dataset that GitHub publishes, which is the same list behind its :shortcode: autocomplete. It has around 1,870 emoji with names, aliases, tags and categories, and is what the cheat sheet on this page lists.
Do the same shortcodes work in Slack and Discord?
Mostly. The common ones (:tada:, :fire:, :eyes:, :+1:) are identical. Slack writes some flags with hyphens (:rainbow-flag:) and Discord renames a few, for example :slight_smile: instead of :slightly_smiling_face: and :person_shrugging: instead of :shrug:. The compatibility table on the page lists the known differences.
Why does an emoji look different on my computer?
Emoji are characters, and each operating system draws them with its own font: Apple Color Emoji on macOS and iOS, Segoe UI Emoji on Windows, Noto Color Emoji on Android and most Linux systems. GitHub serves its own images for shortcodes, so a README looks the same everywhere.
Is the recently used list stored anywhere?
Only in your browser's local storage, so it survives a reload but never leaves your device. Use the Clear button to empty it.