Clockwise Open Circle Arrow ↻

The Clockwise Open Circle Arrow character (↻) is a standard HTML entity defined in the HTML specification. In HTML source code, it can be written using the named entity reference ↻, the decimal numeric character reference ↻, or the hexadecimal numeric reference ↻. The character is assigned Unicode code point U+21BB in the Universal Character Set.

The clockwise open circle arrow is a circular arrow rotating to the right. It universally represents refresh, reload, or redo operations in software interfaces. The symbol is one of the most recognized UI metaphors across platforms and applications.

Arrow entities serve as directional indicators in navigation interfaces, mathematical expressions, flowcharts, and textual content throughout the web. Because they render as scalable text characters rather than bitmap images, HTML arrow entities are resolution-independent, styleable with CSS properties like color and font-size, and fully accessible to assistive technologies including screen readers.

When deciding how to encode the Clockwise Open Circle Arrow character in your HTML documents, the named entity ↻ is generally the most readable choice for developers reviewing or maintaining source code. The decimal form ↻ and hexadecimal form ↻ are equally valid alternatives that work in contexts where named entities may not be supported, or when generating HTML output programmatically from server-side code. All three representations produce identical visual output in every modern web browser.

Use the clockwise circle arrow for refresh/reload buttons, redo actions, rotation indicators, and cycle/loop representations. It is universally understood as 'try again' or 'reload' in web and application interfaces and pairs with counterclockwise arrows for undo/redo pairs.