Ballot X ✗

The Ballot X 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+2717 in the Universal Character Set.

The ballot X (✗) is a cross mark used to indicate rejection, failure, incorrectness, or absence. It is the negative counterpart to the check mark (✓) and is essential for comparison tables, form validation errors, and status indicators. The ballot X is distinct from the multiplication sign and letter X.

Symbol entities encompass a wide variety of special characters used in legal disclaimers, intellectual property notices, typographic ornaments, card suit indicators, and miscellaneous notation throughout web content. These characters appear in website footers for copyright notices, product pages for trademark symbols, academic papers for dagger footnote markers, and decorative or gaming contexts for card suits and stars.

When deciding how to encode the Ballot X 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 ballot X in feature comparison tables alongside check marks, error states in form validation, rejection indicators, and negative status displays. Pairing ✓ and ✗ creates clear yes/no visual patterns that users understand immediately without reading text labels.