South West Arrow ↙

The South West 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+2199 in the Universal Character Set.

The southwest arrow points diagonally down and to the left. It completes the set of four diagonal arrows. Like other diagonal arrows, it is used in mapping, navigation, and directional indicators where a 45-degree angle is needed.

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 South West 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 southwest arrow for diagonal direction indicators, compass navigation, and map-based interfaces. Together with the other three diagonal arrows, it provides complete eight-direction compass navigation for interactive applications.