Complete Emoji Shortcode Reference

What Are Emoji Shortcodes?

Emoji shortcodes are text-based shortcuts that let you type emoji without opening a picker or memorizing Unicode values. Wrapped in colons — like :fire: or :thumbsup: — they get converted into the corresponding emoji character when you send a message or submit a comment.

The system originated in the early days of chat applications. Instead of hunting through emoji panels, users could type a descriptive word between colons and the platform would replace it with the matching emoji. This made emoji accessible even on devices without graphical pickers, and it remains the fastest way to insert emoji for keyboard-first users.

How Shortcodes Work Across Platforms

Slack, Discord, and GitHub all support the colon-based shortcode syntax, but they don't always agree on the exact codes. The core set is largely shared — :smile:, :heart:, and :rocket: work everywhere — but edge cases differ. Slack uses :slightly_smiling_face: where Discord might use :slight_smile:. GitHub supports a subset of shortcodes in issues, pull requests, and comments, and its list doesn't always match what works in chat apps.

These differences exist because each platform maintains its own shortcode dictionary independently. There is no central standard. Slack built its list early and influenced others, but each platform added and renamed codes over time based on their own conventions and user feedback.

Using This Reference

The table below lists over 1,800 emoji with their shortcodes. Search by emoji name or shortcode text to find what you need. Click any shortcode to copy it to your clipboard, ready to paste. Each emoji links to its detailed wiki page where you can learn more about its history, meaning, and platform differences. You can also filter by category to browse specific groups like faces, animals, food, or flags.