Q: What's the difference between named and numeric entities?

Named entities use & or ©. Numeric use © (decimal) or © (hex). Numeric entities work for any Unicode character; named entities only for common ones.

Question 1

When should I use HTML entities?

Accepted Answer

Use entities when displaying <, >, &, or quotes in HTML to avoid XSS and parsing errors. Also for special characters (é, ©) when you can't use UTF-8.

Question 2

What's the difference between named and numeric entities?

Accepted Answer

Named entities use & or &copy;. Numeric use &#169; (decimal) or &#x00A9; (hex). Numeric entities work for any Unicode character; named entities only for common ones.

Question 3

Is there a reference table?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The tool includes a searchable reference of common HTML entities—arrows, symbols, accented letters, and more. Click to insert into your text.

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