Asterisk Symbol (*)

Copy and paste the asterisk * with one click

Unicode Character

Unicode Hex

U+002A

HTML Entity

&ast;

Decimal Code

About the Asterisk Symbol

Last reviewed on October 31, 2026

* marks a footnote or a note that qualifies a claim in the text. In programming it is multiplication and a wildcard, as in *.txt. Markdown uses it for emphasis and bullets, and search syntax uses it to match any text.

Its official Unicode name is Asterisk. Browse the Punctuation & Special page for related characters.

How to Type Asterisk on a Keyboard

Windows: Press Shift+8 on a US keyboard

Mac: Press Shift+8

Microsoft Word: Type 002A then press Alt+X

Phone & tablet: Copying * from this page is fastest — see our mobile typing guide

Asterisk Code for HTML, CSS & JavaScript

HTML: &ast;

CSS: content: '\002A';

JavaScript: '\u002A'

Unicode: U+002A

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I type asterisk * on Windows?

Press Shift+8 on a US keyboard. You can also copy * straight from this page.

How do I type * on a Mac?

Press Shift+8.

What is the Unicode and HTML code for asterisk?

It is Unicode code point U+002A, named Asterisk. In HTML, use &ast; or the numeric reference *.