Slack Emoji Codes List: Shortcodes for Reactions, Status and Work

Slack emoji codes are short names between two colons, such as :+1: for a thumbs up, :eyes: for "looking at it" and :white_check_mark: for done. Type a colon and the first few letters in any message box, and Slack suggests matching emoji; press Enter or Tab to pick one, or finish typing the name and the closing colon. Some emoji have two codes (:+1: and :thumbsup: are the same). Skin tones are a second code after the first: :wave::skin-tone-3:. The tables below list the codes teams use most, and the script at the end exports every standard code.

The codes on this page come from emoji-data, the open-source emoji dataset by Slack co-founder Cal Henderson, which covers Emoji 17.0 and lists 1,919 standard emoji with 1,980 names. We downloaded it on 27 September. Slack may lag behind the newest Unicode release, so a brand-new emoji can be missing in Slack for a while.

How Slack emoji codes work

• • Type a colon in the message box, then part of the name. :whi already offers :white_check_mark:.
• • Pick with Enter or Tab, or type the whole name and the closing colon.
• • Find any emoji's code by hovering over it in a message or reaction, or in the emoji picker.
• • React with a code by sending +:eyes: in the message box; Slack adds it as a reaction to the latest message. Every other way is in how to react to a message in Slack.
• • Codes are lowercase, with underscores or hyphens: :thinking_face:, :man-shrugging:.
• • Custom emoji use the name someone gave them when they added it, such as :lgtm:.

We checked how Slack stores codes on 28 October 2026, in a channel of our test workspace. Typing :white_ch opened the suggestion list with :white_check_mark: on top and Enter to pick it:

Then we sent Emoji code test: :+1: :thumbsup: :eyes: :white_check_mark: :wave::skin-tone-3: :hourglass_flowing_sand: and read it back with conversations.history:

So :thumbsup: and :+1: are one emoji: the plain text a bot or export reads turns both into :+1:, while the formatted block keeps the name you typed. A bot that matches messages on :thumbsup: misses them; match :+1: or the Unicode value 1f44d.

Slack emoji codes for reactions

What each reaction usually means inside a team is in what does the eyes emoji mean in Slack. The same codes work in search: has::+1: finds every message with a 👍, as shown in how to search Slack by emoji reaction.

Slack emoji codes for your status

Slack's suggested "Vacationing" status uses :palm_tree:. What each status icon tells coworkers is in Slack status icons meaning, and ready-made status text is in our Slack status generator.

A status emoji shows next to your name everywhere in Slack. The steps, and why a display name cannot hold an emoji, are in how to put an emoji next to your name in Slack.

Slack emoji codes for work

For Halloween, Christmas and other holidays (:jack_o_lantern:, :christmas_tree:, :menorah_with_nine_branches:), see Halloween and holiday Slack emoji.

Standard emoji by category

Flags use the country code: :flag-us:, :flag-gb:, :flag-jp:. The five components are the skin tones, :skin-tone-2: to :skin-tone-6:.

Export every Slack emoji code to a spreadsheet

This Python script downloads the emoji-data list and writes every emoji with its codes and category to a CSV file you can open in Excel or Google Sheets. It uses only the standard library:

import json
import urllib.request

URL = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iamcal/emoji-data/master/emoji.json"
with urllib.request.urlopen(URL, timeout=30) as resp:
    emoji = json.load(resp)

emoji.sort(key=lambda e: e["sort_order"])
with open("slack-emoji-codes.csv", "w", encoding="utf-8") as out:
    out.write("emoji,codes,category\n")
    for e in emoji:
        char = "".join(chr(int(cp, 16)) for cp in e["unified"].split("-"))
        codes = " ".join(f":{name}:" for name in e["short_names"])
        out.write(f'{char},"{codes}",{e["category"]}\n')
print(len(emoji), "emoji written to slack-emoji-codes.csv")

When we ran it on 27 September it wrote 1,919 rows; the first is 😀 :grinning:.

Custom emoji codes in your workspace

Custom emoji are not in any public list. To see your workspace's codes, click the smiley face in the message field and open the custom section, or click your workspace name, Customize [workspace], and the Emoji tab. To add your own, see how to add custom emoji to Slack; for ideas, 40 Slack emoji ideas; to make one, the Slack emoji maker.

FAQ

How do I type an emoji code in Slack?

Type a colon and the name, like :tada:. Slack suggests matches after the first letters.

What is the Slack code for a thumbs up?

:+1: or :thumbsup:.

What is the Slack code for a green check mark?

:white_check_mark: for the green box, or :heavy_check_mark: for a plain check.

How do I add a skin tone with a code?

Add a skin tone code after the emoji: :wave::skin-tone-4:. Tones run from :skin-tone-2: to :skin-tone-6:. A code you type out in full stays yellow even if you set a default tone; see Slack skin tone.

Where can I find all Slack emoji codes?

Hover over any emoji in Slack to see its code, or run the script above to export all 1,919 standard ones.