Unicode Technical Standard #51

UTS#51

Emoji Ecosystem

The Unicode specification that defines how emoji work — including emoji properties, sequences, presentation, and ordering.

UTS#51 (Unicode Emoji) is the technical standard governing all aspects of emoji in Unicode. It defines which characters are emoji, how sequences work, default presentation styles, and the expected behavior for emoji input and display.

Key topics covered by UTS#51:
- Emoji properties and data files
- Emoji sequences (ZWJ, flag, keycap, modifier)
- Presentation styles (text vs. emoji)
- Emoji sorting and ordering
- Guidelines for platform implementations

The standard is updated with each Unicode release to document new mechanisms and emoji.

Related Terms

Emoji Sequence Emoji Sequence
An ordered set of one or more Unicode code points that together represent a single emoji character. Unicode Consortium Unicode Consortium
The non-profit organization that develops and maintains the Unicode Standard, including the process for adding new emoji. Unicode Standard Unicode Standard
The complete character encoding system maintained by the Unicode Consortium, defining characters, properties, algorithms, and encoding forms.

Related Tools

🔍 Sequence Analyzer Sequence Analyzer
Decode ZWJ sequences, skin tone modifiers, keycap sequences, and flag pairs into individual components.