index.md

---

title: symbols
slug: Web/CSS/@counter-style/symbols
page-type: css-at-rule-descriptor
browser-compat: css.at-rules.counter-style.symbols

---

{{CSSRef}}

The symbols CSS descriptor is used to specify the symbols that the specified counter system will use to construct counter representations.

Syntax

The symbols descriptor is specified as one or more <symbol>s.

Values

• <symbol>

  • : Represents a symbol used within the counter system. This must be one of the following data types:

    • {{cssxref("<string>")}}

    • {{cssxref("<image>")}} (Note: This value is "at risk" and may be removed from the specification. It is not yet implemented.)

    • {{cssxref("<custom-ident>")}}

Description

A symbol can be a string, image, or identifier. It is used within the {{cssxref("@counter-style")}} at-rule.

symbols: A B C D E;
symbols: "\24B6""\24B7""\24B8"D E;
symbols: "0" "1" "2" "4" "5" "6" "7" "8" "9";
symbols: url("first.svg") url("second.svg") url("third.svg");
symbols: indic-numbers;

The symbols descriptor must be specified when the value of the {{cssxref('@counter-style/system', 'system')}} descriptor is cyclic, numeric, alphabetic, symbolic, or fixed. When the additive system is used, use the {{cssxref('@counter-style/additive-symbols', 'additive-symbols')}} descriptor instead to specify the symbols.

Formal definition

{{cssinfo}}

Formal syntax

{{csssyntax}}

Examples

Setting counter symbols

HTML

<ul class="list">
  <li>One</li>
  <li>Two</li>
  <li>Three</li>
  <li>Four</li>
  <li>Five</li>
</ul>

CSS

@counter-style symbols-example {
  system: fixed;
  symbols: A "1" "\24B7"D E;
}

.list {
  list-style: symbols-example;
}

Result

{{EmbedLiveSample('Setting_counter_symbols')}}

Specifications

{{Specifications}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

See also

• The symbols descriptor is used within the {{cssxref("@counter-style")}} at-rule.

• {{Cssxref("list-style")}}, {{Cssxref("list-style-image")}}, {{Cssxref("list-style-position")}}

• {{cssxref("symbols", "symbols()")}}, the functional notation creating anonymous counter styles

• {{cssxref("url", "url()")}} function