Using Special Characters

Sitecore supports special characters, such as accent marks and tilde, in rich text components and other rich text-based fields. There are multiple methods to enter special characters. These methods vary from PC to Mac. A few options are noted below.

Notes: 

• Take care to follow accessibility guidelines when using emoji or icons in communications. For example, do not use emoji to replace bullet points in a list.
• Different operating systems display the emoji with different styling.
• Emoji can have different interpretations depending on cultural, social and generational background.

When using a Windows operating system, a combination of the Ctrl and one or more keys is held down at the same time to assign the correct accent mark, then the letter is typed. 

• Acute accent (e.g., á, é, í, ó, ú): Press Ctrl and ' (apostrophe), then the letter.
• Grave accent (e.g., à, è, ì, ò, ù): Press Ctrl and , then the letter.
• Circumflex accent (e.g., â, ê, î, ô, û): Press Ctrl and Shift + ^ (caret), then the letter.
• Tilde (e.g., ã, ñ, õ): Press Ctrl and Shift and ~ (tilde), then the letter.
• Umlaut/Diaeresis (e.g., ä, ë, ö, ü, ï): Press Ctrl and Shift and : (colon), then the letter. 

Users of a Windows operating system with a keyboard that includes a separate numeric keypad can use alt codes:

1. Enable Num Lock: If the keyboard has a separate numeric keypad, ensure Num Lock is activated (usually indicated by a light on the keyboard).
2. Press and hold the Alt key on the keyboard.
3. Enter the four-digit code: Using the numeric keypad, type the four-digit code corresponding to the desired character (e.g., 0225 for á).
4. Release the Alt key: The accented character will appear. 

Example: To type á, press and hold Alt, type 0225 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. 

Note: Users with keyboards that do not have a separate numeric keypad may need to use a combination of keys, like Fn + Alt along with the number keys on the main part of the keyboard. 

Visit www.alt-codes.net for a full list of available alt codes. 

• Long-press keys: Open the accent menu by holding down a letter key. If the letter has a possible accent or diacritical mark, a pop-up menu will appear with options. Click the desired option or type the number below the desired mark to insert the letter with the mark.
• Key combinations: Hold down the Option key or the Option and Shift keys with another key to produce additional characters.
  • Acute accent (e.g., á, é, í, ó, ú): Press Option and e, then the letter.
  • Grave accent (e.g., à, è, ì, ò, ù): Press Option and `, then the letter.
  • Circumflex accent (e.g., â, ê, î, ô, û): Press Option and i, then the letter.
  • Tilde (e.g., ã, ñ, õ): Press Option and n, then the letter.
  • Umlaut/Diaeresis (e.g., ä, ë, ö, ü, ï): Press Option and u, then the letter. 

The Character Viewer provides a wide range of special characters, including emojis, symbols and more. Search for characters or browse categories. 

1. Open the Character Viewer by going to Edit > Emoji & Symbols or using the shortcut Control+Command+Space Bar.
2. To insert a character, double-click it or drag it into the text. 

Note: In System Settings > Keyboard, users can enable “Show Keyboard & Emoji Viewers in menu bar.” This adds an icon to the menu bar that allows for quick access the Keyboard Viewer or Character Viewer.

To open the Character Viewer using a keyboard, place the cursor where the character should be inserted, then press Control+Command+Space Bar to open the viewer. 

Users finding they frequently use specific symbols or characters can create a text replacement keyboard shortcut to make these easier to insert. 

1. Access System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements.
2. Build the custom text replacement string. For example, set .greenheart to be replaced with the green heart emoji.