# What is the mark in some links that looks like two arrows called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279 "2017-09-01T22:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/1 "2017-09-01T22:59:00Z")
In many links, noticeable Wikipedia but other places too, is something that looks like two tiny overlapping arrows, one pointing upper right and the other pointing lower left. [Could be two triangles.]I cannot find what this is called. I cannot copy/past it. I cannot find a graphic of it. Is this HTML, UNICODE, what? What is it called? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/2 "2017-09-01T23:04:03Z")
Give us one of the links which have them. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/3 "2017-09-01T23:08:26Z")
It’s called the nofollow icon. I don’t know what character or representation Wikipedia uses. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/4 "2017-09-01T23:09:13Z")
It’s the CSS external link icon. > **[Help:External link icons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:External_link_icons)** > > External links usually display an icon at the end of the link. CSS is used to check for certain filename extensions or URI schemes and apply an icon specific to that file type, based on the selected skin. > This page contains example URLs to demonstrate the link icons. The displayed icon only depends on the URL itself. It is not checked whether a file of that type is actually at the link. The examples here do not link to real files. > MediaWiki software detects URI schemes and/or filename extension... [https://www.google.com/search?q=css+external+link+icon&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmhKizjYXWAhWkxYMKHdFpDQAQ\_AUICigB&biw=1680&bih=955](https://www.google.com/search?q=css+external+link+icon&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmhKizjYXWAhWkxYMKHdFpDQAQ_AUICigB&biw=1680&bih=955) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/5 "2017-09-01T23:09:46Z")
Do you mean the “external link” mark? It shows the link goes to a pagew outside Wikipedia. You can see it in the [references](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_address_system#References)section of any long article. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/6 "2017-09-01T23:15:01Z")
Are you talking about the “external link” symbol?To indicate the link leaves the site you’re on. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/7 "2017-09-01T23:17:29Z")
OK, that’s interesting - until now, I saw that as two arrows pointing in opposite directions, and intepreted it as a version of [this](https://iconscout.com/icon/nofollow-left-and-right-arrows-hand-drawn-arrow-nofollow-links), but it’s clearly the external link icon. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/8 "2017-09-01T23:35:44Z")
Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/9 "2017-09-02T04:33:36Z")
If it’s the “external link” icon you’re talking about, I see it as a little square box with an arrow sticking out of the upper right corner of it. You can find the icon by itself here: [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/skins/Vector/images/external-link-ltr-icon.png](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/skins/Vector/images/external-link-ltr-icon.png) (It’s a little 12x12 pixel image.) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mark-in-some-links-that-looks-like-two-arrows-called/795279/10 "2017-09-02T07:23:45Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > It’s the CSS external link icon. I don’t think the icon has anything to do with CSS (other than CSS being used to display it). The icon is just one that Wikipedia (or maybe the underlying software, MediaWiki) has chosen to represent external links. If you made your own website using CSS, it wouldn’t automatically use those icons for external links.