Overview
Unicode Character Lookup works by analyzing Unicode characters or codepoints to retrieve detailed information including decimal/hex codepoint, UTF-16 encoding, category (letter, number, emoji, etc.), and emoji names from the Unicode emoji database.
Live Test Unicode Lookup Source →
Formula
One function covers the whole catalog: the first argument names the source, the rest are its inputs, and the "field" pair says which single value lands in the cell. Formulas covers the grammar that applies to all of them.
=VERVE("unicodelookup", "field", "decimal")=VERVE.CALL("unicodelookup", "field", "decimal")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS. Premium inputs are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
characterOptional | string | "character", value | The Unicode character to lookup. Supply either character or codepoint. |
codepointOptional | string | "codepoint", value | The Unicode codepoint in hex (e.g., '1F44B' or 'U+1F44B'). Supply either character or codepoint. |
Passing an option
=VERVE("unicodelookup", "character", "👋")=VERVE.CALL("unicodelookup", "character", "👋")What lands in your sheet
The "field" pair is what makes the formula resolve to one cell. Its value is a dot-path from the table below, so swapping it is how you pull a different value — one formula per column.
Seeing everything at once
Drop the "field" pair and the formula returns the whole response instead: two columns, field name on the left and value on the right, spilling from the cell you typed in.
=VERVE("unicodelookup")=VERVE.CALL("unicodelookup")The second row's table would land on top of the first's, and every cell after the first reads #REF! (#SPILL! in Excel). Keep one per sheet, or name a field, and leave the cells below and to the right empty.
Response fields
Paths are relative to data. Each one is exactly what the "field" pair accepts, so swapping it is how you pull a different value into a cell. On a plan without a Premium field the cell reads #PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.
| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
character | string | � | The Unicode character being looked up |
codepoint | string | U+D83D | The Unicode codepoint in U+ notation format |
decimal | number | 55357 | The decimal representation of the character codepoint |
hex | string | D83D | The hexadecimal representation of the character codepoint |
utf16 | string | \uD83D | The UTF-16 encoding representation of the character |
category | string | Control | Unicode category classification (e.g., Control, Letter, Number) |
name | object | null | The emoji name when the character is an emoji (e.g. "red heart"); null for other characters |
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() will not catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead. Error handling covers the rest.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | A preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in unicodelookup | An option name this source does not take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path is not in the response. Check it against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan does not include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The cycle's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet does not leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Use cases
- Character Analysis
- Analyze Unicode characters in text to understand their encoding, category, and properties
- Emoji Information
- Look up emoji names and Unicode information for emoji keyboards, pickers, or documentation
- Debugging
- Debug character encoding issues by examining Unicode properties and encodings of problematic characters
- Documentation
- Generate documentation about supported characters, emojis, or special symbols with detailed Unicode info
Other ways to use Unicode Lookup
Set up Unicode Lookup on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Related
More in Data Lookup: