An empty box is displayed instead of the rupee symbol in HTML

When displaying the Indian rupee symbol (?) in HTML, you might encounter an empty box instead of the symbol due to browser compatibility or font issues. Here are reliable solutions to ensure proper rupee symbol display.

The Problem

The rupee symbol using HTML entity ₹ may not display correctly in all browsers or devices:

This can appear as an empty box ? if the browser or font doesn't support the Unicode character.

Using Font Awesome Icons (Recommended)

Font Awesome provides cross-browser compatible rupee icons:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="//maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.3.0/css/font-awesome.min.css">
</head>
<body>
    <p>Price: <i class="fa fa-inr"></i> 500</p>
    <p>Total: <i class="fa fa-rupee"></i> 1200</p>
</body>
</html>

HTML Entity Methods

Alternative HTML entities for the rupee symbol:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
    <p>Hexadecimal: &#x20B9; 100</p>
    <p>Decimal: &#8377; 200</p>
    <p>Named entity: &inr; 300</p>
</body>
</html>

Using Web Fonts

Google Fonts or custom web fonts ensure consistent symbol display:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:wght@400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
    <style>
        .rupee { font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <p class="rupee">Amount: ? 500</p>
</body>
</html>

Comparison

Method Browser Support Easy Implementation
Font Awesome Excellent Yes
HTML Entities Good (font dependent) Yes
Web Fonts Excellent Moderate

Conclusion

Font Awesome icons provide the most reliable solution for displaying rupee symbols. For lightweight solutions, use HTML entities with proper font fallbacks to ensure cross-browser compatibility.

Updated on: 2026-03-15T23:18:59+05:30

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