Insert Arrows Into Google Sheets Based on Conditions

Arrow symbols can quickly and easily identify trends in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. For example, you could use an arrow symbol to indicate whether a value has increased or decreased over time. In the following example, let’s look at how to use arrows in Google Sheets.

Prepare your Data

Before inserting arrow symbols, it’s essential to have the data ready in your Google Sheet.

An unstyled table of data showing variances with no symbols or colors
Plain Data

In the above example, we have prepared our variances in column F. The numbers are in the same units and are all the result of subtracting the values in column B from those in column D.

Choose Your Arrow Symbols

There are different types of arrows, and there isn’t a built-in method to find them inside Google Sheets. Let’s look at other ways to find these arrows.

Find Arrow Symbols Online

You can find the arrows you want with an internet search, but it can be confusing as there are so many places to look. Alternatively, you can copy the arrows from the table below and paste them into your spreadsheet.

Use The CHAR Function to Insert Arrow Symbols

If you know the Unicode decimal code for the arrows, you can insert them using the CHAR function. For example, =CHAR(8600) inserts an arrow that points down and to the right. These codes are also available in the table of arrows at the end of this article.

CHAR Function

Use an Add-On

The easiest way to insert arrows, and other symbols, is using the Insert Special Characters add-on. Just search for “arrow” and choose which symbol you want.

Insert Special Characters Add-On

Enter the Formula

Now that you’ve selected your arrows, use them in a formula such as the one in cell G3 below:

Arrows pointing different directions depending on trends
Arrows Indicating Directional Change

Formula used: =IFS(F3>0,"↗",F3<0,"↘",TRUE,"-")

This formula looks at the value in cell F3 and draws an arrow pointing up if the value is positive, down if it’s negative, and inserts a dash if the value is zero.

Live Example in Google Sheet

Make a copy of this spreadsheet to use the examples in this article.

Apply Colors for More Emphasis

The following tutorial will use conditional formatting to add colors to our analysis.

Full List of Unicode Arrow Symbols

Copy the decimal code from this table to use in the CHAR function.

DecimalNameAppearance
706MODIFIER LETTER LEFT ARROWHEAD˂
707MODIFIER LETTER RIGHT ARROWHEAD˃
708MODIFIER LETTER UP ARROWHEAD˄
709MODIFIER LETTER DOWN ARROWHEAD˅
845COMBINING LEFT RIGHT ARROW BELOW͍
846COMBINING UPWARDS ARROW BELOW͎
864COMBINING DOUBLE TILDE͠
865COMBINING DOUBLE INVERTED BREVE͡
866COMBINING DOUBLE RIGHTWARDS ARROW BELOW͢
8404COMBINING ANTICLOCKWISE ARROW ABOVE
8405COMBINING CLOCKWISE ARROW ABOVE
8406COMBINING LEFT ARROW ABOVE
8407COMBINING RIGHT ARROW ABOVE
8417COMBINING LEFT RIGHT ARROW ABOVE
8592LEFTWARDS ARROW
8593UPWARDS ARROW
8594RIGHTWARDS ARROW
8595DOWNWARDS ARROW
8596LEFT RIGHT ARROW
8597UP DOWN ARROW
8598NORTH WEST ARROW
8599NORTH EAST ARROW
8600SOUTH EAST ARROW
8601SOUTH WEST ARROW
8602LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH STROKE
8603RIGHTWARDS ARROW WITH STROKE
8604LEFTWARDS WAVE ARROW
8605RIGHTWARDS WAVE ARROW
8606LEFTWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW
8607UPWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW
8608RIGHTWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW
8609DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW
8610LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH TAIL
8611RIGHTWARDS ARROW WITH TAIL
8612LEFTWARDS ARROW FROM BAR
8613UPWARDS ARROW FROM BAR
8614RIGHTWARDS ARROW FROM BAR
8615DOWNWARDS ARROW FROM BAR
8616UP DOWN ARROW WITH BASE
8617LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH HOOK
8618RIGHTWARDS ARROW WITH HOOK
8619LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH LOOP
8620RIGHTWARDS ARROW WITH LOOP
8621LEFT RIGHT WAVE ARROW
8622LEFT RIGHT ARROW WITH STROKE
8623DOWNWARDS ZIGZAG ARROW
8624UPWARDS ARROW WITH TIP LEFTWARDS
8625UPWARDS ARROW WITH TIP RIGHTWARDS
8626DOWNWARDS ARROW WITH TIP LEFTWARDS
8627DOWNWARDS ARROW WITH TIP RIGHTWARDS
8628RIGHTWARDS ARROW WITH CORNER DOWNWARDS
8629DOWNWARDS ARROW WITH CORNER LEFTWARDS
8630ANTICLOCKWISE TOP SEMICIRCLE ARROW
8631CLOCKWISE TOP SEMICIRCLE ARROW
8632NORTH WEST ARROW TO LONG BAR
8633LEFTWARDS ARROW TO BAR OVER RIGHTWARDS ARROW TO BAR
8634ANTICLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW
8635CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW
8636LEFTWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB UPWARDS
8637LEFTWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB DOWNWARDS
8638UPWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB RIGHTWARDS
8639UPWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB LEFTWARDS
8640RIGHTWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB UPWARDS
8641RIGHTWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB DOWNWARDS
8642DOWNWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB RIGHTWARDS
8643DOWNWARDS HARPOON WITH BARB LEFTWARDS
8644RIGHTWARDS ARROW OVER LEFTWARDS ARROW
8645UPWARDS ARROW LEFTWARDS OF DOWNWARDS ARROW
8646LEFTWARDS ARROW OVER RIGHTWARDS ARROW
8647LEFTWARDS PAIRED ARROWS
8648UPWARDS PAIRED ARROWS
8649RIGHTWARDS PAIRED ARROWS
8650DOWNWARDS PAIRED ARROWS
8651LEFTWARDS HARPOON OVER RIGHTWARDS HARPOON
8652RIGHTWARDS HARPOON OVER LEFTWARDS HARPOON
8653LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE
8654LEFT RIGHT DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE
8655RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE
8656LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
8657UPWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
8658RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
8659DOWNWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
8660LEFT RIGHT DOUBLE ARROW
8661UP DOWN DOUBLE ARROW
8662NORTH WEST DOUBLE ARROW
8663NORTH EAST DOUBLE ARROW
8664SOUTH EAST DOUBLE ARROW
8665SOUTH WEST DOUBLE ARROW
8666LEFTWARDS TRIPLE ARROW
8667RIGHTWARDS TRIPLE ARROW
8668LEFTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW
8669RIGHTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW
8670UPWARDS ARROW WITH DOUBLE STROKE
8671DOWNWARDS ARROW WITH DOUBLE STROKE
8672LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW
8673UPWARDS DASHED ARROW
8674RIGHTWARDS DASHED ARROW
8675DOWNWARDS DASHED ARROW
8676LEFTWARDS ARROW TO BAR
8677RIGHTWARDS ARROW TO BAR
8678LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW
8679UPWARDS WHITE ARROW
8680RIGHTWARDS WHITE ARROW
8681DOWNWARDS WHITE ARROW
8682UPWARDS WHITE ARROW FROM BAR
8683UPWARDS WHITE ARROW ON PEDESTAL
8684UPWARDS WHITE ARROW ON PEDESTAL WITH HORIZONTAL BAR
8685UPWARDS WHITE ARROW ON PEDESTAL WITH VERTICAL BAR
8686UPWARDS WHITE DOUBLE ARROW
8687UPWARDS WHITE DOUBLE ARROW ON PEDESTAL
8688RIGHTWARDS WHITE ARROW FROM WALL
8689NORTH WEST ARROW TO CORNER
8690SOUTH EAST ARROW TO CORNER
8691UP DOWN WHITE ARROW
8961ELECTRIC ARROW
8963UP ARROWHEAD
8964DOWN ARROWHEAD
8996UP ARROWHEAD BETWEEN TWO HORIZONTAL BARS
9031APL FUNCTIONAL SYMBOL QUAD LEFTWARDS ARROW
9032APL FUNCTIONAL SYMBOL QUAD RIGHTWARDS ARROW
9040APL FUNCTIONAL SYMBOL QUAD UPWARDS ARROW
9047APL FUNCTIONAL SYMBOL QUAD DOWNWARDS ARROW
9099BROKEN CIRCLE WITH NORTHWEST ARROW
10132HEAVY WIDE-HEADED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10136HEAVY SOUTH EAST ARROW
10137HEAVY RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10138HEAVY NORTH EAST ARROW
10139DRAFTING POINT RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10140HEAVY ROUND-TIPPED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10141TRIANGLE-HEADED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10142HEAVY TRIANGLE-HEADED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10143DASHED TRIANGLE-HEADED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10144HEAVY DASHED TRIANGLE-HEADED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10145BLACK RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10146THREE-D TOP-LIGHTED RIGHTWARDS ARROWHEAD
10147THREE-D BOTTOM-LIGHTED RIGHTWARDS ARROWHEAD
10148BLACK RIGHTWARDS ARROWHEAD
10149HEAVY BLACK CURVED DOWNWARDS AND RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10150HEAVY BLACK CURVED UPWARDS AND RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10151SQUAT BLACK RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10152HEAVY CONCAVE-POINTED BLACK RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10153RIGHT-SHADED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10154LEFT-SHADED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10155BACK-TILTED SHADOWED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10156FRONT-TILTED SHADOWED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10157HEAVY LOWER RIGHT-SHADOWED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10158HEAVY UPPER RIGHT-SHADOWED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10159NOTCHED LOWER RIGHT-SHADOWED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10161NOTCHED UPPER RIGHT-SHADOWED WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10162CIRCLED HEAVY WHITE RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10163WHITE-FEATHERED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10164BLACK-FEATHERED SOUTH EAST ARROW
10165BLACK-FEATHERED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10166BLACK-FEATHERED NORTH EAST ARROW
10167HEAVY BLACK-FEATHERED SOUTH EAST ARROW
10168HEAVY BLACK-FEATHERED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10169HEAVY BLACK-FEATHERED NORTH EAST ARROW
10170TEARDROP-BARBED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10171HEAVY TEARDROP-SHANKED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10172WEDGE-TAILED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10173HEAVY WEDGE-TAILED RIGHTWARDS ARROW
10174OPEN-OUTLINED RIGHTWARDS ARROW