A complete guide to the Unicode submission process
Every year, the Unicode Consortium releases a new set of emoji as part of its annual Unicode standard update. These emoji join the ranks of over 3,600 existing characters that billions of people use every day. But what many people do not realize is that anyone — including you — can submit a proposal for a new emoji. The process is rigorous, democratic, and surprisingly accessible to the public.
This guide walks you through the entire emoji proposal process, from the initial idea to final approval. We explain what the Unicode Consortium looks for, how to prepare a strong proposal, what evidence you need to submit, and common reasons proposals are rejected. Whether you want to see a new food emoji, a cultural symbol, or a representation of your community, this guide will help you navigate the process successfully.
Anyone can submit a proposal for a new emoji. The Unicode Consortium accepts proposals from individuals, companies, cultural organizations, and community groups. There are no membership requirements or fees to submit a proposal. Some of the most successful emoji proposals in recent years have come from individual Google employees, university researchers, cultural organizations, and even children who wrote letters requesting specific symbols. The process is designed to be inclusive, but the bar for approval is high — typically only 30 to 50 proposals are accepted each year out of hundreds submitted.
The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee evaluates each proposal against five criteria. Understanding these criteria is the key to crafting a successful proposal:
The emoji proposal process takes approximately 18 months from initial submission to final release. Here is what to expect at each stage:
Before writing your proposal, research whether similar emoji already exist. Check the current Unicode emoji list (our dictionary is a good starting point) to ensure your concept is genuinely new. Gather evidence of demand: search frequency data from Google Trends, usage examples from social media, petition signatures if applicable, and academic or cultural references that support your case. Study successful past proposals to understand the format and level of detail expected.
The Unicode Consortium provides a formal proposal template on their website. Your proposal should include: a clear description of the proposed emoji, its intended meaning and usage, evidence of expected frequency, multiple usage scenarios, a discussion of visual distinctiveness, an explanation of how it fills a gap, sample images or design concepts, and a completed proposal form. The more thorough your submission, the better your chances of approval.
Proposals are submitted electronically to the Unicode Consortium. There is a submission window each year, typically several months before the annual review meeting. Check the Unicode website for current deadlines. Submit your proposal as a PDF document along with any supporting materials. The Consortium acknowledges receipt and forwards the proposal to the Emoji Subcommittee for initial review.
The Emoji Subcommittee reviews all submitted proposals and provides initial feedback. Proposals that clearly do not meet the criteria are rejected at this stage. Proposals that show promise receive detailed feedback and may be asked for revisions, additional evidence, or clarification. This is a collaborative process — the committee wants to help strong ideas succeed.
After revisions, proposals undergo a final review. The committee votes on whether to recommend each proposal for inclusion in the next Unicode standard release. Approved proposals are announced publicly, typically on World Emoji Day (July 17), and the new emoji become available in the following Unicode update.
Understanding why proposals fail can help you avoid the same mistakes. The most common reasons for rejection include: insufficient evidence of usage demand (the most common reason), the concept is too similar to an existing emoji, the usage scenarios are too narrow, the proposed design would not be distinguishable at small sizes, the concept is too brand-specific or commercial, the proposal lacks sufficient research or detail, and the emoji would be better represented by an existing character or combination.
Perhaps the most famous emoji proposal success story is the dumpling emoji. It was proposed by Yiying Lu, a designer at Google, who noticed that while many international foods were represented in the emoji set, the humble dumpling — a staple across multiple Asian cuisines — was nowhere to be found. Her proposal demonstrated the dumpling's global significance, its multiple usage contexts (food, culture, comfort, celebration), and its visual distinctiveness. The dumpling emoji was released in 2020 and has since become one of the most-used food emoji worldwide.
Other notable successful proposals include the guide dog emoji (proposed by guide dog organizations), the transgender flag emoji (proposed by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups), the hijab-wearing woman emoji (proposed by a teenager from Saudi Arabia), and various disability representation emoji like the prosthetic limb and hearing aid. Each of these succeeded because of strong evidence of need, clear usage scenarios, and compelling cases for representation.
The Unicode Consortium provides detailed proposal guidelines and templates on its official website. Additional resources include the Unicode Emoji Charts for reviewing existing emoji, Google Trends for usage data, and our Emoji Dictionary for researching current emoji categories and identifying gaps in the existing standard.