# Nerd Fonts

> Use Nerd Fonts glyphs for any icon in CLI output, TUIs, shell prompts, statuslines, editor and terminal configs, docs, and web pages. Pick from the 10,995 icons on nerdfonts.com/cheat-sheet (nf-md-, nf-fa-, nf-dev-, nf-oct-, nf-cod-, nf-seti-, nf-pl-) instead of emoji or ASCII, verify the codepoint, and install a patched font from nerdfonts.com/font-downloads. Also covers Nerd Font Mono vs Propo, brew, scoop and choco packages, tofu boxes, and the font-patcher. Triggers: icon, glyph, nerd font, powerline, starship, powerlevel10k, oh-my-posh, tmux status, lualine, nvim-tree, devicons, tofu, boxes instead of icons, terminal font, editor font, codepoint, font-patcher, emoji, icon font, file icons, statusline icons.

- Skill: `massimodeluisa/nerd-fonts` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 9 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add massimodeluisa/nerd-fonts`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/massimodeluisa/nerd-fonts/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- License: MIT
- Author: massimodeluisa (https://skillmd.com/u/massimodeluisa)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/massimodeluisa/nerd-fonts

---


# Nerd Fonts

Nerd Fonts patches developer fonts with 10,995 icons from Devicons, Font Awesome, Font Awesome Extension, Material Design Icons, Weather, Octicons, Codicons, Font Logos, Pomicons, Powerline and Powerline Extra, IEC Power Symbols, and Seti-UI + Custom. It ships 72 patched font families, a Symbols Only font, and a patcher for any other font. Upstream: [ryanoasis/nerd-fonts](https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts) (MIT for the patcher and the aggregation; every font keeps its own license). This skill snapshots release v3.5.1 (2026-08-21) as [`data/glyphs.tsv`](data/glyphs.tsv).

## How to use

- `/nerd-fonts`: apply the icon policy below to every icon and font decision in this conversation.
- `/nerd-fonts <file>`: review a script, TUI source, prompt config, editor config, terminal config, HTML or CSS file against the policy. For each finding output:
  - violation (quote the exact line)
  - why it matters (one sentence)
  - fix (the exact glyph with its `nf-<set>-<name>` and `U+XXXX`, or the exact config line)

Review checklist for `/nerd-fonts <file>` (`perl` ships with macOS and Linux):

- Emoji or dingbats used as icons: `perl -CSD -ne 'print "$.: $_" if /[\x{2600}-\x{27BF}\x{1F000}-\x{1FAFF}]/' FILE`. Fix: the glyph from `data/glyphs.tsv`.
- Legacy Material classes: `grep -n 'nf-mdi-' FILE`. Fix: the `nf-md-` name found by bare-name search.
- Glyphs without their name and codepoint: `perl -CSD -ne 'print "$.: $_" if /[\x{E000}-\x{F8FF}\x{F0000}-\x{FFFFD}]/ && !/nf-[a-z]+-[a-z0-9_]+/' FILE`. Fix: add `nf-<set>-<name> U+XXXX` next to the glyph and confirm the codepoint.
- Unpatched family in a font setting: `grep -n -i -E 'cascadia code|source code pro|ibm plex mono|hasklig|hermit|anonymous pro|monaspace|terminus|liberation mono|share tech mono|intel one mono|atkinson|d2coding|ia writer|bitstream vera' FILE`. Fix: the patched family from `references/fonts.md`.
- Web page with glyphs and no font: after a glyph hit in HTML or CSS, `grep -L -E 'webfont\.css|@font-face' FILE` prints the file when it loads no icon font. Fix: load `webfont.css` or self-host Symbols Only.
- Text markers standing in for icons (`E:`, `W:`, `[x]`, `->` in status lines): no regex catches them reliably; read the file. Fix: the matching glyph, one set per surface.

## Icon policy

### Choosing icons

- MUST use a Nerd Fonts glyph for every icon in CLI output, TUIs, prompts, statuslines, editor and terminal configs, docs, and web UI
- NEVER use emoji, ASCII art, or Unicode dingbats as an icon when a Nerd Fonts glyph exists
- MUST take the name from the [cheat sheet](https://www.nerdfonts.com/cheat-sheet), [`data/glyphs.tsv`](data/glyphs.tsv), or upstream `glyphnames.json`
- NEVER state a codepoint or class name from memory
- MUST write the glyph next to its name and codepoint in a comment or adjacent note, for example `icon = ""  # nf-oct-mark_github U+F408`
- SHOULD keep one icon set per surface; NEVER mix two sets for the same concept in one UI
- SHOULD pick the set by purpose: `nf-md-` for breadth, `nf-cod-` for editor UI, `nf-oct-` for git and GitHub, `nf-dev-` and `nf-seti-` for languages and file types, `nf-pl-` and `nf-ple-` for prompt separators, `nf-linux-` for OS logos, `nf-weather-` for weather

### Font requirement

- MUST say that a Nerd Font must be active on the rendering surface and link <https://www.nerdfonts.com/font-downloads>
- MUST use the patched family name exactly as installed; Reserved Font Name renames apply: Cascadia Code is `CaskaydiaCove Nerd Font`, Source Code Pro is `SauceCodePro Nerd Font`, IBM Plex Mono is `BlexMono Nerd Font` (full list in [`references/fonts.md`](references/fonts.md))
- SHOULD offer `Symbols Nerd Font` (Symbols Only) when the user keeps a different text font

### Terminal and CLI

- MUST use the Mono variant, or account for 1.5-cell icons, wherever columns must align
- SHOULD add a plain-text fallback switch (`--no-icons` or `NO_ICONS=1`) to CLIs that may run without a Nerd Font
- MUST print the chosen glyphs with `printf` and check alignment before claiming they render
- SHOULD use a patched font, not the Symbols Only fallback, where icons must sit exactly on the text line: upstream documents fallback placement as hit or miss; kitty corrects it with `modify_font baseline`, WezTerm with a fallback `scale`

### Web

- MUST load the Nerd Fonts webfont (`<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nerdfonts.com/assets/css/webfont.css">` then `<i class="nf nf-fa-heart"></i>`) or self-host `SymbolsNerdFont-Regular.ttf` from `NerdFontsSymbolsOnly.zip` with an `@font-face` and a `.nf` class
- SHOULD self-host in production instead of hot-linking nerdfonts.com
- MUST add `aria-hidden="true"` on decorative icon elements and an accessible name on icon-only controls
- NEVER ship a Private Use Area character on a page without a font that covers it
- MUST keep `line-height: 1` on icon elements (the upstream `.nf` class sets it) and align them to the text with `vertical-align` (start at `-0.125em` and tune per text font) or `display: inline-flex; align-items: center` in components
- MUST check a line that mixes text and icons in the browser before shipping; an icon font sits on a different baseline than the text font

### Verification

- MUST verify every glyph name in [`data/glyphs.tsv`](data/glyphs.tsv) or on the cheat sheet before use
- NEVER claim an icon renders without evidence: `printf` output, a screenshot, or the user confirming

## Two pages to use

| Need | Page |
|------|------|
| Pick or download a font | <https://www.nerdfonts.com/font-downloads> |
| Find an icon by name, class, or codepoint | <https://www.nerdfonts.com/cheat-sheet> |

The cheat sheet reads upstream `glyphnames.json`; `data/glyphs.tsv` is the same data bundled here. Each cheat sheet result has copy buttons for Icon, Class, and Code.

## Which set for what

| Need | Set | Example | Glyphs |
|------|-----|---------|--------|
| File types and folders | `seti`, `custom`, `md` | `nf-seti-json` | 167 + 45 |
| Git and GitHub | `oct` | `nf-oct-git_branch` | 310 |
| Editor UI, LSP kinds, debug | `cod` | `nf-cod-symbol_method` | 540 |
| General UI and status | `md`, `fa` | `nf-md-alert_circle`, `nf-fa-check` | 6,896 and 1,818 |
| Languages, frameworks, tools | `dev` | `nf-dev-rust` | 613 |
| Prompt separators | `pl`, `ple` | `nf-pl-left_hard_divider` | 9 + 34 |
| OS and distro logos | `linux` | `nf-linux-archlinux` | 134 |
| Weather | `weather` | `nf-weather-day_sunny` | 228 |
| Power states | `iec` | `nf-iec-power` | 5 |
| Pomodoro timers | `pom` | `nf-pom-pomodoro_ticking` | 11 |

Counts and codepoint ranges: [`references/glyph-sets.md`](references/glyph-sets.md). The same concept in every set, to keep one set per surface: [`references/icon-concepts.md`](references/icon-concepts.md).

## Common icons

Verified against `data/glyphs.tsv` (v3.5.1). 766 more in [`references/common-icons.md`](references/common-icons.md).

| Name | Codepoint | Glyph |
|------|-----------|-------|
| `nf-fa-check` | U+F00C |  |
| `nf-fa-times` | U+F00D |  |
| `nf-fa-exclamation_triangle` | U+F071 |  |
| `nf-fa-info_circle` | U+F05A |  |
| `nf-fa-bug` | U+F188 |  |
| `nf-md-folder` | U+F024B | 󰉋 |
| `nf-md-folder_open` | U+F0770 | 󰝰 |
| `nf-md-file` | U+F0214 | 󰈔 |
| `nf-md-file_code` | U+F022E | 󰈮 |
| `nf-oct-mark_github` | U+F408 |  |
| `nf-oct-git_branch` | U+F418 |  |
| `nf-oct-git_commit` | U+F417 |  |
| `nf-oct-git_pull_request` | U+F407 |  |
| `nf-oct-repo` | U+F401 |  |
| `nf-dev-git` | U+E702 |  |
| `nf-dev-docker` | U+E7B0 |  |
| `nf-dev-python` | U+E73C |  |
| `nf-dev-rust` | U+E7A8 |  |
| `nf-dev-javascript` | U+E781 |  |
| `nf-dev-typescript` | U+E8CA |  |
| `nf-dev-nodejs` | U+E719 |  |
| `nf-seti-json` | U+E60B |  |
| `nf-seti-markdown` | U+E609 |  |
| `nf-seti-config` | U+E615 |  |
| `nf-custom-vim` | U+E62B |  |
| `nf-linux-tux` | U+F31A |  |
| `nf-linux-ubuntu` | U+F31B |  |
| `nf-linux-archlinux` | U+F303 |  |
| `nf-linux-apple` | U+F302 |  |
| `nf-fa-terminal` | U+F120 |  |
| `nf-fa-search` | U+F002 |  |
| `nf-fa-cog` | U+F013 |  |
| `nf-fa-clock_o` | U+F017 |  |
| `nf-fa-lock` | U+F023 |  |
| `nf-fa-home` | U+F015 |  |
| `nf-fa-star` | U+F005 |  |
| `nf-fa-heart` | U+F004 |  |
| `nf-pl-left_hard_divider` | U+E0B0 |  |
| `nf-pl-right_hard_divider` | U+E0B2 |  |
| `nf-pl-branch` | U+E0A0 |  |
| `nf-ple-right_half_circle_thick` | U+E0B4 |  |
| `nf-cod-error` | U+EA87 |  |
| `nf-cod-warning` | U+EA6C |  |
| `nf-md-check` | U+F012C | 󰄬 |
| `nf-md-close` | U+F0156 | 󰅖 |
| `nf-md-lightning_bolt` | U+F140B | 󱐋 |
| `nf-weather-day_sunny` | U+E30D |  |

## Look up an icon

Cheat sheet: search the bare name. For a removed `nf-mdi-altimeter` type `altimeter`, then copy Icon, Class, or Code.

Bundled snapshot (paths relative to this skill directory):

```bash
grep -i 'folder' data/glyphs.tsv
awk -F'\t' '$1=="md-folder"' data/glyphs.tsv
```

Latest upstream data:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/master/glyphnames.json -o /tmp/glyphnames.json
jq -r --arg q folder 'to_entries[]|select(.key!="METADATA" and (.key|test($q)))|"\(.key) \(.value.code) \(.value.char)"' /tmp/glyphnames.json
```

Class names follow `nf-<set>-<name>`. Material Design Icons moved in v3 from `nf-mdi-` (U+F001 to U+F847) to `nf-md-` (U+F0001 to U+F1AF0); some icons were dropped, so search by bare name for the replacement.

Writing a glyph:

| Where | 4-digit (`nf-oct-mark_github` U+F408) | 5-digit (`nf-md-folder` U+F024B) |
|-------|------|------|
| bash, zsh | `printf ''` | `printf '\U000f024b'` |
| Lua, Neovim | `"\u{f408}"` or `vim.fn.nr2char(0xf408)` | `"\u{f024b}"` |
| JavaScript | `""` | `"\u{f024b}"` |
| Vimscript | `""` | `"\U000f024b"` |
| PowerShell 7 | `` "`u{F408}" `` | `` "`u{F024B}" `` |
| Windows PowerShell 5.1 | `[char]0xF408` | `[char]::ConvertFromUtf32(0xF024B)` |
| CSS | `content: "\f408"` | `content: "\f024b"` |
| starship, tmux, most configs | the literal glyph: `symbol = " "` | the literal glyph `󰉋` |

More languages: [`references/glyph-sets.md`](references/glyph-sets.md).

## Pick the variant

| Variant | Family | Files | Icon width | Use for |
|---------|--------|-------|------------|---------|
| Regular | `<Family> Nerd Font` (`NF`) | `*NerdFont-*.ttf` | about 1.5 cells | default for terminals and editors |
| Mono | `<Family> Nerd Font Mono` (`NFM`) | `*NerdFontMono-*.ttf` | exactly 1 cell | strict monospace, aligned columns, older terminals |
| Propo | `<Family> Nerd Font Propo` (`NFP`) | `*NerdFontPropo-*.ttf` | proportional | GUI apps, presentations |

The variant changes only the added icons, never the base letters.

## Install

macOS (casks are `font-<kebab-patched-name>-nerd-font`; `brew search --cask nerd-font` lists them all):

```bash
brew install --cask font-jetbrains-mono-nerd-font
brew install --cask font-symbols-only-nerd-font
```

Windows (Scoop packages are `<ReleaseAsset>-NF`; Chocolatey packages are community-maintained, check `choco search nerd-fonts`):

```powershell
scoop bucket add nerd-fonts
scoop install JetBrainsMono-NF
choco install nerd-fonts-hack
```

Linux (Arch packages are `ttf-<name>-nerd`, `pacman -Ss nerd`; any distro via the release asset):

```bash
sudo pacman -S ttf-jetbrains-mono-nerd
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts && cd ~/.local/share/fonts
curl -fLO https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/latest/download/JetBrainsMono.tar.xz
tar -xf JetBrainsMono.tar.xz && fc-cache -fv
```

Any OS, pinned release: `https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/download/v3.5.1/JetBrainsMono.zip`. Asset names are the "Release asset" column in [`references/fonts.md`](references/fonts.md); `SHA-256.txt` ships with every release.

Keep your current text font: install `NerdFontsSymbolsOnly` (families `Symbols Nerd Font` and `Symbols Nerd Font Mono`; the zip holds `SymbolsNerdFont-Regular.ttf`, `SymbolsNerdFontMono-Regular.ttf`, `10-nerd-font-symbols.conf`, `LICENSE`, `README.md`) and let the app fall back to it: fontconfig users copy `10-nerd-font-symbols.conf` to `~/.config/fontconfig/conf.d/`, kitty uses `symbol_map`, WezTerm `font_with_fallback`, iTerm2 "Use a different font for non-ASCII text", Ghostty and WezTerm bundle the symbols already. Snippets: [`references/terminals.md`](references/terminals.md).

`install.sh` and `install.ps1` from a shallow clone install all or one font, but only fonts still tracked in the repository.

## Verify

```bash
printf '  󰉋\n'
fc-list : family | grep -i 'nerd font' | sort -u
fc-list ':charset=f408' family
```

The first line prints `nf-custom-vim` U+E62B, `nf-oct-mark_github` U+F408, `nf-md-folder` U+F024B; boxes or blanks mean the active font lacks the glyph. `fc-list` needs fontconfig, which macOS does not ship (`brew install fontconfig`); on macOS use `kitty +list-fonts | grep -i nerd` inside kitty, `system_profiler SPFontsDataType | grep -i 'nerd font'` anywhere, or the `printf` line alone. Checklist: the terminal profile still points at another font; Regular vs Mono overlap; restart the app and run `fc-cache -fv`; tmux and ssh sessions use the local terminal font, nothing to install remotely; terminals without double-width support need the Mono variant.

## Configure terminals and editors

| App | Setting |
|-----|---------|
| kitty | `font_family JetBrainsMono Nerd Font` |
| Alacritty | `[font.normal]` `family = "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font"` |
| WezTerm | `config.font = wezterm.font_with_fallback({ "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font", "Symbols Nerd Font Mono" })` |
| Ghostty | `font-family = "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font"` |
| iTerm2 | Settings > Profiles > Text > Font |
| Windows Terminal | `"font": { "face": "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font" }` |
| VS Code | `"editor.fontFamily": "'JetBrainsMono Nerd Font', monospace"`, `"terminal.integrated.fontFamily": "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font"` |
| Neovide | `vim.o.guifont = "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font:h14"` |

More apps, prompt tools (starship, powerlevel10k, oh-my-posh) and web snippets: [`references/terminals.md`](references/terminals.md).

## Patch your own font

Download `FontPatcher.zip` from the latest release; needs FontForge and Python 3.

```bash
fontforge -script font-patcher MyFont.ttf --complete --outputdir out/
docker run --rm -v "$PWD/in:/in:Z" -v "$PWD/out:/out:Z" nerdfonts/patcher --complete
```

`--mono` makes single-width icons, `--variable-width-glyphs` makes the Propo variant. All options: [`references/font-patcher.md`](references/font-patcher.md).

## Common mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Emoji or ASCII as an icon | a Nerd Fonts glyph plus a font note |
| Codepoint from memory | confirm in `data/glyphs.tsv` or on the cheat sheet |
| `nf-mdi-*` classes after v3 | `nf-md-*`, search by bare name |
| `font_family Cascadia Code` | `CaskaydiaCove Nerd Font` (patched names differ for RFN fonts) |
| `brew install font-jetbrainsmono-nerd-font` | `brew install --cask font-jetbrains-mono-nerd-font` |
| Installing the font on the remote host over ssh | install it on the local machine that runs the terminal |
| Icons overlap the next character | the Mono variant, or a terminal with double-width support |
| PUA glyph on a web page with no webfont | load `webfont.css` or self-host Symbols Only |
| `right_hard_divider` for a right-pointing triangle | `nf-pl-left_hard_divider` U+E0B0 points right; `nf-pl-right_hard_divider` U+E0B2 points left |
| Icon floats above or below the text on the web | `line-height: 1` plus `vertical-align` (start at `-0.125em`) or flex centering; check a mixed test line |
| Fallback icons look shifted or tiny in the terminal | the patched font, or kitty `modify_font baseline`, or a WezTerm fallback `scale` |

## References

- [`data/glyphs.tsv`](data/glyphs.tsv): all 10,995 named glyphs, columns `name`, `code`, `char`
- [`references/common-icons.md`](references/common-icons.md): 766 everyday icons by purpose
- [`references/icon-concepts.md`](references/icon-concepts.md): the same 22 concepts across the md, fa, oct, cod and seti sets
- [`references/glyph-sets.md`](references/glyph-sets.md): sets, prefixes, codepoint ranges, lookup recipes
- [`references/fonts.md`](references/fonts.md): 72 families, release assets, package names, RFN renames
- [`references/terminals.md`](references/terminals.md): terminal, editor, prompt, and web configuration
- [`references/font-patcher.md`](references/font-patcher.md): patcher options and examples
- Upstream: [releases](https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases), [README](https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts#readme), wiki [Glyph Sets and Code Points](https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/wiki/Glyph-Sets-and-Code-Points), wiki [FAQ and Troubleshooting](https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/wiki/FAQ-and-Troubleshooting), [webfont.css](https://www.nerdfonts.com/assets/css/webfont.css)