tools-only Industry Icon Suggestions
When a user describes their project, use this reference to suggest appropriate icons. These are starting points — always adapt to the specific project and ask the user to confirm.
Universal Icons (Include for Almost Every Website)
These icons appear on nearly every business website regardless of industry:
- menu — hamburger/three lines for mobile nav
- close / x — close modals, menus, notifications
- chevron-down — dropdowns, accordions, "read more"
- arrow-right — CTAs, links, "learn more"
- phone — contact section, header
- email / mail — contact section, newsletter
- location-pin / map-pin — address, service area
- clock — business hours, response times
- search — site search (if applicable)
- external-link — links opening in new tab (optional)
Industry-Specific Suggestions
Trades & Home Services
Plumber, electrician, HVAC, builder, landscaper, painter, locksmith, pest control.
Services: wrench, hammer, droplet (water), flame (gas/heating), bolt (electrical), pipe, thermometer, fan (HVAC), paintbrush, leaf (landscaping), shield-check (licensed/insured), hard-hat, tape-measure
Trust: license-badge, insurance-shield, years-experience, thumbs-up, guarantee
Urgency: alert-circle (emergency), clock-fast (24/7), phone-call (call now)
Typical set size: 18-25 icons
Professional Services
Accountant, lawyer, financial advisor, consultant, architect.
Services: briefcase, document, scale (legal), calculator, chart-bar, chart-line, clipboard, pen, handshake, building, gavel (legal), percent (financial)
Trust: award, certificate, shield-check, users (team), graduation-cap
Process: steps/workflow, calendar, checklist, folder
Typical set size: 15-22 icons
Health & Medical
Physio, dentist, GP, chiropractor, optometrist, veterinary, pharmacy.
Services: heart, stethoscope, tooth (dental), eye (optometry), bone (chiro/physio), paw (vet), pill (pharmacy), bandage, clipboard-medical, first-aid
Booking: calendar-check, clock, phone
Accessibility: wheelchair, ear (hearing), brain
Typical set size: 18-24 icons
Hospitality & Food
Restaurant, café, bar, catering, bakery, food truck.
Food/Drink: utensils, wine-glass, coffee, chef-hat, cake (bakery), pizza, plate
Services: reservation/calendar, wifi, parking, truck (delivery), bag (takeaway), receipt
Ambience: music-note, candle, sun/moon (daytime/evening)
Typical set size: 15-22 icons
Retail & E-Commerce
Online store, boutique, general retail.
Shopping: cart, bag, tag/label, credit-card, receipt, barcode, gift
Delivery: truck, package, return-arrow, tracking
Product: ruler/size-guide, colour-swatch, zoom-in, heart (wishlist), compare
Account: user, lock, bell (notifications)
Typical set size: 20-30 icons
Real Estate
Agent, property management, development.
Property: home, building, key, door, window, fence, pool
Features: bed, bath, car (garage), ruler (sqm), tree (outdoor), sun (aspect)
Process: search, map, camera (photos), video (virtual tour), document, pen (sign)
Typical set size: 20-28 icons
Education & Training
School, tutoring, online courses, coaching.
Learning: book, graduation-cap, pencil, lightbulb, brain, puzzle, target
Delivery: video, screen/monitor, headphones, microphone, download
Progress: chart-up, trophy, badge, checklist, certificate
Typical set size: 18-24 icons
Technology & SaaS
Software company, IT services, tech startup.
Product: code, terminal, cloud, server, database, api-bracket, smartphone, laptop
Security: lock, shield, key, fingerprint, eye-off
Collaboration: users, chat, share, git-branch, plug (integration)
Typical set size: 20-30 icons
Creative & Design
Design studio, photographer, videographer, marketing agency.
Creative: camera, video, palette, pen-tool, layers, crop, image
Delivery: download, share, cloud-upload, folder, eye (preview)
Process: lightbulb, target, chart-up, megaphone (marketing)
Typical set size: 15-22 icons
Non-Profit & Community
Charity, community org, church, sports club.
Mission: heart, hands (helping), globe, leaf (environment), people-group
Engagement: calendar (events), megaphone, chat, share, donate/gift
Resources: book, document, link, download
Typical set size: 15-20 icons
Automotive
Mechanic, car dealer, detailing, towing.
Vehicle: car, truck, engine, wrench, oil-drop, tire, gauge, battery
Service: clipboard, calendar, phone, clock, shield-check (warranty)
Typical set size: 18-24 icons
Suggesting Icons — Guidelines
- Start with universals — Every site needs nav and contact icons
- Add industry specifics — Pick the most relevant 6-10 from the industry list
- Consider the site structure — What pages will they have? Each page might need its own icon for navigation or feature sections
- Don't over-suggest — 15-25 is the sweet spot. More than 30 icons and the user is overwhelmed, less than 12 and the set feels incomplete
- Use clear names — Name icons by what they depict, not their function. "wrench" not "services". "phone" not "contact-us". This makes them reusable across contexts
- Group logically — Present grouped by category so the user can evaluate coverage area by area