BBC GEL | How to make custom emojis and GIFs accessible Homepage Accessibility links * Skip to content * Accessibility Help BBC Account Notifications * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * Bitesize * CBeebies * CBBC * Food * Home * News * Sport * Business * Technology * Health * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live More menu Search BBC * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * Bitesize * CBeebies * CBBC * Food * Home * News * Sport * Business * Technology * Health * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live Close menu Menu * Home * Guidelines * Foundations * Design Patterns * How-tos * Articles * Playbooks * About UX&D * BBC Staff How to make custom emojis and GIFs accessible Using instant messaging software at work? Here's how to create inclusive custom emojis and GIFs Contributors * * * Published on 7 Apr 2021 Contents * Overview * When should they be used? Overview Emojis and gifs are little images which are commonly found imbedded into text, though they do occasionally stand alone. They are typically used in informal communication such as over text but, again, they can be found elsewhere too. And, as the name suggests, ' custom emojis and gifs' are personalised versions of these. Back to top When should they be used? Emojis and gifs should only ever be used to enhance meaning or add context to what you have written. Of course, you may feel you know someone well enough to use these images in isolation, but please just don't assume without checking that the recipient can understand and receive your emojis clearly and safely. What should be taken into consideration when using them and why? As already mentioned above, there are a few things it would be good to keep in mind when creating and using custom emojis and gifs. If you could please try to: * Limit the animation * Not use rapid animation * Stick to stationary images on a transparent background * Avoid flashing * Avoid ambiguity * Add a thoughtful text alternative when creating your custom emoji Emojis and gifs should also comply with general existing BBC guidelines, such as BBC Mobile Accessibility Guidelines and Making Accessible Animated Images. But… why? There are many reasons why we ask you to try to follow this guidance, and here are just a few: * Flashing images and rapid animation can trigger fits for those with photo-sensitive epilepsy; and they can also have a negative impact on people with other conditions. * Whilst standard emojis normally come with a preprogrammed description for those using speech software to read text, this will almost certainly not be the case for a custom emoji or gif. That's one reason why we request that they are only used to enhance meaning, not replace it. * We ask that you keep your emojis and gifs as unambiguous as possible because some people with conditions like Autism won't necessarily be able to understand inferences. For larger, more important images (or non-rapid animations), it may be necessary and helpful to add alternative text descriptions. For more help as to what to do in order to make larger images or animations accessible, please see this article: How to make accessible animated images. Back to top More from How-tos * How to design a voice experience * How to design accessible email newsletters * How to design accessible games * How to design for accessibility * How to design for children * How to design for interactive TV experiences * How to design for the web * How to design for touch * How to design forms * How to design infographics * How to design onboarding for games * How to make accessible animated images * How to make custom emojis and GIFs accessible * How to use reactions in your content * How to write text descriptions (alt text) in BBC News articles * How to write useful error messages * See all Explore the BBC * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * Bitesize * CBeebies * CBBC * Food * Home * News * Sport * Business * Technology * Health * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Make an editorial complaint * Careers * BBC emails for you * Advertise with us Copyright (c) 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.