diff --git a/autoload/nuwiki/commands.vim b/autoload/nuwiki/commands.vim
index dc4ad85..6e215cb 100644
--- a/autoload/nuwiki/commands.vim
+++ b/autoload/nuwiki/commands.vim
@@ -1085,8 +1085,14 @@ function! nuwiki#commands#colorize(...) abort
   if l:color ==# ''
     return
   endif
-  let l:open_tag = '<span style="color:' . l:color . '">'
-  let l:close_tag = '</span>'
+  " vimwiki `color_tag_template`: split on __CONTENT__ into open/close, with
+  " __COLORFG__ replaced by the colour. Configurable via g:nuwiki_color_tag_template.
+  let l:tpl = get(g:, 'nuwiki_color_tag_template',
+        \ '<span style="color:__COLORFG__">__CONTENT__</span>')
+  let l:tpl = substitute(l:tpl, '__COLORFG__', l:color, 'g')
+  let l:parts = split(l:tpl, '__CONTENT__', 1)
+  let l:open_tag = get(l:parts, 0, '')
+  let l:close_tag = get(l:parts, 1, '')
 
   if l:visual
     let l:sp = getpos("'<")
diff --git a/crates/nuwiki-core/src/render/html.rs b/crates/nuwiki-core/src/render/html.rs
index 60ad350..ed652b3 100644
--- a/crates/nuwiki-core/src/render/html.rs
+++ b/crates/nuwiki-core/src/render/html.rs
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ pub struct HtmlRenderer {
     /// vimwiki `html_header_numbering_sym`: a symbol appended after the
     /// section number (e.g. `.` → `1.2. Heading`). Empty by default.
     header_numbering_sym: String,
+    /// vimwiki `valid_html_tags`: inline HTML tag names passed through to
+    /// export verbatim (instead of escaping `<`/`>`). Empty = escape all.
+    /// `span` is always allowed so colour spans render.
+    valid_html_tags: Vec<String>,
+    /// vimwiki `emoji_enable` (default `false` in the renderer; set from
+    /// config): substitute `:alias:` shortcodes with their emoji glyph.
+    emoji_enable: bool,
 }
 
 impl Default for HtmlRenderer {
@@ -71,9 +78,28 @@ impl HtmlRenderer {
             colors: HashMap::new(),
             header_numbering: 0,
             header_numbering_sym: String::new(),
+            valid_html_tags: Vec::new(),
+            emoji_enable: false,
         }
     }
 
+    /// Set the inline HTML tags allowed through export unescaped (vimwiki
+    /// `valid_html_tags`). `span` is always added so colour spans render.
+    pub fn with_valid_html_tags(mut self, mut tags: Vec<String>) -> Self {
+        if !tags.iter().any(|t| t.eq_ignore_ascii_case("span")) {
+            tags.push("span".to_string());
+        }
+        self.valid_html_tags = tags;
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Enable `:alias:` → emoji substitution during export (vimwiki
+    /// `emoji_enable`).
+    pub fn with_emoji(mut self, enable: bool) -> Self {
+        self.emoji_enable = enable;
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Override the link resolver. The callback is invoked for every
     /// wikilink and is expected to return a URL string.
     pub fn with_link_resolver<F>(mut self, f: F) -> Self
@@ -521,7 +547,16 @@ impl HtmlRenderer {
     }
 
     fn render_text(&self, n: &TextNode, w: &mut dyn Write) -> io::Result<()> {
-        write_escaped(&n.content, w)
+        let content = if self.emoji_enable {
+            substitute_emoji(&n.content)
+        } else {
+            std::borrow::Cow::Borrowed(n.content.as_str())
+        };
+        if self.valid_html_tags.is_empty() {
+            write_escaped(&content, w)
+        } else {
+            write_escaped_allowing(&content, &self.valid_html_tags, w)
+        }
     }
 
     fn render_bold(&self, n: &BoldNode, w: &mut dyn Write) -> io::Result<()> {
@@ -811,6 +846,145 @@ pub fn default_link_resolver(target: &LinkTarget) -> String {
 
 // ===== HTML escaping =====
 
+/// Escape `s` for HTML, but pass through inline tags whose name is in
+/// `allowed` (vimwiki `valid_html_tags`) verbatim — mirroring upstream's
+/// render-time `s:safe_html_line` regex rather than parsing raw HTML.
+fn write_escaped_allowing(s: &str, allowed: &[String], w: &mut dyn Write) -> io::Result<()> {
+    let bytes = s.as_bytes();
+    let mut i = 0;
+    let mut last = 0;
+    while i < bytes.len() {
+        if bytes[i] == b'<' {
+            if let Some(end) = match_allowed_tag(bytes, i, allowed) {
+                write_escaped(&s[last..i], w)?;
+                w.write_all(&bytes[i..end])?;
+                i = end;
+                last = end;
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+        i += 1;
+    }
+    write_escaped(&s[last..], w)
+}
+
+/// If `bytes[lt]` (`<`) begins a `<tag…>` / `</tag>` whose name is in
+/// `allowed`, return the index just past the closing `>`. Otherwise `None`.
+fn match_allowed_tag(bytes: &[u8], lt: usize, allowed: &[String]) -> Option<usize> {
+    let mut p = lt + 1;
+    if bytes.get(p) == Some(&b'/') {
+        p += 1;
+    }
+    let name_begin = p;
+    while p < bytes.len() && (bytes[p] as char).is_ascii_alphabetic() {
+        p += 1;
+    }
+    if p == name_begin {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let name = std::str::from_utf8(&bytes[name_begin..p]).ok()?;
+    if !allowed.iter().any(|t| t.eq_ignore_ascii_case(name)) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    // Scan to the closing `>` (bail on a nested `<` — not a well-formed tag).
+    while p < bytes.len() && bytes[p] != b'>' {
+        if bytes[p] == b'<' {
+            return None;
+        }
+        p += 1;
+    }
+    if p >= bytes.len() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    Some(p + 1)
+}
+
+/// Replace `:alias:` emoji shortcodes with their glyph (vimwiki
+/// `emoji_enable`). Only a curated common subset is supported; unknown
+/// shortcodes are left untouched.
+fn substitute_emoji(s: &str) -> std::borrow::Cow<'_, str> {
+    if !s.contains(':') {
+        return std::borrow::Cow::Borrowed(s);
+    }
+    let mut out = String::with_capacity(s.len());
+    let mut rest = s;
+    let mut changed = false;
+    while let Some(open) = rest.find(':') {
+        out.push_str(&rest[..open]);
+        let after = &rest[open + 1..];
+        if let Some(close) = after.find(':') {
+            let alias = &after[..close];
+            if !alias.is_empty()
+                && alias
+                    .chars()
+                    .all(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || c == '_' || c == '+' || c == '-')
+            {
+                if let Some(glyph) = emoji_for(alias) {
+                    out.push_str(glyph);
+                    rest = &after[close + 1..];
+                    changed = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // Not a shortcode — keep the `:` and continue past it.
+        out.push(':');
+        rest = after;
+    }
+    out.push_str(rest);
+    if changed {
+        std::borrow::Cow::Owned(out)
+    } else {
+        std::borrow::Cow::Borrowed(s)
+    }
+}
+
+/// A curated subset of GitHub-style emoji shortcodes.
+fn emoji_for(alias: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
+    Some(match alias {
+        "smile" => "😄",
+        "smiley" => "😃",
+        "grin" => "😁",
+        "laughing" | "satisfied" => "😆",
+        "wink" => "😉",
+        "blush" => "😊",
+        "heart" => "❤️",
+        "broken_heart" => "💔",
+        "thumbsup" | "+1" => "👍",
+        "thumbsdown" | "-1" => "👎",
+        "ok_hand" => "👌",
+        "wave" => "👋",
+        "clap" => "👏",
+        "fire" => "🔥",
+        "star" => "⭐",
+        "sparkles" => "✨",
+        "zap" => "⚡",
+        "boom" => "💥",
+        "tada" => "🎉",
+        "rocket" => "🚀",
+        "bulb" => "💡",
+        "bug" => "🐛",
+        "warning" => "⚠️",
+        "white_check_mark" | "check" => "✅",
+        "x" => "❌",
+        "question" => "❓",
+        "exclamation" => "❗",
+        "eyes" => "👀",
+        "100" => "💯",
+        "pray" => "🙏",
+        "muscle" => "💪",
+        "coffee" => "☕",
+        "book" => "📖",
+        "memo" | "pencil" => "📝",
+        "lock" => "🔒",
+        "key" => "🔑",
+        "bell" => "🔔",
+        "hourglass" => "⌛",
+        "calendar" => "📅",
+        _ => return None,
+    })
+}
+
 fn write_escaped(s: &str, w: &mut dyn Write) -> io::Result<()> {
     let bytes = s.as_bytes();
     let mut last = 0;
diff --git a/crates/nuwiki-lsp/src/export.rs b/crates/nuwiki-lsp/src/export.rs
index eac8dd3..d5a6a44 100644
--- a/crates/nuwiki-lsp/src/export.rs
+++ b/crates/nuwiki-lsp/src/export.rs
@@ -257,6 +257,10 @@ pub fn render_page_html(
             cfg.html_header_numbering_sym.clone(),
         );
     }
+    if !cfg.valid_html_tags.is_empty() {
+        r = r.with_valid_html_tags(cfg.valid_html_tags.clone());
+    }
+    r = r.with_emoji(cfg.emoji_enable);
     r.render_to_string(doc)
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/nuwiki-lsp/tests/html_export.rs b/crates/nuwiki-lsp/tests/html_export.rs
index e8c628f..65f4d97 100644
--- a/crates/nuwiki-lsp/tests/html_export.rs
+++ b/crates/nuwiki-lsp/tests/html_export.rs
@@ -232,6 +232,64 @@ fn template_for_falls_back_when_no_directive() {
 
 // ===== render_page_html =====
 
+#[test]
+fn render_page_html_passes_through_valid_html_tags() {
+    // `<sub>`/`<kbd>` are in the default valid_html_tags → verbatim; `<script>`
+    // is not → escaped.
+    let ast = parse("H<sub>2</sub>O press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <script>x</script>\n");
+    let c = cfg("/tmp/x");
+    let html = export::render_page_html(
+        &ast,
+        Some("{{content}}".into()),
+        "Home",
+        DiaryDate::today_utc(),
+        &c.html,
+        None,
+        HashMap::new(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(html.contains("H<sub>2</sub>O"), "sub verbatim: {html}");
+    assert!(html.contains("<kbd>Ctrl</kbd>"), "kbd verbatim: {html}");
+    assert!(html.contains("&lt;script&gt;"), "script escaped: {html}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn render_page_html_substitutes_emoji_when_enabled() {
+    let ast = parse("ship it :rocket: and :tada:\n");
+    let c = cfg("/tmp/x"); // emoji_enable defaults true
+    let html = export::render_page_html(
+        &ast,
+        Some("{{content}}".into()),
+        "Home",
+        DiaryDate::today_utc(),
+        &c.html,
+        None,
+        HashMap::new(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(html.contains("🚀"), "rocket: {html}");
+    assert!(html.contains("🎉"), "tada: {html}");
+    assert!(!html.contains(":rocket:"), "shortcode replaced: {html}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn render_page_html_emoji_off_leaves_shortcodes() {
+    let ast = parse("plain :rocket: here\n");
+    let mut c = cfg("/tmp/x");
+    c.html.emoji_enable = false;
+    let html = export::render_page_html(
+        &ast,
+        Some("{{content}}".into()),
+        "Home",
+        DiaryDate::today_utc(),
+        &c.html,
+        None,
+        HashMap::new(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(html.contains(":rocket:"), "left as-is: {html}");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn render_page_html_substitutes_title_content_and_extras() {
     let ast = parse("%title My Page\n= One =\nbody text\n");
diff --git a/lua/nuwiki/commands.lua b/lua/nuwiki/commands.lua
index eee6e6d..99651ab 100644
--- a/lua/nuwiki/commands.lua
+++ b/lua/nuwiki/commands.lua
@@ -1213,8 +1213,17 @@ function M.colorize(color, visual)
   end
   local row = vim.api.nvim_win_get_cursor(0)[1]
   local line = vim.api.nvim_get_current_line()
-  local open_tag = string.format('<span style="color:%s">', color)
-  local close_tag = '</span>'
+  -- vimwiki `color_tag_template`: split on __CONTENT__ into open/close, with
+  -- __COLORFG__ replaced by the colour. Configurable via the setup option /
+  -- g:nuwiki_color_tag_template.
+  local tpl = (require('nuwiki.config').options or {}).color_tag_template
+    or vim.g.nuwiki_color_tag_template
+    or '<span style="color:__COLORFG__">__CONTENT__</span>'
+  tpl = tpl:gsub('__COLORFG__', color)
+  local open_tag, close_tag = tpl:match('^(.*)__CONTENT__(.*)$')
+  if not open_tag then
+    open_tag, close_tag = string.format('<span style="color:%s">', color), '</span>'
+  end
   if visual then
     local sl, sc, el, ec = visual_selection_range()
     if sl and sl == el then