Less-than Sign Alt Code and Symbol

The Alt code for Less-than Sign is 60. Hold Alt, type 60 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Less-than Sign also has the Unicode codepoint U+003C, so you can type it with Alt+60 on Windows, search for U+003C in macOS's Character Viewer, use < in HTML, or \003C in CSS. If your keyboard has no numeric keypad, use the Character Viewer, the HTML entity, or copy the character directly — the Alt key method requires a physical numpad. Copy the Less-than Sign character from this page when you need it in a form, chat message or document that does not accept Alt codes. HTML also defines the named entity < for Less-than Sign, but the numeric form < is safer when compatibility is uncertain.

Codes for this symbol

Copy any value by clicking it.
Method	Value
Legacy Alt code
Alt + decimal
Alt + X hex
HTML named entity
HTML decimal
HTML hex
CSS escape
Python escape
JavaScript escape
UTF-8 bytes
Unicode codepoint
Unicode block
Unicode category

Not available for this symbol: macOS Option shortcut.

How to type less-than sign on Windows

Turn Num Lock on so the numeric keypad is active.
Hold the left Alt key.
Type 6 0 on the numeric keypad.
Release Alt. The Less-than Sign character (<) appears.

If your keyboard has no numeric keypad, see how to type symbols without a numpad.

How to type less-than sign on macOS

There is no direct Option shortcut for Less-than Sign. Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space, search for "Less-Than Sign" and click the character to insert it.

How to use less-than sign in code

HTML: or , also
CSS: content:"\003C"; ()
Python: \u003C or chr(0x3C)
JavaScript: \u003C or String.fromCodePoint(0x3C)
JSON: "\u003C"

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for Less-than Sign?

The legacy Alt code for Less-than Sign is 60. Hold Alt, type 6 0 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.

How do I type < without a numpad?

Use the Windows Character Viewer (Win+.), the macOS Character Viewer (⌃⌘Space), an HTML entity such as <, or copy the character directly from this page.

Why does Alt+60 not work?

Alt+60 only works on a keyboard with a physical numeric keypad. It also requires the application to accept the numeric-keypad input path. Laptops without a numpad need an alternative method.

What is the Unicode for Less-than Sign?

The Unicode codepoint for Less-than Sign is U+003C. You can use this value in HTML as <, in CSS as \003C, and in Word with Alt+X.

How do I type < on a Mac?

Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space and search for the character name or U+003C, then click it.

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