Broken Bar Alt Code and Symbol

The Alt code for Broken Bar is 0166. Hold Alt, type 0166 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Broken Bar also has the Unicode codepoint U+00A6, so you can type it with Alt+166 on Windows, search for U+00A6 in macOS's Character Viewer, use ¦ in HTML, or \00A6 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 Broken Bar 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 Broken Bar, but the numeric form ¦ is safer when compatibility is uncertain.

Codes for this symbol

Copy any value by clicking it.
MethodValue
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 broken bar on Windows

  1. Turn Num Lock on so the numeric keypad is active.
  2. Hold the left Alt key.
  3. Type 0 1 6 6 on the numeric keypad.
  4. Release Alt. The Broken Bar character (¦) appears.

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

How to type broken bar on macOS

There is no direct Option shortcut for Broken Bar. Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space, search for "Broken Bar" and click the character to insert it.

How to use broken bar in code

  • HTML: or , also
  • CSS: content:"\00A6"; ()
  • Python: \u00A6 or chr(0xA6)
  • JavaScript: \u00A6 or String.fromCodePoint(0xA6)
  • JSON: "\u00A6"

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for Broken Bar?

The legacy Alt code for Broken Bar is 0166. Hold Alt, type 0 1 6 6 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+166 not work?

Alt+166 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 Broken Bar?

The Unicode codepoint for Broken Bar is U+00A6. You can use this value in HTML as ¦, in CSS as \00A6, 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+00A6, then click it.