How to type | on Windows
The vertical line symbol has no short Alt code. The quickest option is to copy it from the top of this page and paste it with Ctrl+V.
No numeric keypad?
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω) and search for "vertical line". Or open Character Map from the Start menu, find |, click Select, then Copy.
How to type | on a Mac
There is no direct keyboard shortcut for | on a Mac.
For any symbol, the Character Viewer works: press Control+⌘+Space, type "vertical line" in the search box and double-click the result. It will be remembered under Frequently Used.
How to type | on iPhone and iPad
The iOS keyboard does not include |, so the reliable way is to copy it from this page, then press and hold in any text field and tap Paste.
If you use it often, create a shortcut: open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, paste | in the Phrase field and type a short code such as ;vertical in the Shortcut field. Typing that code will then insert | anywhere.
How to type | on Android
Copy the symbol from this page, then long-press in a text field and choose Paste. Gboard also keeps a clipboard history: tap the clipboard icon on the toolbar to paste it again later.
For a permanent shortcut, open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, add | as the word and a short code as the shortcut.
How to type | in Microsoft Word
- Type the Unicode hex code 007C where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt+X. Word converts the code into |.
This works on Windows in Word, Outlook and OneNote and needs no numeric keypad. You can also go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to a Unicode font and type 007C in the Character code box. In Excel, the formula =UNICHAR(124) returns the symbol.
How to type | in Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, then either search for "vertical line" or draw the symbol in the sketch box. Click the result to insert it. In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(124).
| in HTML, CSS and code
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HTML entity | | |
| HTML decimal | | |
| HTML hex | | |
CSS content | "\007C" |
| JavaScript | "\u007C" |
| Python | "\u007C" |
| URL encoded | %7C |
Because | is a standard Unicode character (U+007C), you can also paste it directly into any UTF-8 file. The escaped forms above are only needed when the file encoding is uncertain or the symbol must be entered on a keyboard without it.
Where the vertical line symbol is used
Programmers use it for logical OR, as in "if (a || b)", and to chain commands in Unix shells, like "ls | grep txt". It also marks absolute value in math, such as "|-5| = 5", and separates items in menus or navigation bars. It can be confused with the capital letter I or lowercase l in some fonts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the vertical line called in programming? +
It's commonly called a pipe. Two pipes together, "||", usually mean logical OR, while a single pipe often chains commands in command-line interfaces.
What does a single vertical line mean in math? +
A pair of vertical lines around a number represents its absolute value, showing the distance from zero regardless of sign, as in "|-7| = 7".
What is the Alt code for the vertical line symbol? +
The vertical line symbol has no short Alt code. Copy it from this page, or in Word type 007C and press Alt + X.
How do I type | on a Mac? +
There is no dedicated Mac shortcut for |. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "vertical line", and double-click it. Or copy it from this page.
How do I type the vertical line symbol on iPhone or Android? +
Phone keyboards do not include | by default. Copy it from this page and paste it, or add it as a text replacement shortcut in Settings so you can type it with a short abbreviation.
What is the HTML code for |? +
Use | in HTML. The numeric form | works too. In CSS use content: "\007C" and in JavaScript use "\u007C".