How to Type the Pipe | Symbol
Keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone & Android. Type or copy the pipe character instantly.
Pipe & Vertical Line Characters to Copy
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The pipe symbol | (also called vertical bar, vertical line, or bar character) is essential in programming, command-line interfaces, and logical expressions. It serves as the pipe operator in Unix/Linux shells, the OR operator in many programming languages, and appears in table formatting and mathematical notation.
Despite its importance, many users struggle to find the pipe key on their keyboard — especially on international keyboard layouts where its position varies. On US keyboards, it shares a key with the backslash (\), but on German, UK, and other layouts it can be in unexpected places.
This guide shows you exactly how to type the pipe symbol on every major platform and keyboard layout. All characters on this page are Unicode text that works everywhere — in code editors, terminals, documents, and social media.
When to reach for how to type pipe symbol
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Pipe Symbol FAQ
The alt code for the pipe symbol | is Alt+124. Hold the Alt key, type 124 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Make sure Num Lock is enabled. The broken bar ¦ uses Alt+0166.
The pipe | has many uses: in programming, it serves as the bitwise OR operator (a | b) and logical OR (a || b). In Unix/Linux terminals, it chains commands by sending the output of one command to the input of the next (ls | grep txt). In mathematics, it denotes absolute value |x|. In tables, it separates columns.
The vertical line | (U+007C) is the standard pipe character used in programming and command lines. The broken bar ¦ (U+00A6) is a separate character with a gap in the middle. On some older keyboards and displays, the pipe key actually showed a broken bar, but today they are distinct Unicode characters with different code points.
On German Windows keyboards, press AltGr+< (the less-than key, located to the left of Y). On German Mac keyboards, press Option+7. The pipe symbol is not printed on all German keyboard layouts, but these shortcuts work reliably.
On most laptops, Shift+Backslash (\) types the pipe |. If your laptop lacks a dedicated backslash key, try Fn+Alt+124 using the embedded numpad (the keys with small numbers on J, K, L, etc.). You can also copy the pipe from this page or use the Character Map (Windows) or Character Viewer (Mac).
Yes! The pipe | is a standard ASCII character (U+007C) that works everywhere: social media, emails, messaging apps, documents, and any website. It's one of the most universally supported characters and displays correctly on all devices and platforms.