The broken bar ¦ is Alt+0166 on Windows. It is a vertical line with a gap in the middle, and it is a legacy character with almost no modern use. If you want a pipe for a shell command or a table, you need the solid vertical line at U+007C instead.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (Alt code) | Hold Alt, type 0166 on the numpad |
|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Broken Bar" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 00A6, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 00a6, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | ¦ · \00a6 (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold Alt and type 0166 on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt, ¦ appears.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Broken Bar" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 00A6.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to ¦.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| | (U+007C) | Vertical line, the real pipe character | This is what you almost always want. It works in shells, code and Markdown tables. |
| ¦ in a shell command | A broken pipe that will not run | Never. A command using it fails, usually with a confusing syntax error. |
| A solid bar in some fonts | A font drawing the gap too small to see | This is why the character is a real hazard. Check the code point, not the shape. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the broken bar?
It is U+00A6, decimal 166. Alt+0166 types it on Windows.
Is the broken bar the same as the pipe?
No, and this is the whole point of the page. The pipe is the solid vertical line at U+007C. The broken bar is a separate character that no shell or programming language accepts.
Why does this character exist?
Some early keyboards and code pages drew the vertical line with a gap to distinguish it from the letter l and the digit 1. Both forms ended up encoded separately and the broken one survived as a legacy.
Why does my command fail with a strange error?
Check whether a broken bar was pasted in place of a pipe. Some fonts draw the gap so small that the two look identical on screen.
Should I ever use it?
Only when you specifically need this character, such as reproducing legacy text exactly. For every ordinary purpose use the solid pipe.