Looking for that elusive '§' character on your Mac’s keyboard? Trying to refer to legal code or insert a footnote with a unique character? Find out here how to type the section symbol ( § ) on a Mac ⤓ with simple keystrokes.
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How to Type the Section Symbol ( § ) on a Mac
Time needed: 1 minute
To enter the section symbol character on a Mac:
- Position the text cursor where you want to put the section sign.
- Press Option 6.
More keyboard layouts: The key combination above works for the U.S. and U.S. international keyboard layouts; see below for finding the key for your keyboard.
What comes next: Always follow the section mark with a non-breaking space character and then the paragraph or section number to avoid having the § sign alone by itself at the end of a line; for proper typographic style, it always belongs with the section number.
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Find the Key for Typing § on Your Mac Keyboard
To locate the key combination that lets you type the section sign on your keyboard:
- Open Keyboard Viewer.
- Press the Shift, Option and Command keys individually and together to reveal potential key combinations and spot the § character.
Here are a couple of random examples:
| Keyboard | Section Sign § |
|---|---|
| French | § |
| German | Shift 3 |
| Italian | Shift ù |
| Spanish | Option 6 |
| Telugu | § |
Looking for the paragraph sign? How to Make the Paragraph Symbol ( ¶ ) on a Mac
Using Windows? How to Type the Section Symbol ( § ) on Windows
How to Type the Section Symbol ( § ) on a Mac: FAQ
Can I enter the section symbol using Unicode?
Yes.
To type the section character using the Unicode codepoint on a Mac:
- Enable and switch to Unicode Hex Input.
- Press and hold Option.
- Now type 0 0 A 7.
- Release the Option key.
Can I copy and paste the paragraph sign?
Yes.
Use the following button to copy the § sign right for pasting anywhere, of course:
§ |
Is there a HTML entity for §?
Yes.
In HTML source code, you can use § to insert a § section mark.
(Tested with macOS Sequoia 15.3–15.6, Sonoma 14.3–14.6, Ventura 13.1, Monterey 12.3, and Big Sur 11.3; first published August 2021, last updated March 2026)