section symbol · section sign · double s
§ Section Symbol
The section symbol § (section sign, or "double s") marks a numbered section of a document — standard in legal citations like 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and famous as Minecraft's formatting prefix. Click the card below to copy it.
Works on any device and browser — paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
Related symbols
On Windows, hold Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad — every shortcut is in How to type below.
How to type the section symbol § on any device
The section sign is not on most English keyboards, but every operating system has a shortcut for it. Pick your platform:
Windows
- Turn on Num Lock so the numeric keypad produces digits.
- Hold Alt, type 0167 on the numeric keypad, release Alt — the § appears at the cursor.
Tip: No numeric keypad? Open the emoji panel with Win + . (or Win + ;) and find § under Symbols → General punctuation, or search "Character Map" in the Start menu. Note: the number row above the letters will not work for Alt codes — it must be the keypad.
Mac
- Hold the Option key.
- Press 6 — the § appears at the cursor, in any app.
Tip: Option + 6 works system-wide on macOS. If you prefer a picker, press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer and search "section sign".
iPhone & iPad
- Tap the 123 key to switch to the number keyboard.
- Tap #+= to open the second symbols page, then tap §.
Tip: On an iPad with a hardware keyboard attached, the Mac shortcut Option + 6 works too.
Android
- Tap ?123 to switch to the number keyboard.
- Tap =< (or =\< on Gboard) for more symbols, then tap §.
Tip: The exact layout varies between Gboard, Samsung Keyboard and others, but § always lives on the second symbols page.
Chromebook
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U to start Unicode input — an underlined "u" appears.
- Type 00a7, then press Enter or Space to confirm.
Tip: Alternatively press Search + . (Launcher + period) to open the emoji and symbol picker and search "section".
Linux
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U in most GTK apps.
- Type a7, then press Enter to insert the §.
Tip: With a compose key configured, Compose + S + O produces § on most desktop environments.
In Word, Excel & other office apps
Office software adds its own shortcuts on top of the system ones above.
Microsoft Word
- Type 00A7 where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt + X — the code converts to § in place.
- Or go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Latin-1 Supplement.
- Type it often? Set up AutoCorrect: File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → replace "(sec)" with §.
Tip: Alt + X also works in Outlook and PowerPoint, but not in Excel. On a Mac, the system-wide Option + 6 shortcut works in every Office app.
Microsoft Excel
- Click the cell (or press F2 to edit it).
- Hold Alt, type 0167 on the numeric keypad, release Alt — the § appears in the cell.
- Formula option: =UNICHAR(167) returns § (CHAR(167) works in older Windows Excel).
Tip: No numeric keypad? Use Insert → Symbol, or copy § from this page and paste it into the formula bar. Excel does not support Word's Alt + X shortcut.
Google Docs
- Go to Insert → Special characters.
- Search "section sign" (or draw the shape) and click §.
Tip: Faster for repeated use: copy § once from this page and paste with Ctrl+V — or set up Tools → Preferences → Substitutions to auto-replace "(sec)" with §. In Google Sheets, the formula =UNICHAR(167) produces §.
Rather not memorize shortcuts?
Bookmark this page and copy the symbol whenever you need it — it is faster than any alt code.
Section symbol § codes for developers
Every encoding of the section sign in one place — Unicode, HTML entities, CSS, JavaScript and URL encoding. Click any chip to copy it.
Unicode
| Format | § section sign |
|---|---|
| Code point | |
| Official name | |
| UTF-8 bytes | |
| UTF-16 |
HTML & XML
| Format | § section sign |
|---|---|
| Named entity | |
| Decimal entity | |
| Hex entity |
Programming
| Format | § section sign |
|---|---|
| CSS content | |
| JavaScript / JSON | |
| Python | |
| LaTeX | |
| URL percent-encoding |
Keyboard entry
| Format | § section sign |
|---|---|
| Windows alt code | |
| Mac shortcut |
- § lives in the Latin-1 Supplement Unicode block, which mirrors the old ISO-8859-1 encoding — that is why it renders correctly almost everywhere, even in legacy systems.
- In UTF-8, § takes two bytes (C2 A7). If you see
§on a page, the text is UTF-8 being read as Latin-1 — a charset mismatch, not a problem with the symbol itself. - There is no uppercase or lowercase § — but there is aplural convention: write §§ when citing several sections at once, as in "§§ 225–230".
The section sign: the "double s" of the law
A symbol that points to a section
The section symbol § means one thing: "section". Place it before a number and it points to that numbered part of a document —§ 8 is read "section 8". It is the standard citation mark in statutes, regulations, contracts and legal scholarship, so a reference like 42 U.S.C. § 1983needs no other words to be understood by any lawyer. Doubled up,§§ 225–230 cites several sections at once. Typesetters traditionally follow the sign with a non-breaking space, so a line break can never separate the § from its number.
Why it looks like a double s
The glyph is two interwoven S shapes, which is exactly why so many people know it as the "double s symbol" — it also goes by "section mark" and, among typographers, the playful name "silcrow". Its true origin is debated: the leading theory traces it to the Latinsignum sectionis — "sign of the section" — compressed by medieval scribes into a ligature of two S letters, much as the ampersand & grew out of the Latin "et". A rival theory derives it from the Ancient Greek paragraphos, a mark scribes used to flag breaks in a text. Either way, the modern sign with its modern meaning has been in use since the 15th century.
§ versus ¶
The section sign is often confused with its cousin the pilcrow¶ (the paragraph sign). The pilcrow marks paragraphs; the section sign points to numbered sections, which sit one level higher in a document's hierarchy. In footnote sequences the two appear together in the traditional order of reference marks: *, †, ‡, §, ‖, ¶.
One twist: in German and many other European languages the § is read aloud as "paragraph" (German Paragraf), not "section" — so "§ 242 StGB" is paragraph 242 of the German Criminal Code. It is a description of usage, not a different symbol: the code point is the same U+00A7 everywhere.
The double s in Minecraft
Millions of people meet the § not in a statute but in Minecraft, where it is the game's formatting prefix: on signs and in book text, § followed by a code character changes the style — §c turns text red, §l makes it bold, §r resets formatting. Vanilla Minecraft blocks typing § directly in chat, which is why "double s symbol" is such a common search: players copy and paste it instead. Click any example below to copy it:
Elsewhere in games the § is money: The Sims and SimCity franchises use it as the symbol of the Simoleon, their in-game currency.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy the § symbol?
Click the § card at the top of this page and the section symbol is copied to your clipboard instantly. Then paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac).
What is the alt code for the section symbol?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad. Use all four digits with the leading zero — Alt + 167 without the zero uses a legacy code page and produces a different character. On a Mac, the shortcut is simply Option + 6.
How do I type § on a Mac?
Press Option + 6 and the § appears at your cursor. It works system-wide: Pages, Word, browsers, and every other app. You can also open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search "section sign".
How do I type § in Word, Excel or Google Docs?
In Microsoft Word, type 00A7 and press Alt + X — the code turns into §. In Excel, use the Windows alt code Alt + 0167 inside the cell or the formula =UNICHAR(167). In Google Docs, go to Insert → Special characters and search "section sign".
What does the section symbol § mean?
The § stands for "section" — a numbered part of a document. It is used mostly in legal and regulatory writing: "§ 225" is read aloud as "section 225". Law review articles, statutes and contracts use it constantly, e.g. 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
What does §§ (the double section symbol) mean?
Two section signs together are the plural form: "§§ 225–230" means "sections 225 through 230". One § refers to a single section; §§ refers to several at once.
Why is § called the double s symbol?
The glyph looks like two letter S shapes interlocked, which is why many people search for it as the "double s symbol". It also goes by "section mark" and — among typographers — "silcrow". The leading origin theory traces it to the Latin "signum sectionis" ("sign of the section"), compressed by scribes into a ligature of two S letters.
What is the difference between § and ¶?
§ (the section sign) points to a numbered section of a document, while ¶ (the pilcrow, or paragraph sign) marks a paragraph. In legal citations § is standard for code sections; ¶ appears when citing specific paragraphs of opinions or contracts.
What is the Unicode for §?
The section sign is U+00A7 (SECTION SIGN) in the Latin-1 Supplement block. In HTML you can write it as §, § or §; in UTF-8 it is the two bytes C2 A7; percent-encoded in a URL it is %C2%A7.
How do I type the double s symbol § in Minecraft?
Minecraft uses § followed by a code character for text formatting — §c makes red text, §l makes bold, §r resets. Vanilla chat blocks typing § directly, so players copy and paste it: click a Minecraft code on this page, then paste it in-game with Ctrl+V.
Why is the § alt code not working?
Three common causes: you must use the numeric keypad (the number row above the letters does not work), Num Lock must be on, and you need the full 4-digit code 0167. On laptops without a keypad, look for an Fn-activated embedded numpad — or skip the fuss and copy § directly from the top of this page.
