HTML Entity for Section Sign (§)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Section Sign (§) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, named entity, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+00A7 (SECTION SIGN) in the Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF)—widely used in legal documents, academic writing, and formal section references.
Render it with §, §, the named entity §, or CSS escape \00A7. Do not confuse § with U+00B6 (¶, paragraph sign / pilcrow, ¶)—a common mix-up in legal and academic markup.
⚡ Quick Reference — Section Sign
U+00A7Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)
§Hexadecimal reference
§Decimal reference
§Standard HTML named entity
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+00A7
Hex code §
HTML code §
Named entity §
CSS code \00A7
Meaning Section sign
Usage e.g. § 5 for section 5
Not the same U+00B6 = paragraph sign (¶, ¶)
Block Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)Complete HTML Example
A simple example showing § using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point::after{
content: "\00A7";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Section sign (hex): §</p>
<p>Section sign (decimal): §</p>
<p>Section sign (named): §</p>
<p id="point">Section sign (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The Section Sign (§) is widely supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the Section Sign (§) in legal and academic reference contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
§ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 00A7 to display the section sign.
Decimal HTML Code
§ uses the decimal Unicode value 167 for the same character.
Named Entity
§ is the standard HTML named entity for U+00A7—readable and widely supported in legal and academic markup.
CSS Entity
\00A7 is used in CSS stylesheets in the content property of pseudo-elements for decorative section markers.
Section sign result
All four methods render §. Unicode U+00A7 in Latin-1 Supplement. Next: Semicolon.
Use Cases
The Section Sign (§) is commonly used in:
Statutes, contracts, and legal web content citing sections (e.g. § 12).
Research papers, theses, and scholarly articles with section references.
Official papers, policies, and structured content with numbered sections.
Footnotes, bibliographies, and cross-references to document sections.
Legal guides, compliance pages, and regulatory summaries.
Documentation and reference materials with section markers.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
§when readability matters in HTML source - Pair with a section number (e.g.
§ 5) for clear references - Set
<meta charset="utf-8">for reliable rendering - Distinguish section sign § from paragraph sign ¶
- Pick one reference style per project for consistency
Don’t
- Confuse § (section,
§) with ¶ (paragraph,¶) - Use padded Unicode notation like U+000A7—the correct value is
U+00A7 - Use CSS escape
\00A7in HTML text nodes - Call § a “pilcrow”—that is U+00B6
- Assume every font renders the section sign identically—test your typeface
Key Takeaways
Four ways to render U+00A7 in HTML and CSS
§ §For CSS stylesheets, use \00A7 in the content property
Unicode U+00A7 — SECTION SIGN (§)
Not the paragraph sign ¶ — use ¶ for U+00B6
Previous: Seagull Below (̼) Next: Semicolon
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
§ (hex), § (decimal), § (named), or \00A7 in CSS content. All four render §.U+00A7 (SECTION SIGN). Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF). Hex 00A7, decimal 167, named §.§. ¶ (U+00B6) is the paragraph sign / pilcrow with entity ¶. They look similar but are different characters.§ is part of the standard HTML named entity set for Latin-1 characters frequently used in legal and academic writing. It is more readable than numeric codes in source markup.Explore More HTML Entities!
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