How to type ] on Windows
The right square bracket symbol has no short Alt code. The quickest option is to copy it from the top of this page and paste it with Ctrl+V.
No numeric keypad?
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω) and search for "right square bracket". Or open Character Map from the Start menu, find ], click Select, then Copy.
How to type ] on a Mac
There is no direct keyboard shortcut for ] on a Mac.
For any symbol, the Character Viewer works: press Control+⌘+Space, type "right square bracket" in the search box and double-click the result. It will be remembered under Frequently Used.
How to type ] on iPhone and iPad
The iOS keyboard does not include ], so the reliable way is to copy it from this page, then press and hold in any text field and tap Paste.
If you use it often, create a shortcut: open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, paste ] in the Phrase field and type a short code such as ;right in the Shortcut field. Typing that code will then insert ] anywhere.
How to type ] on Android
Copy the symbol from this page, then long-press in a text field and choose Paste. Gboard also keeps a clipboard history: tap the clipboard icon on the toolbar to paste it again later.
For a permanent shortcut, open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, add ] as the word and a short code as the shortcut.
How to type ] in Microsoft Word
- Type the Unicode hex code 005D where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt+X. Word converts the code into ].
This works on Windows in Word, Outlook and OneNote and needs no numeric keypad. You can also go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to a Unicode font and type 005D in the Character code box. In Excel, the formula =UNICHAR(93) returns the symbol.
How to type ] in Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, then either search for "right square bracket" or draw the symbol in the sketch box. Click the result to insert it. In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(93).
] in HTML, CSS and code
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HTML entity | ] |
| HTML decimal | ] |
| HTML hex | ] |
CSS content | "\005D" |
| JavaScript | "\u005D" |
| Python | "\u005D" |
| URL encoded | %5D |
Because ] is a standard Unicode character (U+005D), you can also paste it directly into any UTF-8 file. The escaped forms above are only needed when the file encoding is uncertain or the symbol must be entered on a keyboard without it.
Where the right square bracket symbol is used
Common in writing to close editorial insertions like "the city [Chicago] grew fast," and in coding or math for arrays and intervals such as "arr[3]" or "[0, 10)." Don't confuse it with the closing parenthesis ")" or curly brace "}", which serve different grouping purposes.
Frequently asked questions
What does a right square bracket mean in a sentence? +
It marks the end of text that was added or altered by someone other than the original author, often clarifying a quote.
Why are square brackets used in citations? +
They enclose editorial notes or clarifications within quoted material, showing the addition wasn't part of the original source.
What is the Alt code for the right square bracket symbol? +
The right square bracket symbol has no short Alt code. Copy it from this page, or in Word type 005D and press Alt + X.
How do I type ] on a Mac? +
There is no dedicated Mac shortcut for ]. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "right square bracket", and double-click it. Or copy it from this page.
How do I type the right square bracket symbol on iPhone or Android? +
Phone keyboards do not include ] by default. Copy it from this page and paste it, or add it as a text replacement shortcut in Settings so you can type it with a short abbreviation.
What is the HTML code for ]? +
Use ] in HTML. The numeric form ] works too. In CSS use content: "\005D" and in JavaScript use "\u005D".