Regex for URL Validation

URL validation regex helps catch malformed links in forms and APIs. The right pattern depends on whether you need strict RFC compliance or practical validation.

HTTP/HTTPS Pattern

Basic: ^https?://[\w.-]+(?:\.[\w.-]+)+[\w._~:/?#[\]@!$&'()*+,;=%-]*$. This matches common web URLs with optional paths and query strings.

When to Use URL Parser Instead

For complex validation (port numbers, IPv6, fragment identifiers), use the URL constructor: new URL(input). Regex is fine for quick form validation; URL API is better for parsing and normalization.

Pair URL validation with WaiHub's URL Encoder for encoding and Query ↔ JSON conversion.