URL Regex Java Validator

What is URL Regex in Java?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) points to a web resource. Validating its structure using regex ensures it starts with the right protocol (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS), includes a domain, and optionally contains paths or query strings.

Common components of a URL include:

• Protocol (http, https)

• Domain name (e.g., google.com)

• Path (e.g., /search)

• Optional port (e.g., :8080)

• Query parameters (e.g., ?q=java)

  
  

import java.util.regex.*;

public class URLValidator {
    public static boolean isValidURL(String url) {
        String regex = "https?://(?:www\\.)?[a-zA-Z0-9./]+";
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(regex);
        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(url);
        return matcher.matches();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String url = "https://www.example.com";
        System.out.println("Is URL valid? " + isValidURL(url));
    }
}

URL Regex Pattern (Java)

A robust regex for URL validation in Java is:

^(https?://)?([\\w-]+\\.)+[\\w-]{2,}(\\:[0-9]{1,5})?(/[\\w-./?%&=]*)?$

This pattern checks for:

• Optional http:// or https://

• Subdomains and top-level domain

• Optional port

• Optional path/query

  
  

How It Works

1. Paste your URL into the input box.

2. Enter or select the appropriate Java regex pattern.

3. Instantly check if the string matches a valid URL format.

   
   

Java Code Example

This checks for proper protocol, domain, and optional path/query parameters.

import java.util.regex.Pattern;
import java.util.regex.Matcher;

public class URLValidator {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String url = "https://www.qodex.ai/tools/url-validator";
        String regex = "^(https?://)?([\\w-]+\\.)+[\\w-]{2,}(\\:[0-9]{1,5})?(/[\\w-./?%&=]*)?$";

        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(regex);
        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(url);

        if (matcher.matches()) {
            System.out.println("Valid URL!");
        } else {
            System.out.println("Invalid URL.");
        }
    }
}

Examples

• http://example.com – Valid

• https://blog.qodex.ai/tools/validator – Valid

• htp://example.com – Invalid protocol

• www..example.com – Double dots are not valid

• https://example.com:8080/page?query=test – Valid with port and query

  
  

Use Cases

• Web Form Validation: Ensure users enter valid website URLs in input fields.

• Crawlers/Scrapers: Filter only valid links from large datasets.

• API Security: Validate callback URLs or redirect URIs.

• Link Shorteners: Accept and check original URLs for validity.

  
  

Pro Tips

• Always use https? if you want to match both HTTP and HTTPS protocols.

• Escape characters like . and ? properly in Java with double backslashes (\\.).

• If matching complex query strings, consider expanding the regex to cover special characters like #, =, or @.

• Want to validate IP-based URLs? Combine with IP Address Regex Java Validator.

• Add [\\w-]{2,} for stricter TLD validation (like .com, .org, .tech).

• Pair this with the Email Regex Java Validator when validating contact forms that require both fields.

  
  

Combine with These Tools

• Phone Number Regex Java Validator: Use alongside when collecting user contact details in forms.

• UUID Regex Java Validator: For URL tokens or dynamic resource identifiers.

• IP Address Regex Java Validator: To validate URLs with IP addresses (e.g., http://192.168.0.1).

• Base64 Encoder: When encoding URLs for API tokens or data transport.

• Java Password Regex Validator: Pair in user registration or profile forms.