Pattern Breakdown
Understanding the regex pattern ^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$:
- ^ - Start of string
- $ - End of string
- ? - Optional (zero or one)
- + - One or more
- [...] - Character class
- (...) - Capturing group
- (?:...) - Non-capturing group
- {n,m} - Quantifier (n to m times)
Examples
| Input | Result | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
example.com |
✓ Match | Simple domain |
sub.domain.co.uk |
✓ Match | With subdomain |
-invalid.com |
✗ No Match | Starts with hyphen |
Code Examples
JavaScript
JavaScript
const pattern = /^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$/;
const text = "example.com";
// Test if string matches
if (pattern.test(text)) {
console.log("Valid!");
}
// Extract matches
const matches = text.match(pattern);
console.log(matches);
Python
Python
import re
pattern = r'^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$'
text = "example.com"
# Test if string matches
if re.match(pattern, text):
print("Valid!")
# Find all matches
matches = re.findall(pattern, text)
print(matches)
PHP
PHP
<?php
$pattern = '/^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$/';
$text = "example.com";
// Test if string matches
if (preg_match($pattern, $text)) {
echo "Valid!";
}
// Find all matches
preg_match_all($pattern, $text, $matches);
print_r($matches);
?>
Java
Java
import java.util.regex.*;
String pattern = "^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$";
String text = "example.com";
Pattern p = Pattern.compile(pattern);
Matcher m = p.matcher(text);
if (m.matches()) {
System.out.println("Valid!");
}
Use Cases
Common applications: DNS validation, URL parsing, certificates
- Form validation and input sanitization
- Data extraction and parsing
- Search and replace operations
- API request/response validation
- Log file analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the regex pattern for domain name regex?
The regex pattern is: ^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$. Validate domain names with proper label and TLD rules.
How do I use the domain name regex pattern in JavaScript?
In JavaScript: const regex = new RegExp('^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$'); or const regex = /^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$/;
Does this pattern work in Python?
Yes, use: import re; pattern = re.compile(r'^(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}$') in Python. Most regex patterns are cross-language compatible.
What are common use cases for domain name regex?
DNS validation, URL parsing, certificates
Related Regex Patterns
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