AWS Access Key ID Regex for Go

What this pattern does

This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching aws access key id, ported and verified for Go. In security-sensitive code, using an unverified regex can open the door to both false positives and denial-of-service attacks. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Go project — whether you're validating in a Gin handler, a gRPC service, or a command-line tool.

Go Implementation

// AWS Access Key ID
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Security > API Keys & Tokens

package validation

import "regexp"

var awsAccessKeyIdRe = regexp.MustCompile(`^(AKIA|ASIA|AROA|AIDA|ANPA|ANVA|APKA)[A-Z0-9]{16,20}$`)

func ValidateAwsAccessKeyId(s string) bool {
    return awsAccessKeyIdRe.MatchString(s)
}

// Example
// fmt.Println(ValidateAwsAccessKeyId("AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE")) // true

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Security > API Keys & Tokens category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for Go developers because Go's RE2 engine is inherently safe from catastrophic backtracking, but this pattern has been additionally verified for correctness. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.

Common Pitfalls

Technical Notes

AWS key type prefixes: AKIA=long-term IAM user key, ASIA=temporary STS session key (expires), AROA=role, AIDA=IAM user, ANPA=managed policy, ANVA=version, APKA=public key. Always pair with Secret Access Key for signing — access key ID alone is not sufficient to authenticate.