Data URI (Base64) Regex for Go
/^data:([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9!#$&\-^_]{0,59}/[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9!#$&\-^_+.]{0,59});base64,([A-Za-z0-9+/]{4})*([A-Za-z0-9+/]{2}==|[A-Za-z0-9+/]{3}=)?$/What this pattern does
This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching data uri (base64), ported and verified for Go. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Go project — whether you're validating in a Gin handler, a gRPC service, or a command-line tool.
Go Implementation
// Data URI (Base64)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Web & Network > URL
package validation
import "regexp"
var dataUriBase64Re = regexp.MustCompile(`^data:([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9!#$&\-^_]{0,59}/[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9!#$&\-^_+.]{0,59});base64,([A-Za-z0-9+/]{4})*([A-Za-z0-9+/]{2}==|[A-Za-z0-9+/]{3}=)?$`)
func ValidateDataUriBase64(s string) bool {
return dataUriBase64Re.MatchString(s)
}
// Example
// fmt.Println(ValidateDataUriBase64("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==")) // trueTest Cases
Matches (Valid) | Rejects (Invalid) |
|---|---|
data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== | data:image/png,notbase64 |
data:text/plain;base64,SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ== | data:;base64,SGVsbG8= |
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs= | https://example.com/image.png |
| — | data:image/png;base64,!!!invalid!!! |
When to use this pattern
This pattern is drawn from the Web & Network > URL 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
Large data URIs inflate HTML size significantly. The base64 character class [A-Za-z0-9+/] does not allow URL-safe base64 variants (which use - and _ instead of + and /).
Technical Notes
Base64 padding (= or ==) is structurally validated. The MIME type is captured in group 1. Maximum practical data URI size is ~2MB for browser compatibility.
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