Email Address (RFC 5321 Simplified) Regex for Java

What this pattern does

This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching email address (rfc 5321 simplified), ported and verified for Java. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Java project — whether you're validating in a Spring Boot controller, a Jakarta EE service, or a standalone utility class.

Java Implementation

// Email Address (RFC 5321 Simplified)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Web & Network > Misc

import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class EmailAddressRfc5321SimplifiedValidator {
    private static final Pattern PATTERN =
        Pattern.compile("^[a-zA-Z0-9.!#$%&\'*+/=?^_`{|}~\\-]{1,64}@[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9\\-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?(?:\\.[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9\\-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?)*\\.[a-zA-Z]{2,63}$");

    public static boolean validate(String input) {
        return PATTERN.matcher(input).matches();
    }

    // Example
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println(validate("user@example.com")); // true
    }
}

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Web & Network > Misc category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for Java developers because critical in Java applications since the JVM regex engine uses backtracking and is susceptible to ReDoS without careful pattern design. 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

Full RFC 5321 compliance is extremely complex. This covers 99%+ of real-world email addresses. Local part limited to 64 chars per RFC 5321 section 4.5.3. Always send a confirmation email to verify — regex alone cannot confirm deliverability.