URL with IPv6 Host Regex for Java
/^https?://\[[0-9a-fA-F:.]{2,45}\](?::(?:6553[0-5]|655[0-2][0-9]|65[0-4][0-9]{2}|6[0-4][0-9]{3}|[1-5][0-9]{4}|[1-9][0-9]{0,3}))?(?:/[^\s]*)?$/iWhat this pattern does
This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching url with ipv6 host, ported and verified for Java. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Java project — whether you're validating in a Spring Boot controller, a Jakarta EE service, or a standalone utility class.
Java Implementation
// URL with IPv6 Host
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Web & Network > URL
import java.util.regex.Pattern;
public class UrlWithIpv6HostValidator {
private static final Pattern PATTERN =
Pattern.compile("^https?://\\[[0-9a-fA-F:.]{2,45}\\](?::(?:6553[0-5]|655[0-2][0-9]|65[0-4][0-9]{2}|6[0-4][0-9]{3}|[1-5][0-9]{4}|[1-9][0-9]{0,3}))?(?:/[^\\s]*)?$");
public static boolean validate(String input) {
return PATTERN.matcher(input).matches();
}
// Example
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(validate("http://[::1]/path")); // true
}
}Test Cases
Matches (Valid) | Rejects (Invalid) |
|---|---|
http://[::1]/path | http://::1/path |
https://[2001:db8::1]:8443/api | https://2001:db8::1/path |
http://[fe80::1]:80/ | http://[::1 |
https://[::ffff:192.168.1.1]/resource | http://[]/path |
http://[2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334] | http://[GGGG::1] |
When to use this pattern
This pattern is drawn from the Web & Network > URL 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
The bracket notation is mandatory, not optional. Many URL parsers silently fail on IPv6 hosts without brackets.
Technical Notes
IPv6 addresses in URLs must be enclosed in [ ] per RFC 2732. The colon in the address would otherwise be misinterpreted as the port separator.
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