URL with IPv6 Host Regex for Python
/^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 Python. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Python project — whether you're validating in a Django view, a FastAPI endpoint, or a standalone data processing script.
Python Implementation
# URL with IPv6 Host
# ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Web & Network > URL
import re
url_with_ipv6_host_pattern = re.compile(r'^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]*)?$')
def validate_url_with_ipv6_host(value: str) -> bool:
return bool(url_with_ipv6_host_pattern.fullmatch(value))
# Example
print(validate_url_with_ipv6_host("http://[::1]/path")) # TrueTest 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 Python developers because particularly important in Python web servers where CPU-bound regex operations can stall concurrent request handling. 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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