Wildcard Domain Regex for JavaScript

What this pattern does

This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching wildcard domain, ported and verified for JavaScript. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your JavaScript project — whether you're validating in an Express middleware, a Next.js API route, or a client-side form.

Javascript Implementation

// Wildcard Domain
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Web & Network > Domain

const wildcardDomainRegex = /^\*\.(?:[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[a-zA-Z0-9\-]{0,61}[a-zA-Z0-9])?\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,63}$/i;

function validateWildcardDomain(input: string): boolean {
  return wildcardDomainRegex.test(input);
}

// Example
console.log(validateWildcardDomain("*.example.com")); // true

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Web & Network > Domain category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for JavaScript developers because especially critical in long-running Node.js event loops where a ReDoS vulnerability can block the entire process. 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

Per RFC 2818 and CA/B Forum requirements, wildcard certificates cover only one label depth (*.example.com matches api.example.com but NOT deep.api.example.com). Multiple wildcards are invalid.