Regex Lab
Test regex patterns with real-time matching and capture group preview
What is Regex Lab?
Regex Lab is a testing ground for regular expressions (regex). It helps you:
- Test regex patterns against text or CSV data
- See live matches, positions, and capture groups
- Validate patterns before using them in production tools
- Learn regex syntax with immediate feedback
Step-by-Step Guide
- Enter your regex pattern - Use standard regex syntax
- Choose a mode - Python or JavaScript (note: may have slight differences)
- Provide test text - Paste the text you want to test against
- Click "Test Regex" - See matches instantly
Common SEO Regex Patterns
| Use Case | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Email addresses | \b[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z|a-z]{2,}\b |
| URLs | https?://(?:[-\w.]|(?:%[\da-fA-F]{2}))+ |
| Meta title tag | <title[^>]*>(.*?)</title> |
| Tracking parameters | [?&](utm_[^&]+|fbclid|gclid) |
| H1 tags | <h1[^>]*>(.*?)</h1> |
Tips for Success
- Escape special characters: Use
\before characters like. * + ? [ ] ( ) { } ^ $ | - Use capture groups: Wrap parts in parentheses
()to extract specific portions - Test incrementally: Build your pattern step by step, testing as you go
- Be specific: More specific patterns reduce false matches
Common Pitfalls
- ❌ Forgetting to escape special characters (use
\.not.) - ❌ Using greedy quantifiers (
.*) when you need non-greedy (.*?) - ❌ Not testing edge cases (empty strings, special characters, etc.)