BytePane

Slug (URL-friendly) Regex Pattern

Validates URL-friendly slugs with lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. No consecutive or trailing hyphens.

T
Text & Strings
Beginner
Difficulty
Universal
Language
none
Flags
// Regular Expression
/^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$/

Live Regex Tester

Pattern Breakdown

^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$
Character class [ ]
Group ( )
Quantifier { }
Anchor ^ $
Repetition * + ?
Escape \
Alternation |
Any char .

Code Examples

JavaScript

const regex = /^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$/;
const test = "my-blog-post-2026";
console.log(regex.test(test)); // true

// Extract matches
const matches = test.match(regex);
console.log(matches);

Python

import re

pattern = r'^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$'
test = "my-blog-post-2026"
match = re.search(pattern, test)
print(match)  # Found!

Go

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "regexp"
)

func main() {
    re := regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$`)
    fmt.Println(re.MatchString("my-blog-post-2026")) // true
}

Common Use Cases

URL generationSEOCMSblog platforms

Match Examples

InputResult
my-blog-post-2026Match
My Blog PostNo Match

About the Slug (URL-friendly) Regex

Validates URL-friendly slugs with lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. No consecutive or trailing hyphens.

Regular expressions (regex) are powerful pattern matching tools used across virtually all programming languages. The slug (url-friendly) pattern is classified as beginner difficulty in the text & strings category. It works in all major programming languages.

When using this regex, always consider edge cases and test thoroughly with real-world data. Use the interactive tester above to validate the pattern against your specific inputs before deploying to production.

Need More Regex Patterns?

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Slug (URL-friendly) regex pattern?

Validates URL-friendly slugs with lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. No consecutive or trailing hyphens.

How do I use the Slug (URL-friendly) regex?

Use the pattern /^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$/ in your code. In JavaScript: new RegExp('^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$', ''). Test it above with your own input.

What does this Slug (URL-friendly) regex match?

This pattern matches: "my-blog-post-2026". It does NOT match: "My Blog Post". URL generation, SEO, CMS, blog platforms.

Is the Slug (URL-friendly) regex beginner-friendly?

This pattern is rated Beginner. It uses basic regex syntax and is easy to understand.

What languages support the Slug (URL-friendly) regex?

This pattern works in all major programming languages including JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, Ruby, PHP, and more. Syntax may vary slightly between regex engines.

Can I modify the Slug (URL-friendly) regex for my use case?

Yes! Use the interactive tester above to modify the pattern and test with your own data. Common modifications include making it case-insensitive (add 'i' flag), matching globally (add 'g' flag), or adjusting character classes.

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