HTTP URL String Validator

1.0.3 · maintenance · verified Wed Apr 22

This package provides a focused utility function to determine if a given string adheres to the structural requirements of an HTTP or HTTPS URL. Currently at version 1.0.3, it is a stable, low-cadence library, primarily maintained for compatibility and reliability rather than frequent feature additions. Its core validation logic is built upon a robust regular expression initially developed by Diego Perini, which is well-regarded for its comprehensive coverage of various URL components. Unlike larger, more feature-rich URL parsing libraries, `is-valid-http-url` offers a lightweight and direct API specifically for string format validation, making it ideal for scenarios where only a quick check for valid HTTP/HTTPS URL syntax is needed without additional overhead.

Common errors

```
TypeError: (0 , is_valid_http_url_1.default) is not a function
```
cause Attempting to use a named import (`import { isUrl } from '...'`) for a package that provides a default export in an ESM context.

fix Change the import statement to `import isUrl from 'is-valid-http-url';` for ESM environments.
```
TypeError: isUrl is not a function
```
cause Occurs when `require()` is used on a module that primarily expects ESM default imports, or if the imported name does not match the exported symbol.

fix Ensure you are using `const isUrl = require('is-valid-http-url');` in CommonJS, or `import isUrl from 'is-valid-http-url';` in ESM, as the package provides a default function export.

Warnings

gotcha This library only validates the *format* of an HTTP/HTTPS URL string. It does not perform DNS lookups, check for server availability, or verify the existence of the resource at the given URL.
Fix: If you require validation beyond format (e.g., checking if a URL is alive), you will need to integrate additional network request logic (e.g., using `fetch` or `axios`).
gotcha The validator is specifically designed for HTTP and HTTPS protocols. It will return `false` for URLs using other schemes like `ftp://`, `mailto:`, `file://`, etc., even if their format is otherwise correct for their respective schemes.
Fix: For validating non-HTTP/HTTPS URLs, use a more general URL parsing library or a validator specific to that protocol.
gotcha The validation logic is based on a regular expression. While robust, extremely rare or highly unusual URL formats might not be perfectly covered. Ensure URLs conform to standard RFCs for best results.
Fix: For critical applications with highly varied URL inputs, consider combining this with broader URL parsing libraries like Node.js's built-in `URL` class or `url-parse` for deeper structural analysis if needed.

Install

npm install is-valid-http-url npm
yarn add is-valid-http-url yarn
pnpm add is-valid-http-url pnpm

Imports

isUrl
wrong:
```
import { isUrl } from 'is-valid-http-url';
```
correct:
```
import isUrl from 'is-valid-http-url';
```
The library exports a single function as its default. Use default import for ESM.
isUrl
```
const isUrl = require('is-valid-http-url');
```
For CommonJS environments, the function is directly exported via `module.exports`.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to import and use the `isUrl` function to validate various HTTP and HTTPS URL strings, showcasing both valid and invalid examples.

import isUrl from 'is-valid-http-url';

// Test cases for valid HTTP/HTTPS URLs
console.log('Valid URLs:');
console.log(`http://example.com: ${isUrl('http://example.com')}`);
console.log(`https://www.example.com/foo/?bar=baz&inga=42&quux: ${isUrl('https://www.example.com/foo/?bar=baz&inga=42&quux')}`);
console.log(`http://localhost:3000: ${isUrl('http://localhost:3000')}`);
console.log(`https://user:pass@host.com/path?query#hash: ${isUrl('https://user:pass@host.com/path?query#hash')}`);

console.log('\nInvalid URLs:');
// Test cases for invalid URLs
console.log(`example.com (missing scheme): ${isUrl('example.com')}`);
console.log(`http://foo.bar?q=Spaces should be encoded: ${isUrl('http://foo.bar?q=Spaces should be encoded')}`);
console.log(`ftp://example.com (non-http scheme): ${isUrl('ftp://example.com')}`);
console.log(`invalid-url: ${isUrl('invalid-url')}`);
console.log(`
Note: This validator checks syntax, not if the URL actually exists or is reachable.`);

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