Download Cheat sheet PDF 12 pages · syntax, editors, patterns, Unicode, performance, debugging
A regex explainer for humans

Regex, decoded.
Patterns made readable.

A free regex explainer, builder, and reference — paste any pattern, see exactly what it does, token by token.

Designed for developers who already know how to test regex but want to understand what someone else wrote. Or what they wrote three years ago and forgot.

token-by-token explanation plain-English intent live testing 300+ tested patterns privacy-first

Regex explainer

    Why regexguide

    Everything you need in one tool.

    📖

    Plain-English explanation

    Lead with what the pattern matches, then break it down token by token in a tree view. Other tools list tokens — we tell you the point.

    🔀

    Substitution preview

    Write a replacement with $1, $2, named groups, or $& and see the transformed text live. Test before you ship.

    Test suite

    Define strings that should match and strings that shouldn't. Run them all in one click — like unit tests for your regex.

    ⌨️

    Code in 7 languages

    Get copy-paste-ready snippets for JavaScript, Python, Java, .NET, Go, Ruby, and PHP — with flavor-specific syntax handled automatically.

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    Step-by-step debugger

    Walk through every position the engine probes, see where matches start and end, and understand exactly how your regex resolves.

    🚆

    Railroad diagrams

    Visualize complex patterns as left-to-right flowcharts with quantifier loops and alternation branches. Great for code reviews.

    Benchmark & ReDoS check

    Measure performance on real input and run a growth test that detects catastrophic backtracking before it hits production.

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    Shareable links

    Encode your pattern, flags, and test data in the URL fragment. Send a teammate a link — no account, no server, no tracking.

    📚

    Curated patterns library

    15 hand-tested patterns (email, URL, dates, UUID, semver, IPv4/v6, credit card, more) with dedicated explanation pages.

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    English → regex

    Describe what you want in plain English ("digits then a dash then four letters") and get a regex — useful for getting unstuck.

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    Cross-flavor converter

    Port a regex between 7 flavors (JS, Python, Java, .NET, Go, Ruby, PCRE) with explicit warnings about features that don't carry over.

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    Visual block editor

    Build regex by clicking blocks instead of typing. Open the visual editor →

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    Browser-only privacy

    Everything runs client-side. Your patterns and test data never leave your device — unlike the major competitor.

    Browse the site

    Everything for regex, in one place.

    Core tools