---
title: "Regular Expression Patterns"
slug: "regular-expression-patterns"
tags: ["reference-guides"]
status: "update"
updated: 2026-10-13T18:19:46Z
published: 2026-10-13T18:19:46Z
canonical: "docs.unqork.io/regular-expression-patterns"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unqork.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Regular Expression Patterns

Several Unqork components support a **Regular Expression Pattern (Regex)** field that restricts what end-users can enter. When a pattern is set, the field must match it before the module can be submitted. This guide explains how patterns work and provides common examples ready to use.

## What Is a Regular Expression?

A regular expression, commonly called regex, is a sequence of characters that defines a rule for matching text. For example, `^\d{5}$` means **exactly five digits** and would match `90210` but reject `9021` or `9021A`.

Regex patterns in Unqork follow standard JavaScript regex syntax.

## How to Use a Pattern

In a supported component, enter the pattern in the **Regular Expression Pattern (Regex)** field. Use the **Pattern Error Message** field to provide a clear message when the value does not match, like "Please enter a valid US zip code."

> [!WARNING]
> Test patterns before using them in production. The free tool at [https://regex101.com](https://regex101.com) lets Creators test a pattern against sample values and explains each part of the expression.

## Common Patterns

### Numbers

| Pattern | Matches | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `^\d+$` | One or more digits only | `12345` |
| `^\d{5}$` | Exactly five digits | `90210` |
| `^\d{1,10}$` | Between 1 and 10 digits | `42` |
| `^[0-9]+(\.[0-9]{1,2})?$` | Number with up to two decimal places | `9.99` |

### Text

| Pattern | Matches | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `^[a-zA-Z]+$` | Letters only, no spaces | `Smith` |
| `^[a-zA-Z\s]+$` | Letters and spaces | `John Smith` |
| `^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$` | Letters and numbers, no spaces | `User123` |
| `^[a-zA-Z0-9\s\-]+$` | Letters, numbers, spaces, and hyphens | `New York-2` |

### US Formats

| Pattern | Matches | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `^\d{5}(-\d{4})?$` | US zip code (5-digit or ZIP+4) | `90210` or `90210-1234` |
| `^\d{3}-\d{2}-\d{4}$` | Social Security Number | `123-45-6789` |
| `^\d{3}[.\-]?\d{3}[.\-]?\d{4}$` | US phone number | `555-867-5309` or `5558675309` |

### Dates

| Pattern | Matches | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$` | ISO date format | `2026-03-25` |
| `^\d{2}/\d{2}/\d{4}$` | US date format | `03/25/2026` |

### Web

| Pattern | Matches | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `^https?://[^\s]+$` | URL beginning with http or https | `https://example.com` |

## Pattern Syntax Reference

To match a special character, prefix it with `\`. For example, `\.` matches a period instead of any character.

| Syntax | Meaning | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `^` | Beginning of input | `^Hello` matches strings that begin with **Hello** |
| `$` | End of input | `world$` matches strings that end with **world** |
| `\d` | Any digit (0–9) | `\d\d\d` matches three digits |
| `\s` | Any whitespace character | `\s` matches a space or tab |
| `[abc]` | Any character in the set | `[aeiou]` matches any vowel |
| `[a-z]` | Any character in the range | `[a-z]` matches any lowercase letter |
| `[^abc]` | Any character NOT in the set | `[^0-9]` matches any non-digit |
| `+` | One or more of the preceding | `\d+` matches one or more digits |
| `*` | Zero or more of the preceding | `\d*` matches zero or more digits |
| `?` | Zero or one of the preceding | `\d?` matches an optional digit |
| `{n}` | Exactly n repetitions | `\d{5}` matches exactly five digits |
| `{n,m}` | Between n and m repetitions | `\d{3,5}` matches three to five digits |
| `.` | Any character except newline | `a.b` matches `axb`, `a1b`, and so on. |

---

**Changelog**

| Date | Change |
| --- | --- |
| — | Initial publication. |

End-users, also known as Express Users, are the individuals accessing an application through Express View. In most cases, end-users are the customers using the product.

JavaScript is an object-oriented computer programming language. It is most-commonly used for interactive effects in the browser.

Also known as Unqork Users, or Designer Users; is anyone who is inside the Unqork platform.

The Number data type accepts integer or floating point values. The number data type does not use quotes around numerical values.

A zip file is a file format that can contain multiple files combined and compressed into one file. Since it's a type of compressed file, a zip file can be smaller in size than the files it contains.

A URL (uniform resource locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. Also known as a web address.

A string is an object that represents a sequence of characters. Strings typically hold data represented in text form.