root@thehacksparrow:~/writeups$ SYSTEM ONLINE
root@sparrow:~/writeups$ cat regex101.md
// tools

Regex101

22 Jul 2026 · 2 min read

What it is — Regex101 is a live regular-expression debugger: you write the pattern and test text, and it highlights matches instantly, with a panel that explains every part of the regex in plain language. It supports several "flavours" (PCRE/PHP, JavaScript, Python, Golang, .NET), which matters since syntax varies slightly between languages.

TypeWeb app
CostFree
URLregex101.com

How to use it

Pick the regex flavour in the top-left (important: Burp Suite uses Java syntax, grep uses POSIX/PCRE depending on flags), paste your test text, and write the pattern — matches highlight live:

(?i)(api[_-]?key|token|secret)[\"']?\s*[:=]\s*[\"']?([a-z0-9_\-]{16,})

The "Explanation" panel on the right breaks down every group, quantifier, and flag in the pattern — very useful for understanding someone else's regex (or your own, six months later).

What I use it for

  • Burp Suite Match & Replace rules: I test the pattern here before pasting it into Burp — iterating with live highlighting is much faster than intercepting real traffic every time.
  • Finding secrets in code/logs: patterns to detect API keys, tokens, or hardcoded credentials in a large source code dump.
  • Parsing logs during a CTF or engagement: extracting IPs, timestamps, or specific paths from a huge log file without writing a full script.
  • Generating the final code: Regex101 directly exports the ready-to-paste snippet for Python, JS, etc. once the pattern works.

Link

regex101.com →