Validate a URL

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When filtering a URL filter_var() will return the filtered data, in this case the URL, or false if a valid URL cannot be found:

URL: example.com

var_dump(filter_var('example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
var_dump(filter_var('example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_SCHEME_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_PATH_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED));

Results:

bool(false)
bool(false)
bool(false)
bool(false)
bool(false)

URL: http://example.com

var_dump(filter_var('http://example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
var_dump(filter_var('http://example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_SCHEME_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_PATH_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED));

Results:

string(18) "http://example.com"
string(18) "http://example.com"
string(18) "http://example.com"
bool(false)
bool(false)

URL: http://www.example.com

var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_SCHEME_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_PATH_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED));

Results:

string(22) "http://www.example.com"
string(22) "http://www.example.com"
string(22) "http://www.example.com"
bool(false)
bool(false)

URL: http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/

var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_SCHEME_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_PATH_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED));

Results:

string(35) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/"
string(35) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/"
string(35) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/"
string(35) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/"
bool(false)

URL: http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php

var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_SCHEME_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_PATH_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED));

Results:

string(44) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php"
string(44) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php"
string(44) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php"
string(44) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php"
bool(false)

URL: http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y

var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_SCHEME_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_PATH_REQUIRED));
var_dump(filter_var('http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_QUERY_REQUIRED));

Results:

string(51) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y"
string(51) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y"
string(51) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y"
string(51) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y"
string(51) "http://www.example.com/path/to/dir/index.php?test=y"

Warning: You must check the protocol to protect you against an XSS attack:

var_dump(filter_var('javascript://comment%0Aalert(1)', FILTER_VALIDATE_URL));
// string(31) "javascript://comment%0Aalert(1)"

Found a mistake? Have a question or improvement idea? Let me know.

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