Regex Playground

A free, intuitive tool to build, test, and understand regular expressions with instant visual feedback.

Overview

Regex Playground helps developers master regular expressions by providing real-time match highlighting, plain-English pattern explanations, and a comprehensive cheat sheet—all in a clean, modern interface.

The Problem

Regular expressions are powerful but notoriously hard to learn:

• Dense syntax that's easy to forget
• Debugging requires trial and error
• Understanding existing patterns is difficult
• Most tools show matches but don't explain them

The Solution

A regex tester that actually teaches you:

• Real-time highlighting as you type
• Pattern breakdown explaining each component
• Quick-access cheat sheet for reference
• Support for all standard regex flags

Key Features

Real-Time Highlighting

• Matches highlight instantly as you type
• No "run" button needed
• Visual feedback accelerates learning

Pattern Explanations

• Each regex component explained in plain English
• Understand complex patterns at a glance
• Perfect for learning and code reviews

Flag Support

• Global, case-insensitive, multiline
• DotAll, unicode, sticky
• Toggle with a single click

Cheat Sheet

• Character classes and anchors
• Quantifiers and groups
• Common patterns (email, URL, phone)
• Always accessible, never in the way

User Experience

• Clean, distraction-free interface
• Dark mode support
• Fully client-side (data stays in browser)
• Mobile responsive

Technical Implementation

Stack

• Framework: Next.js 15 with App Router
• Language: TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS v4
• Components: shadcn/ui
• Animations: Framer Motion

Architecture

• Client-side regex execution
• Real-time parsing and highlighting
• Pattern tokenization for explanations
• Zero server calls for testing

Performance

• Instant feedback (under 10ms)
• Handles large test strings
• No rate limits or restrictions

Results

• Free forever: No sign-up or limits
• Educational: Learn while you test
• Private: Everything stays in your browser
• Accessible: Works on any device

Links

• Live: regex-playground.jagodana.com
• GitHub: Jagodana-Studio-Private-Limited/regex-playground