> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.iotools.cloud/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Regex Explainer > Explain a regular expression in plain English — a full sentence summary plus a token-by-token breakdown table (what each piece matches, and how). Supports the g/i/m/s/u flags and their effect on the explanation. [Try Regex Explainer in your browser →](https://iotools.cloud/tool/regex-explainer/) ## OpenAPI ````yaml https://api.iotools.cloud/v1/openapi post /v1/tool/regex-explainer openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: iotools.cloud API version: 1.0.0 description: >- Run any iotools.cloud tool over HTTP. Authenticate with `Authorization: Bearer iot_live_…`. **Only `POST /v1/tool/{slug}` costs credits.** Every GET here — the catalog, a tool's schema, your balance — is free. A tool call is charged its own weight or your plan's per-call minimum, whichever is larger; `x-iotools-credit-cost` on each operation is quoted at the free-tier minimum, and `GET /v1/tools/list` returns the exact figure for your key. `GET /v1/me/credits` reports what you have left, and `GET /v1/me/usage` reports what it went on. Failures are RFC 9457 problem documents — branch on `code`. servers: - url: https://api.iotools.cloud description: Production security: - bearerAuth: [] tags: - name: Catalog description: Find a tool and read its contract. Free. - name: Converters description: >- Convert between formats, encodings, and units — Base64, CSV and JSON, timestamps, and more. Fast, free, and processed right in your browser. - name: Formatters description: >- Format, beautify, minify, and validate code and data — JSON, HTML, CSS, SQL, and regex. Clean up messy input in one click, with nothing to upload. - name: Generators description: >- Generate exactly what you need and on demand — passwords, UUIDs, QR codes, hashes, random numbers, and more. Secure, instant, and free. - name: Calculators description: >- Crunch the numbers fast — from everyday math to specialized conversions and unit work. Free online calculators that run entirely in your browser. - name: Editors description: >- Edit and transform text, code, and images with quick, focused editors that run entirely in your browser — nothing to install, and no sign-up needed. - name: Utilities description: >- Everyday developer and web utilities — DNS and IP lookups, redirect and certificate checkers, and other quick diagnostics. Free and privacy-friendly. - name: Account description: Your key's allowance, limits and usage history. paths: /v1/tool/regex-explainer: post: tags: - Utilities summary: Regex Explainer description: >- Explain a regular expression in plain English — a full sentence summary plus a token-by-token breakdown table (what each piece matches, and how). Supports the g/i/m/s/u flags and their effect on the explanation. [Try Regex Explainer in your browser →](https://iotools.cloud/tool/regex-explainer/) operationId: run_regex_explainer requestBody: required: false content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: pattern: type: string description: Regular Expression Pattern flagGlobal: type: boolean description: g — Global (find all matches) flagIgnoreCase: type: boolean description: i — Ignore case flagMultiline: type: boolean description: m — Multiline (^ and $ match line boundaries) flagDotAll: type: boolean description: s — Dot matches newline flagUnicode: type: boolean description: u — Unicode mode required: [] examples: us_zip_4_style_pattern_with_anchors: summary: US ZIP+4-style pattern with anchors value: pattern: ^\d{3}-\d{4}$ flagGlobal: '' flagIgnoreCase: '' flagMultiline: '' flagDotAll: '' flagUnicode: '' named_capture_groups_email_style_with_i_flag: summary: Named capture groups (email-style) with i flag value: pattern: (?[\w.]+)@(?[\w.]+) flagGlobal: '' flagIgnoreCase: 'true' flagMultiline: '' flagDotAll: '' flagUnicode: '' alternation_with_a_non_capturing_group: summary: Alternation with a non-capturing group value: pattern: (?:cat|dog)s? flagGlobal: '' flagIgnoreCase: '' flagMultiline: '' flagDotAll: '' flagUnicode: '' responses: '200': description: Tool output content: application/json: examples: us_zip_4_style_pattern_with_anchors: summary: US ZIP+4-style pattern with anchors value: tool: regex-explainer tool_version: 1.0.1 outputs: summary: >- Matches the start of the string, then any digit (0–9) — exactly 3 times, then the character "-", then any digit (0–9) — exactly 4 times, then the end of the string. breakdown: - token: ^ kind: Anchor meaning: The start of the string - token: \d{3} kind: Quantified character shorthand meaning: Any digit (0–9) — exactly 3 times - token: '-' kind: Literal character meaning: The character "-" - token: \d{4} kind: Quantified character shorthand meaning: Any digit (0–9) — exactly 4 times - token: $ kind: Anchor meaning: The end of the string credits_used: 3 credits_remaining: null named_capture_groups_email_style_with_i_flag: summary: Named capture groups (email-style) with i flag value: tool: regex-explainer tool_version: 1.0.1 outputs: summary: >- Matches a captured group named "user", matching: any one character from this set: a word character (letter, digit, or underscore), "." — one or more times, then the character "@", then a captured group named "domain", matching: any one character from this set: a word character (letter, digit, or underscore), "." — one or more times. Flags: i (ignores uppercase/lowercase differences). breakdown: - token: (?[\w.]+) kind: Named capturing group meaning: >- A captured group named "user", matching: any one character from this set: a word character (letter, digit, or underscore), "." — one or more times - token: '@' kind: Literal character meaning: The character "@" - token: (?[\w.]+) kind: Named capturing group meaning: >- A captured group named "domain", matching: any one character from this set: a word character (letter, digit, or underscore), "." — one or more times credits_used: 3 credits_remaining: null alternation_with_a_non_capturing_group: summary: Alternation with a non-capturing group value: tool: regex-explainer tool_version: 1.0.1 outputs: summary: >- Matches a group (not captured), matching: either the character "c", then the character "a", then the character "t", or the character "d", then the character "o", then the character "g", then the character "s" — zero or one time (optional). breakdown: - token: (?:cat|dog) kind: Non-capturing group meaning: >- A group (not captured), matching: either the character "c", then the character "a", then the character "t", or the character "d", then the character "o", then the character "g" - token: s? kind: Quantified literal character meaning: The character "s" — zero or one time (optional) credits_used: 3 credits_remaining: null schema: type: object required: - tool - tool_version - outputs - credits_used - credits_remaining properties: outputs: type: object properties: summary: type: string description: Plain-English Summary breakdown: type: array description: Token-by-Token Breakdown items: type: object properties: token: type: string description: Token kind: type: string description: Kind meaning: type: string description: Meaning x-iotools-columns: - token - kind - meaning tool: type: string description: The tool's slug, echoing the {slug} in the request path. tool_version: type: string description: Output-contract version for this tool. credits_used: type: integer description: >- Credits this call consumed, after any settlement refund. 0 when metering is disabled. credits_remaining: type: - integer - 'null' description: >- Credits left in the current monthly allowance, or null when metering is disabled. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. '400': $ref: '#/components/responses/ValidationError' '401': $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized' '402': $ref: '#/components/responses/InsufficientCredits' '403': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolNotAllowed' '404': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolNotFound' '413': $ref: '#/components/responses/PayloadTooLarge' '429': $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited' '500': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolFailed' '503': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolDisabled' security: - bearerAuth: [] components: responses: ValidationError: description: Invalid request. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/validation_error title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Invalid request status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - validation_error detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. fields: type: - object - string additionalProperties: type: string description: >- What failed: a map of field name → message. Absent when the body itself is malformed; a single string when the failure isn't tied to one field. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/validation_error title: Invalid request status: 400 code: validation_error detail: One or more inputs are invalid — see `fields`. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 fields: inputString: Required Unauthorized: description: Missing or invalid API key. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/invalid_api_key title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Invalid API key status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - invalid_api_key detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/invalid_api_key title: Invalid API key status: 401 code: invalid_api_key detail: 'Provide ''Authorization: Bearer ''.' request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 InsufficientCredits: description: Monthly credit allowance exhausted. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/insufficient_credits title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Insufficient credits status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - insufficient_credits detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. credits_used: type: integer description: Always 0 — a refused call charges nothing. credits_remaining: type: integer description: Credits left in the allowance — fewer than this call costs. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/insufficient_credits title: Insufficient credits status: 402 code: insufficient_credits detail: This call costs 1 credit and 0 remain in this month's allowance. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 credits_used: 0 credits_remaining: 0 ToolNotAllowed: description: Tool exists but has no API surface. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_allowed title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool not available over the API status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - tool_not_allowed detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_allowed title: Tool not available over the API status: 403 code: tool_not_allowed detail: >- "Background Remover" is available on iotools.cloud but has no API endpoint. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 ToolNotFound: description: No such tool. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_found title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool not found status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - tool_not_found detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_found title: Tool not found status: 404 code: tool_not_found detail: No tool with that slug. See GET /v1/tools/list. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 PayloadTooLarge: description: Body too large. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/payload_too_large title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Payload too large status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - payload_too_large detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/payload_too_large title: Payload too large status: 413 code: payload_too_large detail: Request body exceeds this tool's size limit. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 RateLimited: description: Per-minute rate limit exceeded. headers: Retry-After: description: Seconds to wait before retrying (RFC 9110 delta-seconds). schema: type: integer content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/rate_limited title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Rate limit exceeded status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - rate_limited detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. retry_after: type: integer description: >- Seconds until the window resets — the same value as the `Retry-After` header. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/rate_limited title: Rate limit exceeded status: 429 code: rate_limited detail: Too many requests. Retry in 30s. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 retry_after: 30 ToolFailed: description: Tool failed to run. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/processing_error - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/internal_error title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool failed to run - Internal error status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - processing_error - internal_error detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. credits_used: type: integer description: >- Always 0 on `processing_error` — a failed run is refunded, floor included. credits_remaining: type: integer description: >- Credits left after the refund. Absent when metering is disabled. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/processing_error title: Tool failed to run status: 500 code: processing_error detail: The tool failed to run. Please try again. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 credits_used: 0 ToolDisabled: description: Tool temporarily disabled. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_disabled - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/api_unconfigured title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool temporarily disabled - API not configured status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - tool_disabled - api_unconfigured detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_disabled title: Tool temporarily disabled status: 503 code: tool_disabled detail: This tool is temporarily unavailable. Try again shortly. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 securitySchemes: bearerAuth: type: http scheme: bearer bearerFormat: iot_live_… ````