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Advanced URL patterns — the matches you did not know

15 May 2026 · by JustZix Team

The URL pattern decides where a rule runs. Most users know only example.com/* — but precise matching is the difference between a rule that works "more or less" and one that works exactly where it should.

Five patterns worth knowing

The substring pattern — the most underrated

The last row of the table is the key one: *staging* is not a "domain" — it is any URL where the word "staging" appears anywhere. One rule with a red "DEV" banner, pattern *staging* — and it marks every staging environment for you, regardless of domain or client.

Patterns stack in the hierarchy

A pattern can be set at three levels: folder, group, rule. They work together — a logical and. A folder of *.example.com/* plus a rule of */checkout* means: "only the checkout page, only on example.com subdomains". Broad at the top, narrow at the bottom.

Common mistakes

• No trailing star. example.com matches only the home page. Want the whole site — example.com/*.
• Too broad a substring. *app* hits example.com... and apple.com, and /happy-path. Make substrings specific.
• Protocol matters. https://... will not catch http://localhost. For local work use *://.
• A rule that works "almost nowhere". The most common cause — too narrow a pattern. Check whether a * is missing.

See also

• The folder hierarchy — where patterns stack
• Environment markers — the substring pattern in action
• Rules resilient to change — resilience starts with the match

Install JustZix — and aim a rule exactly where you want it.