# POSIX Extended Regular Expression Syntax (Quick Reference)

This article lays out POSIX Extended Regular Expression syntax implemented by ThousandEyes for page content verification in HTTP Server tests. For those wanting a more comprehensive article on this regular expression syntax, along with testing and troubleshooting guidelines, see [this article](https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/internet-and-wan-monitoring/tests/http-server-tests/posix-extended-regular-expression-syntax).

## Single-Character Expressions

![](/files/7105gpa7Ld6fUUmbYTPD)

## Repeaters

| {n}   | previous expression matches exactly n times                   |
| ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| {n,}  | previous expression matches at least n times                  |
| {,m}  | previous expression matches at most m times                   |
| {n,m} | previous expression matches between n and m times (inclusive) |
| \*    | previous expression matches 0 or more times                   |
| ?     | previous expression matches 0 or 1 times                      |
| +     | previous expression matches 1 or more times                   |

## Patterns

| ( | start of pattern |
| - | ---------------- |
| ) | end of pattern   |

## Boundaries

| ^    | beginning of line (only valid when used at the beginning of a pattern) |
| ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| $    | end of line (only valid when used at the end of a pattern)             |
| \\\` | beginning of input (start of the page)                                 |
| '    | end of input (end of the page)                                         |
| \b   | word boundary                                                          |


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.thousandeyes.com/product-documentation/tests/http-server-tests/posix-extended-regular-expression-syntax-quick-reference.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
