URL Pattern Matching

Understanding how to write effective URL patterns is key to using Auth HI! effectively.

Pattern Syntax

The extension uses Chrome’s urlFilter syntax with wildcard support.

Basic Wildcards

Common Patterns

Match Everything for a Domain

Pattern: *github.com

Matches:

• github.com/api/...
• api.github.com/...
• raw.githubusercontent.com/...

Best for: When you want to cover all services for a domain

Match Only Subdomains

Pattern: *.lytics.io

Matches:

• api.lytics.io/...
• c.lytics.io/...

Does NOT match:

• lytics.io (base domain)

Best for: When the API is always on a subdomain

Match Specific Subdomain

Pattern: api.staging.example.com

Matches:

• api.staging.example.com/users
• api.staging.example.com/auth

Does NOT match:

• api.example.com (production)
• staging.example.com

Best for: Environment-specific configurations

Match with Explicit Scheme

Pattern: https://api.example.com/*

Matches:

• https://api.example.com/v1/users
• https://api.example.com/auth

Does NOT match:

• http://api.example.com/... (different scheme)

Best for: When you need precise control

Common Mistakes

❌ Using *.domain.com when you mean *domain.com

# This WON'T match the base domain
Pattern: *.github.com
Requests to: github.com/api/...  # Not matched!

# This WILL match the base domain
Pattern: *github.com
Requests to: github.com/api/...  # Matched!

❌ Forgetting wildcards for paths

# This only matches the exact URL
Pattern: api.example.com

# This matches all paths
Pattern: api.example.com/*
OR
Pattern: *://api.example.com/*

Rule Precedence

When multiple rules match the same URL, the most specific pattern wins. Specificity is calculated based on:

• Number of specific parts (more = more specific)
• Number of wildcards (fewer = more specific)

Example:

Pattern: api.staging.example.com  (specificity: 30)
Pattern: *.example.com            (specificity: 19)
Pattern: *.com                    (specificity: -1)

If all three match a request to api.staging.example.com, the first rule wins.

The extension shows a warning in the Context Bar when 2+ rules are active on the same page, so you know which rule is being used.

Testing Your Patterns

1. Add your rule in the extension
2. Open chrome://extensions
3. Click “Service Worker” under Auth HI!
4. Navigate to your target site
5. Look for log messages: [Request Tracker] ✓ Matched pattern: ...

If you don’t see matches, your pattern is likely too narrow. Try expanding it with wildcards.

Pattern Examples by Use Case

See Examples for real-world pattern configurations.