Testing a URL

Every so often, a person just wants to know if a URL is valid.

This is especially true for website programmers. URLs are used frequently. It may be for a redirect. Or it may be a thank-you page URL. Perhaps the script is designed to post data to a URL.

In those cases, depending on the script you are writing, it may be prudent to test the URL's validity before you engage with it.

The TestWebPageURL() PHP function is used to verify a URL is valid and reachable.

To use the function, include the TestWebPageURL() function within your script. Then call the function with a URL to test. The function returns an array with information it collected, including the status code.

Here is the source code for the TestWebPageURL() function.

function TestWebPageURL($url)
{
   $options = array(
      CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
      CURLOPT_HEADER         => false,
      CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT => 120,
      CURLOPT_TIMEOUT        => 120,
      CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
      CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS      => 10,
   );
   $ch = curl_init($url);
   curl_setopt_array($ch,$options);
   curl_exec($ch);
   $info = curl_getinfo($ch);
   $info['errno'] = curl_errno($ch);
   $info['errmsg'] = curl_error($ch) ;
   curl_close($ch);
   return $info;
} # function TestWebPageURL()

A demonstration PHP script comes with this article. It uses TestWebPageURL(). The script is copy and paste.

The demonstration script displays the HTTP status code of the URL you tested. It prints any error messages the test encountered. The script also notes the destination URL if any redirects were encountered during the test. At the end, the demonstration script publishes an array of information that was gathered during the test.

To use the demonstration script, copy the source code and save it with any *.php file name, testURL.php for example. Then upload it to your server.

<?php
/*
Test URL Demonstration
Version 1
May 5, 2026
Will Bontrager Software LLC
https://www.willmaster.com/
*/

if(empty($_GET['url']))
{
   $ta = explode('/',$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
   $thisScript = array_pop($ta);
   echo "Use parameter name 'url' and value of the URL to test. Example:<br><span style='font-size:130%;font-family:monospace;'>$thisScript?url=https://example.com/testing.php";
   exit;
}

// test the URL.
$info = TestWebPageURL($_GET['url']);

// echo this if there was a redirect.
if( $info['url']!=$_GET['url'] )
{
   echo <<< CHUNK
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">
URL <b>{$_GET['url']}</b>
redirects to <b>{$info['url']}</b>
</div>
CHUNK;
}

// always echo this.
echo <<< CHUNK
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">
URL <b>{$info['url']}</b> returns HTTP status code: <b>{$info['http_code']}</b>
</div>
CHUNK;

// echo this if there is an error message.
if( $info['errno']>0 )
{
   echo <<< CHUNK
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">
Error: <b>{$info['errmsg']}</b>
</div>
CHUNK;
}

// echo the entire information array.
echo '<pre>'.print_r($info,true).'</pre>';

function TestWebPageURL($url)
{
   $options = array(
      CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
      CURLOPT_HEADER         => false,
      CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT => 120,
      CURLOPT_TIMEOUT        => 120,
      CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
      CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS      => 10,
   );
   $ch = curl_init($url);
   curl_setopt_array($ch,$options);
   curl_exec($ch);
   $info = curl_getinfo($ch);
   $info['errno'] = curl_errno($ch);
   $info['errmsg'] = curl_error($ch) ;
   curl_close($ch);
   return $info;
} # function TestWebPageURL()
?>

After it is uploaded, type the URL of the demonstration script into your browser. Append ?url= and the URL to test.

Example: testURL.php?url=https://example.com/testing.php

When you run the script, it displays data as described further above.

Any values in the array of information that the TestWebPageURL() function gathers may be used in your PHP script. Here is an example array of information.

Array
(
    [url] => https://www.willmaster.com/
    [content_type] => text/html; charset=UTF-8
    [http_code] => 200
    [header_size] => 406
    [request_size] => 106
    [filetime] => -1
    [ssl_verify_result] => 0
    [redirect_count] => 1
    [total_time] => 0.721025
    [namelookup_time] => 0.006239
    [connect_time] => 0.152778
    [pretransfer_time] => 0.479417
    [size_upload] => 0
    [size_download] => 29208
    [speed_download] => 40510
    [speed_upload] => 0
    [download_content_length] => 29208
    [upload_content_length] => -1
    [starttransfer_time] => 0.72038
    [redirect_time] => 0.316062
    [redirect_url] => 
    [primary_ip] => 66.33.193.44
    [certinfo] => Array
        (
        )

    [primary_port] => 443
    [local_ip] => 10.1.10.152
    [local_port] => 49485
    [http_version] => 3
    [protocol] => 2
    [ssl_verifyresult] => 0
    [scheme] => HTTPS
    [appconnect_time_us] => 478744
    [connect_time_us] => 152778
    [namelookup_time_us] => 6239
    [pretransfer_time_us] => 479417
    [redirect_time_us] => 316062
    [starttransfer_time_us] => 720380
    [total_time_us] => 721025
    [errno] => 0
    [errmsg] => 
)

To reiterate, TestWebPageURL() PHP function is used to verify a URL is valid and reachable. It returns an array of information that may be used in your PHP scripts.

To use the function, include TestWebPageURL() within your script. Then call the function with a URL to test.

(This content first appeared in Possibilities newsletter.)

Will Bontrager