diff --git a/app/directives/external-account/external-web-link.directive.jade b/app/directives/external-account/external-web-link.directive.jade
index 0f99e4cec..e153bc152 100644
--- a/app/directives/external-account/external-web-link.directive.jade
+++ b/app/directives/external-account/external-web-link.directive.jade
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 .web-link
   form(name="addWebLinkFrm", ng-submit="addWebLinkFrm.$valid && addWebLink()", autocomplete="off")
     .validation-bar.url(ng-class="{ 'error-bar': (addWebLinkFrm.url.$dirty && addWebLinkFrm.url.$invalid) }")
-      input.form-field.url(name="url", type="url", ng-model="url", placeholder="http://www.yourlink.com", required)
+      input.form-field.url(name="url", type="text", ng-pattern="urlRegEx" ng-model="url", placeholder="http://www.yourlink.com", required)
 
       .form-input-error(ng-show="addWebLinkFrm.url.$dirty && addWebLinkFrm.url.$invalid")
         p(ng-show="addWebLinkFrm.url.$error.required") This is a required field.
 
-        p(ng-show="addWebLinkFrm.url.$error.url") Please enter a valid URL
+        p(ng-show="addWebLinkFrm.url.$error.pattern") Please enter a valid URL
     
     button.tc-btn.tc-btn-m(type="submit", 
       tc-busy-button, tc-busy-when="addingWebLink", tc-busy-message="Adding", 
diff --git a/app/directives/external-account/external-web-links.directive.js b/app/directives/external-account/external-web-links.directive.js
index 411d1f22f..3367d474b 100644
--- a/app/directives/external-account/external-web-links.directive.js
+++ b/app/directives/external-account/external-web-links.directive.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
       $log = $log.getInstance('ExternalWebLinkCtrl');
       $scope.addingWebLink = false;
       $scope.errorMessage = null;
+      $scope.urlRegEx = /^(http(s?):\/\/)?(www\.)?[a-zA-Z0-9\.\-\_]+(\.[a-zA-Z]{2,3})+(\/[a-zA-Z0-9\_\-\s\.\/\?\%\#\&\=]*)?$/;
 
       $scope.addWebLink = function() {
         $log.debug("URL: " + $scope.url);