diff --git a/src/whoseport/cli.py b/src/whoseport/cli.py
index 6c65732..bf4fd2f 100644
--- a/src/whoseport/cli.py
+++ b/src/whoseport/cli.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import argparse
 import json
 import os
-import re
 import shutil
 import sys
 from collections import Counter
@@ -13,14 +12,13 @@
 import whoseport
 from whoseport import core, kill
 from whoseport.core import BackendError, PortUser, UnsupportedPlatformError
+from whoseport.tokens import parse_port_tokens
 
 EXIT_OK = 0
 EXIT_NOTHING_FOUND = 1
 EXIT_USAGE = 2
 EXIT_KILL_FAILED = 3
 
-_PORT_TOKEN = re.compile(r"^(\d{1,5})(?:-(\d{1,5}))?$")
-
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------- colors ---
 
@@ -93,22 +91,6 @@ def sym(fancy: str, plain: str) -> str:
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------- parsing ---
 
 
-def parse_port_tokens(tokens: list) -> set:
-    ports = set()
-    for token in tokens:
-        m = _PORT_TOKEN.match(token)
-        if not m:
-            raise ValueError(f"invalid port or range: {token!r} (examples: 8080, 3000-3005)")
-        start = int(m.group(1))
-        end = int(m.group(2)) if m.group(2) else start
-        if not (1 <= start <= 65535 and 1 <= end <= 65535):
-            raise ValueError(f"port out of range 1-65535: {token!r}")
-        if end < start:
-            raise ValueError(f"range end before start: {token!r}")
-        ports.update(range(start, end + 1))
-    return ports
-
-
 def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         prog="whoseport",
diff --git a/src/whoseport/tokens.py b/src/whoseport/tokens.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ec97fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/whoseport/tokens.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+"""Port token parsing: ranges, host:port, and URLs."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+from urllib.parse import urlparse
+
+_PORT_TOKEN = re.compile(r"^(\d{1,5})(?:-(\d{1,5}))?$")
+
+
+def _strip_port_suffix(port_s: str) -> str:
+    """Drop path / query / fragment so ``host:8080/health#x`` still parses."""
+    return port_s.split("/", 1)[0].split("?", 1)[0].split("#", 1)[0]
+
+
+def port_from_endpoint(token: str) -> int | None:
+    """Pull a port out of ``host:port``, ``[ipv6]:port`` or a URL.
+
+    All-digit left-hand sides such as ``8080:8090`` stay rejected so a
+    mistyped range is not silently turned into a single port.
+    """
+    text = token.strip()
+    if "://" in text:
+        try:
+            port = urlparse(text).port
+        except ValueError:
+            return None
+        return int(port) if port else None
+    if text.startswith("[") and "]:" in text:
+        port_s = _strip_port_suffix(text.rsplit("]:", 1)[-1])
+        return int(port_s) if port_s.isdigit() else None
+    if ":" in text and not text.startswith(":"):
+        host, _, port_s = text.rpartition(":")
+        port_s = _strip_port_suffix(port_s)
+        if host and not host.isdigit() and port_s.isdigit():
+            return int(port_s)
+    return None
+
+
+def parse_port_tokens(tokens: list) -> set:
+    ports = set()
+    for token in tokens:
+        extracted = port_from_endpoint(token)
+        if extracted is not None:
+            if not 1 <= extracted <= 65535:
+                raise ValueError(f"port out of range 1-65535: {token!r}")
+            ports.add(extracted)
+            continue
+        m = _PORT_TOKEN.match(token)
+        if not m:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"invalid port or range: {token!r} (examples: 8080, 3000-3005, localhost:8080)"
+            )
+        start = int(m.group(1))
+        end = int(m.group(2)) if m.group(2) else start
+        if not (1 <= start <= 65535 and 1 <= end <= 65535):
+            raise ValueError(f"port out of range 1-65535: {token!r}")
+        if end < start:
+            raise ValueError(f"range end before start: {token!r}")
+        ports.update(range(start, end + 1))
+    return ports
diff --git a/tests/test_host_port.py b/tests/test_host_port.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b00335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_host_port.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import json
+
+from whoseport import cli, core
+from whoseport.tokens import parse_port_tokens
+
+
+def test_parse_host_port_and_url():
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["localhost:8080"]) == {8080}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["127.0.0.1:3000"]) == {3000}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["[::1]:5173"]) == {5173}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["http://127.0.0.1:4173/app"]) == {4173}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["localhost:8080/health"]) == {8080}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["[::1]:5173/app"]) == {5173}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["localhost:8080#ready"]) == {8080}
+    assert parse_port_tokens(["[::1]:5173/app?x=1#top"]) == {5173}
+
+
+def test_numeric_colon_range_still_rejected():
+    try:
+        parse_port_tokens(["8080:8090"])
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        assert "invalid" in str(exc)
+    else:
+        raise AssertionError("8080:8090 must stay rejected")
+
+
+def test_cli_reexports_token_parser():
+    assert cli.parse_port_tokens is parse_port_tokens
+    assert cli.parse_port_tokens(["localhost:8080", "3000-3001"]) == {8080, 3000, 3001}
+
+
+def test_cli_accepts_host_port(monkeypatch, capsys, make_row):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(core, "collect", lambda **kw: [make_row(local_port=8080)])
+    rc = cli.main(["localhost:8080", "--json"])
+    doc = json.loads(capsys.readouterr().out)
+    assert rc == 0
+    assert doc["query"] == [8080]
+    assert doc["sockets"][0]["local_port"] == 8080