How to validate Spring MVC @PathVariable values?

Spring does not support @javax.validation.Valid on @PathVariable annotated parameters in handler methods. There was an Improvement request, but it is still unresolved.

Your best bet is to just do your custom validation in the handler method body or consider using org.springframework.validation.annotation.Validated as suggested in other answers.

You can use like this: use org.springframework.validation.annotation.Validated to valid RequestParam or PathVariable.

 *
 * Variant of JSR-303's {@link javax.validation.Valid}, supporting the
 * specification of validation groups. Designed for convenient use with
 * Spring's JSR-303 support but not JSR-303 specific.
 *

step.1 init ValidationConfig

@Configuration
public class ValidationConfig {
    @Bean
    public MethodValidationPostProcessor methodValidationPostProcessor() {
        MethodValidationPostProcessor processor = new MethodValidationPostProcessor();
        return processor;
    }
}

step.2 Add @Validated to your controller handler class, Like:

@RequestMapping(value = "poo/foo")
@Validated
public class FooController {
...
}

step.3 Add validators to your handler method:

   @RequestMapping(value = "{id}", method = RequestMethod.DELETE)
   public ResponseEntity<Foo> delete(
           @PathVariable("id") @Size(min = 1) @CustomerValidator int id) throws RestException {
        // do something
        return new ResponseEntity(HttpStatus.OK);
    }

final step. Add exception resolver to your context:

@Component
public class BindExceptionResolver implements HandlerExceptionResolver {

    @Override
    public ModelAndView resolveException(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response, Object handler, Exception ex) {
        if (ex.getClass().equals(BindException.class)) {
            BindException exception = (BindException) ex;

            List<FieldError> fieldErrors = exception.getFieldErrors();
            return new ModelAndView(new MappingJackson2JsonView(), buildErrorModel(request, response, fieldErrors));
        }
    }
}