regex-odditites.js

var regex = /\<(.*)(?:\|[^\|]+)?\>/g;

var testStrings = [
    "<http://this.is.a.url/foobar>",
  "<https://this.too> and <http:/this.one> with some extra info",
  "it doesn't have to start with a <net.tcp://odd.prodocol/>",
  "and <no.protocol> is needed",
  "This <http://one.has|A name>!",
  "this isn't a match",
  "this has a <http://google.com|link> inside other text",
  "this has <http://a.pipe/?in=the|url|And a name> too"
];


var regex = /\<((?:[^|>]+|\|(?=[^|>]*\|))*)(?:\|[^\|>]+)?\>/g;


var linksInMessage = function (text) {
    var links = [], m;

while ((m = regex.exec(text)) !== null) {
    if (m.index === regex.lastIndex) {
        re.lastIndex++;
    }
    // View your result using the m-variable.
    // eg m[0] etc.
    links.push(m);
}
    
    return links;
}

testStrings.forEach(function (str) {
  console.log(str);
  console.log(linksInMessage(str));
});