diff --git a/controllers/user.js b/controllers/user.js
index 7c4a9dc77a7..ae8f2289d18 100644
--- a/controllers/user.js
+++ b/controllers/user.js
@@ -93,11 +93,6 @@ exports.getEmailSignup = function(req, res) {
  */
 
 exports.postEmailSignup = function(req, res, next) {
-  console.log('post email signup called');
-  req.assert('email', 'Email is not valid').isEmail();
-  req.assert('password', 'Password must be at least 4 characters long').len(4);
-  req.assert('confirmPassword', 'Passwords do not match')
-    .equals(req.body.password);
 
   var errors = req.validationErrors();
 
@@ -108,10 +103,10 @@ exports.postEmailSignup = function(req, res, next) {
   }
 
   var user = new User({
-    email: req.body.email,
+    email: req.body.email.trim(),
     password: req.body.password,
     profile : {
-      username: req.body.username
+      username: req.body.username.trim()
     }
   });
 
@@ -322,26 +317,26 @@ exports.postUpdateProfile = function(req, res, next) {
           return res.redirect('/account');
         }
         var user = req.user;
-        user.email = req.body.email || '';
-        user.profile.name = req.body.name || '';
-        user.profile.username = req.body.username || '';
-        user.profile.location = req.body.location || '';
-        user.profile.githubProfile = req.body.githubProfile || '';
-        user.profile.coderbyteProfile = req.body.coderbyteProfile || '';
-        user.profile.linkedinProfile = req.body.linkedinProfile || '';
-        user.profile.codepenProfile = req.body.codepenProfile || '';
-        user.profile.twitterHandle = req.body.twitterHandle || '';
-        user.profile.bio = req.body.bio || '';
-        user.profile.picture = req.body.picture || '';
-        user.portfolio.website1Title = req.body.website1Title || '';
-        user.portfolio.website1Link = req.body.website1Link || '';
-        user.portfolio.website1Image = req.body.website1Image || '';
-        user.portfolio.website2Title = req.body.website2Title || '';
-        user.portfolio.website2Link = req.body.website2Link || '';
-        user.portfolio.website2Image = req.body.website2Image || '';
-        user.portfolio.website3Title = req.body.website3Title || '';
-        user.portfolio.website3Link = req.body.website3Link || '';
-        user.portfolio.website3Image = req.body.website3Image || '';
+        user.email = req.body.email.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.name = req.body.name.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.username = req.body.username.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.location = req.body.location.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.githubProfile = req.body.githubProfile.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.coderbyteProfile = req.body.coderbyteProfile.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.linkedinProfile = req.body.linkedinProfile.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.codepenProfile = req.body.codepenProfile.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.twitterHandle = req.body.twitterHandle.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.bio = req.body.bio.trim() || '';
+        user.profile.picture = req.body.picture.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website1Title = req.body.website1Title.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website1Link = req.body.website1Link.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website1Image = req.body.website1Image.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website2Title = req.body.website2Title.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website2Link = req.body.website2Link.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website2Image = req.body.website2Image.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website3Title = req.body.website3Title.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website3Link = req.body.website3Link.trim() || '';
+        user.portfolio.website3Image = req.body.website3Image.trim() || '';
 
 
         user.save(function (err) {
diff --git a/views/account/account.jade b/views/account/account.jade
index 2612dfe8188..149598b1f0e 100644
--- a/views/account/account.jade
+++ b/views/account/account.jade
@@ -77,12 +77,15 @@ block content
                 .form-group
                     label.col-sm-3.col-sm-offset-2.control-label(for='email') Link to Profile Photo (1:1 ratio)
                     .col-sm-4
-                        input.form-control(type='url', name='picture', id='picture', ng-model='user.profile.picture', placeholder='http://')
+                        input.form-control(type='url', name='picture', id='picture', ng-model='user.profile.picture', placeholder='http://www.example.com/image.jpg', ng-pattern="/[\.](jpg|png|jpeg|gif)\s?$/")
                     .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.picture.$error.url && !profileForm.picture.$pristine")
                         alert(type='danger')
                             span.ion-close-circled
-                            | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com).
-
+                            | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com/image.jpg).
+                    .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.picture.$error.pattern")
+                        alert(type='danger')
+                            span.ion-close-circled
+                            | The image URL must end in .jpg, .png, .jpeg or .gif.
                 .form-group
                   label.col-sm-3.col-sm-offset-2.control-label(for='bio') Bio (140 characters)
                   .col-sm-4
@@ -184,11 +187,15 @@ block content
                 .form-group
                   label.col-sm-3.col-sm-offset-2.control-label(for='website1Image') Image Link (4:3 ratio)
                   .col-sm-4
-                    input.form-control(type='url', name='website1Image', id='website1Image', autocomplete="off", ng-model='user.portfolio.website1Image', placeholder='http://')
+                    input.form-control(type='url', name='website1Image', id='website1Image', autocomplete="off", ng-model='user.portfolio.website1Image', placeholder='http://www.example.com/image.jpg', ng-pattern="/[\.](jpg|png|jpeg|gif)\s?$/")
                   .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website1Image.$error.url && !profileForm.website1Image.$pristine")
-                    alert(type='danger')
-                        span.ion-close-circled
-                        | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com).
+                      alert(type='danger')
+                          span.ion-close-circled
+                          | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com/image.jpg).
+                  .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website1Image.$error.pattern")
+                      alert(type='danger')
+                          span.ion-close-circled
+                          | The image URL must end in .jpg, .png, .jpeg or .gif.
 
                 .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5.flat-top
                     h3 Second Portfolio Project
@@ -213,11 +220,15 @@ block content
                 .form-group
                     label.col-sm-3.col-sm-offset-2.control-label(for='website2Image') Image Link (4:3 ratio)
                     .col-sm-4
-                        input.form-control(type='url', name='website2Image', id='website2Image', autocomplete="off", ng-model='user.portfolio.website2Image', placeholder='http://')
-                  .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website2Image.$error.url && !profileForm.website2Image.$pristine")
-                    alert(type='danger')
-                        span.ion-close-circled
-                        | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com).
+                        input.form-control(type='url', name='website2Image', id='website2Image', autocomplete="off", ng-model='user.portfolio.website2Image', placeholder='http://www.example.com/image.jpg', ng-pattern="/[\.](jpg|png|jpeg|gif)\s?$/")
+                    .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website2Image.$error.url && !profileForm.website2Image.$pristine")
+                        alert(type='danger')
+                            span.ion-close-circled
+                            | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com/image.jpg).
+                    .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website2Image.$error.pattern")
+                        alert(type='danger')
+                            span.ion-close-circled
+                            | The image URL must end in .jpg, .png, .jpeg or .gif.
 
                 .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5.flat-top
                     h3 Third Portfolio Project
@@ -243,11 +254,15 @@ block content
                 .form-group
                     label.col-sm-3.col-sm-offset-2.control-label(for='website3Image') Image Link (4:3 ratio)
                     .col-sm-4
-                        input.form-control(type='url', name='website3Image', id='website3Image', autocomplete="off", ng-model='user.portfolio.website3Image', placeholder='http://')
-                  .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website3Image.$error.url && !profileForm.website3Image.$pristine")
-                    alert(type='danger')
-                        span.ion-close-circled
-                        | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com).
+                        input.form-control(type='url', name='website3Image', id='website3Image', autocomplete="off", ng-model='user.portfolio.website3Image', placeholder='http://www.example.com/image.jpg', ng-pattern="/[\.](jpg|png|jpeg|gif)?$/")
+                    .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website3Image.$error.url && !profileForm.website3Image.$pristine")
+                        alert(type='danger')
+                            span.ion-close-circled
+                            | Please enter a valid URL format (http://www.example.com/image.jpg).
+                    .col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-5(ng-show="profileForm.website3Image.$error.pattern")
+                        alert(type='danger')
+                            span.ion-close-circled
+                            | The image URL must end in .jpg, .png, .jpeg or .gif.
 
                 .form-group
                     .col-sm-offset-5.col-sm-4