diff --git a/app/models/account_request.rb b/app/models/account_request.rb
index 6845565671..a704cddcdb 100644
--- a/app/models/account_request.rb
+++ b/app/models/account_request.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class AccountRequest < ApplicationRecord
   validates :email, presence: true, uniqueness: true
   validates :request_details, presence: true, length: { minimum: 50 }
   validates :email, format: { with: URI::MailTo::EMAIL_REGEXP }
+  validates :organization_website, format: { with: URI::DEFAULT_PARSER.make_regexp, message: "should look like 'https://www.example.com'" }, allow_blank: true
 
   validate :email_not_already_used_by_organization
   validate :email_not_already_used_by_user
diff --git a/app/views/account_requests/new.html.erb b/app/views/account_requests/new.html.erb
index 2125b21a3e..63292f501a 100644
--- a/app/views/account_requests/new.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/account_requests/new.html.erb
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
             </div>
 
             <div class="form-inputs">
-              <%= f.input :organization_website %>
+              <%= f.input :organization_website, placeholder: "https://www.example.com" %>
             </div>
 
             <div class="form-inputs">
diff --git a/spec/models/account_request_spec.rb b/spec/models/account_request_spec.rb
index 48e03a80a2..539f61ff58 100644
--- a/spec/models/account_request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/account_request_spec.rb
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
     it { should allow_value(Faker::Internet.email).for(:email) }
     it { should_not allow_value("not_email").for(:email) }
 
+    it { should allow_value(Faker::Internet.url).for(:organization_website) }
+    it { should_not allow_value("www.example.com").for(:organization_website) }
+
     context 'when the email provided is already used by an existing organization' do
       before do
         create(:organization, email: account_request.email)