diff --git a/test/test_traversal.py b/test/test_traversal.py
index 1c0cc5362c..cc0228d270 100644
--- a/test/test_traversal.py
+++ b/test/test_traversal.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ from yt_dlp.utils import (
     str_or_none,
 )
 from yt_dlp.utils.traversal import (
+    find_element,
+    find_elements,
     require,
     subs_list_to_dict,
     traverse_obj,
@@ -37,6 +39,14 @@ _TEST_DATA = {
     'dict': {},
 }
 
+_TEST_HTML = '''<html><body>
+    <div class="a">1</div>
+    <div class="a" id="x" custom="z">2</div>
+    <div class="b" data-id="y" custom="z">3</div>
+    <p class="a">4</p>
+    <p id="d" custom="e">5</p>
+</body></html>'''
+
 
 class TestTraversal:
     def test_traversal_base(self):
@@ -521,6 +531,50 @@ class TestTraversalHelpers:
         with pytest.raises(TypeError):
             unpack()
 
+    def test_find_element(self):
+        for improper_kwargs in [
+            dict(attr='data-id'),
+            dict(value='y'),
+            dict(attr='data-id', value='y', cls='a'),
+            dict(attr='data-id', value='y', id='x'),
+            dict(cls='a', id='x'),
+            dict(cls='a', tag='p'),
+            dict(cls='[ab]', regex=True),
+        ]:
+            with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+                find_element(**improper_kwargs)(_TEST_HTML)
+
+        assert find_element(cls='a')(_TEST_HTML) == '1'
+        assert find_element(cls='a', html=True)(_TEST_HTML) == '<div class="a">1</div>'
+        assert find_element(id='x')(_TEST_HTML) == '2'
+        assert find_element(id='[ex]')(_TEST_HTML) is None
+        assert find_element(id='[ex]', regex=True)(_TEST_HTML) == '2'
+        assert find_element(id='x', html=True)(_TEST_HTML) == '<div class="a" id="x" custom="z">2</div>'
+        assert find_element(attr='data-id', value='y')(_TEST_HTML) == '3'
+        assert find_element(attr='data-id', value='y(?:es)?')(_TEST_HTML) is None
+        assert find_element(attr='data-id', value='y(?:es)?', regex=True)(_TEST_HTML) == '3'
+        assert find_element(
+            attr='data-id', value='y', html=True)(_TEST_HTML) == '<div class="b" data-id="y" custom="z">3</div>'
+
+    def test_find_elements(self):
+        for improper_kwargs in [
+            dict(tag='p'),
+            dict(attr='data-id'),
+            dict(value='y'),
+            dict(attr='data-id', value='y', cls='a'),
+            dict(cls='a', tag='div'),
+            dict(cls='[ab]', regex=True),
+        ]:
+            with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+                find_elements(**improper_kwargs)(_TEST_HTML)
+
+        assert find_elements(cls='a')(_TEST_HTML) == ['1', '2', '4']
+        assert find_elements(cls='a', html=True)(_TEST_HTML) == [
+            '<div class="a">1</div>', '<div class="a" id="x" custom="z">2</div>', '<p class="a">4</p>']
+        assert find_elements(attr='custom', value='z')(_TEST_HTML) == ['2', '3']
+        assert find_elements(attr='custom', value='[ez]')(_TEST_HTML) == []
+        assert find_elements(attr='custom', value='[ez]', regex=True)(_TEST_HTML) == ['2', '3', '5']
+
 
 class TestDictGet:
     def test_dict_get(self):
diff --git a/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py b/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py
index bc313d5c42..361f239ba6 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from ._utils import (
     get_elements_html_by_class,
     get_elements_html_by_attribute,
     get_elements_by_attribute,
+    get_element_by_class,
     get_element_html_by_attribute,
     get_element_by_attribute,
     get_element_html_by_id,
@@ -373,7 +374,7 @@ def subs_list_to_dict(subs: list[dict] | None = None, /, *, ext=None):
 
 
 @typing.overload
-def find_element(*, attr: str, value: str, tag: str | None = None, html=False): ...
+def find_element(*, attr: str, value: str, tag: str | None = None, html=False, regex=False): ...
 
 
 @typing.overload
@@ -381,14 +382,14 @@ def find_element(*, cls: str, html=False): ...
 
 
 @typing.overload
-def find_element(*, id: str, tag: str | None = None, html=False): ...
+def find_element(*, id: str, tag: str | None = None, html=False, regex=False): ...
 
 
 @typing.overload
-def find_element(*, tag: str, html=False): ...
+def find_element(*, tag: str, html=False, regex=False): ...
 
 
-def find_element(*, tag=None, id=None, cls=None, attr=None, value=None, html=False):
+def find_element(*, tag=None, id=None, cls=None, attr=None, value=None, html=False, regex=False):
     # deliberately using `id=` and `cls=` for ease of readability
     assert tag or id or cls or (attr and value), 'One of tag, id, cls or (attr AND value) is required'
     ANY_TAG = r'[\w:.-]+'
@@ -397,17 +398,18 @@ def find_element(*, tag=None, id=None, cls=None, attr=None, value=None, html=Fal
         assert not cls, 'Cannot match both attr and cls'
         assert not id, 'Cannot match both attr and id'
         func = get_element_html_by_attribute if html else get_element_by_attribute
-        return functools.partial(func, attr, value, tag=tag or ANY_TAG)
+        return functools.partial(func, attr, value, tag=tag or ANY_TAG, escape_value=not regex)
 
     elif cls:
         assert not id, 'Cannot match both cls and id'
         assert tag is None, 'Cannot match both cls and tag'
-        func = get_element_html_by_class if html else get_elements_by_class
+        assert not regex, 'Cannot use regex with cls'
+        func = get_element_html_by_class if html else get_element_by_class
         return functools.partial(func, cls)
 
     elif id:
         func = get_element_html_by_id if html else get_element_by_id
-        return functools.partial(func, id, tag=tag or ANY_TAG)
+        return functools.partial(func, id, tag=tag or ANY_TAG, escape_value=not regex)
 
     index = int(bool(html))
     return lambda html: get_element_text_and_html_by_tag(tag, html)[index]
@@ -418,19 +420,20 @@ def find_elements(*, cls: str, html=False): ...
 
 
 @typing.overload
-def find_elements(*, attr: str, value: str, tag: str | None = None, html=False): ...
+def find_elements(*, attr: str, value: str, tag: str | None = None, html=False, regex=False): ...
 
 
-def find_elements(*, tag=None, cls=None, attr=None, value=None, html=False):
+def find_elements(*, tag=None, cls=None, attr=None, value=None, html=False, regex=False):
     # deliberately using `cls=` for ease of readability
     assert cls or (attr and value), 'One of cls or (attr AND value) is required'
 
     if attr and value:
         assert not cls, 'Cannot match both attr and cls'
         func = get_elements_html_by_attribute if html else get_elements_by_attribute
-        return functools.partial(func, attr, value, tag=tag or r'[\w:.-]+')
+        return functools.partial(func, attr, value, tag=tag or r'[\w:.-]+', escape_value=not regex)
 
     assert not tag, 'Cannot match both cls and tag'
+    assert not regex, 'Cannot use regex with cls'
     func = get_elements_html_by_class if html else get_elements_by_class
     return functools.partial(func, cls)