diff --git a/sopel/bot.py b/sopel/bot.py
index 7b2b09801d..8b6e41a71a 100644
--- a/sopel/bot.py
+++ b/sopel/bot.py
@@ -247,10 +247,8 @@ def register(self, callables, jobs, shutdowns, urls):
                 job = sopel.tools.jobs.Job(interval, func)
                 self.scheduler.add_job(job)
 
-        if not self.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
-            self.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
         for func in urls:
-            self.memory['url_callbacks'][func.url_regex] = func
+            self.register_url_callback(func.url_regex, func)
 
     def part(self, channel, msg=None):
         """Part a channel."""
@@ -648,3 +646,97 @@ def cap_req(self, module_name, capability, arg=None, failure_callback=None,
             entry.append(_CapReq(prefix, module_name, failure_callback, arg,
                                  success_callback))
             self._cap_reqs[cap] = entry
+
+    def register_url_callback(self, pattern, callback):
+        """Register a ``callback`` for URLs matching the regex ``pattern``
+
+        :param pattern: compiled regex pattern to register
+        :param callback: callable object to handle matching URLs
+
+        .. versionadded:: 7.0
+
+            This method replaces manual management of ``url_callbacks`` in
+            Sopel's plugins, so instead of doing this in ``setup()``::
+
+                if not bot.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
+                    bot.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
+
+                regex = re.compile(r'http://example.com/path/.*')
+                bot.memory['url_callbacks'][regex] = callback
+
+            use this much more concise pattern::
+
+                regex = re.compile(r'http://example.com/path/.*')
+                bot.register_url_callback(regex, callback)
+
+        """
+        if not self.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
+            self.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
+
+        if isinstance(pattern, basestring):
+            pattern = re.compile(pattern)
+
+        self.memory['url_callbacks'][pattern] = callback
+
+    def unregister_url_callback(self, pattern):
+        """Unregister the callback for URLs matching the regex ``pattern``
+
+        :param pattern: compiled regex pattern to unregister callback
+
+        .. versionadded:: 7.0
+
+            This method replaces manual management of ``url_callbacks`` in
+            Sopel's plugins, so instead of doing this in ``shutdown()``::
+
+                regex = re.compile(r'http://example.com/path/.*')
+                try:
+                    del bot.memory['url_callbacks'][regex]
+                except KeyError:
+                    pass
+
+            use this much more concise pattern::
+
+                regex = re.compile(r'http://example.com/path/.*')
+                bot.unregister_url_callback(regex)
+
+        """
+        if not self.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
+            # nothing to unregister
+            return
+
+        if isinstance(pattern, basestring):
+            pattern = re.compile(pattern)
+
+        try:
+            del self.memory['url_callbacks'][pattern]
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+    def search_url_callbacks(self, url):
+        """Yield callbacks found for ``url`` matching their regex pattern
+
+        :param str url: URL found in a trigger
+        :return: yield 2-value tuples of ``(callback, match)``
+
+        For each pattern that matches the ``url`` parameter, it yields a
+        2-value tuple of ``(callable, match)`` for that pattern.
+
+        The ``callable`` is the one registered with
+        :meth:`register_url_callback`, and the ``match`` is the result of
+        the regex pattern's ``search`` method.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 7.0
+
+        .. seealso::
+
+            The Python documentation for the `re.search`__ function and
+            the `match object`__.
+
+        .. __: https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/re.html#re.search
+        .. __: https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/re.html#match-objects
+
+        """
+        for regex, function in tools.iteritems(self.memory['url_callbacks']):
+            match = regex.search(url)
+            if match:
+                yield function, match
diff --git a/sopel/modules/bugzilla.py b/sopel/modules/bugzilla.py
index 77e1c12534..42e9e66545 100644
--- a/sopel/modules/bugzilla.py
+++ b/sopel/modules/bugzilla.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 import xmltodict
 
-from sopel import tools
 from sopel.config.types import StaticSection, ListAttribute
 from sopel.logger import get_logger
 from sopel.module import rule
@@ -46,24 +45,17 @@ def setup(bot):
 
     if not bot.config.bugzilla.domains:
         return
-    if not bot.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
-        bot.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
 
     domains = '|'.join(bot.config.bugzilla.domains)
     regex = re.compile((r'https?://(%s)'
                         r'(/show_bug.cgi\?\S*?)'
                         r'(id=\d+)')
                        % domains)
-    bot.memory['url_callbacks'][regex] = show_bug
+    bot.register_url_callback(regex, show_bug)
 
 
 def shutdown(bot):
-    try:
-        del bot.memory['url_callbacks'][regex]
-    except KeyError:
-        # bot.config.bugzilla.domains was probably just empty on startup
-        # everything's daijoubu
-        pass
+    bot.unregister_url_callback(regex)
 
 
 @rule(r'.*https?://(\S+?)'
diff --git a/sopel/modules/instagram.py b/sopel/modules/instagram.py
index 7826bfd417..a525115f9f 100644
--- a/sopel/modules/instagram.py
+++ b/sopel/modules/instagram.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 from requests import get
 
-from sopel import module, tools
+from sopel import module
 
 try:
     from ujson import loads
@@ -26,13 +26,11 @@
 
 
 def setup(bot):
-    if not bot.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
-        bot.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
-    bot.memory['url_callbacks'][instagram_pattern] = instaparse
+    bot.register_url_callback(instagram_pattern, instaparse)
 
 
 def shutdown(bot):
-    del bot.memory['url_callbacks'][instagram_pattern]
+    bot.unregister_url_callback(instagram_pattern)
 
 # TODO: Parse Instagram profile page
 
diff --git a/sopel/modules/reddit.py b/sopel/modules/reddit.py
index 5c74a7101a..e6ab1d9fa0 100644
--- a/sopel/modules/reddit.py
+++ b/sopel/modules/reddit.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from sopel.module import commands, rule, example, require_chanmsg, NOLIMIT, OP
 from sopel.formatting import bold, color, colors
 from sopel.web import USER_AGENT
-from sopel.tools import SopelMemory, time
+from sopel.tools import time
 import datetime as dt
 import praw
 import re
@@ -34,15 +34,13 @@
 
 
 def setup(bot):
-    if not bot.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
-        bot.memory['url_callbacks'] = SopelMemory()
-    bot.memory['url_callbacks'][post_regex] = rpost_info
-    bot.memory['url_callbacks'][user_regex] = redditor_info
+    bot.register_url_callback(post_regex, rpost_info)
+    bot.register_url_callback(user_regex, redditor_info)
 
 
 def shutdown(bot):
-    del bot.memory['url_callbacks'][post_regex]
-    del bot.memory['url_callbacks'][user_regex]
+    bot.unregister_url_callback(post_regex)
+    bot.unregister_url_callback(user_regex)
 
 
 @rule('.*%s.*' % post_url)
diff --git a/sopel/modules/url.py b/sopel/modules/url.py
index 55b3fc3902..be7ce04fa4 100644
--- a/sopel/modules/url.py
+++ b/sopel/modules/url.py
@@ -88,9 +88,7 @@ def setup(bot):
             exclude.extend(regexes)
         bot.memory['url_exclude'] = exclude
 
-    # Ensure that url_callbacks and last_seen_url are in memory
-    if not bot.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
-        bot.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
+    # Ensure last_seen_url is in memory
     if not bot.memory.contains('last_seen_url'):
         bot.memory['last_seen_url'] = tools.SopelMemory()
 
@@ -237,13 +235,11 @@ def check_callbacks(bot, trigger, url, run=True):
     # Check if it matches the exclusion list first
     matched = any(regex.search(url) for regex in bot.memory['url_exclude'])
     # Then, check if there's anything in the callback list
-    for regex, function in tools.iteritems(bot.memory['url_callbacks']):
-        match = regex.search(url)
-        if match:
-            # Always run ones from @url; they don't run on their own.
-            if run or hasattr(function, 'url_regex'):
-                function(bot, trigger, match)
-            matched = True
+    for function, match in bot.search_url_callbacks(url):
+        # Always run ones from @url; they don't run on their own.
+        if run or hasattr(function, 'url_regex'):
+            function(bot, trigger, match)
+        matched = True
     return matched
 
 
diff --git a/sopel/modules/wikipedia.py b/sopel/modules/wikipedia.py
index 493af46c40..ae0e4f53b0 100644
--- a/sopel/modules/wikipedia.py
+++ b/sopel/modules/wikipedia.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 # Licensed under the Eiffel Forum License 2.
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, absolute_import, print_function, division
 
-from sopel import tools
 from sopel.config.types import StaticSection, ValidatedAttribute
 from sopel.module import NOLIMIT, commands, example, rule
 from requests import get
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@
     from urllib.parse import quote, unquote
 
 REDIRECT = re.compile(r'^REDIRECT (.*)')
+WIKIPEDIA_REGEX = re.compile('([a-z]+).(wikipedia.org/wiki/)([^ ]+)')
 
 
 class WikipediaSection(StaticSection):
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ class WikipediaSection(StaticSection):
 
 def setup(bot):
     bot.config.define_section('wikipedia', WikipediaSection)
+    bot.register_url_callback(WIKIPEDIA_REGEX, mw_info)
 
-    regex = re.compile('([a-z]+).(wikipedia.org/wiki/)([^ ]+)')
-    if not bot.memory.contains('url_callbacks'):
-        bot.memory['url_callbacks'] = tools.SopelMemory()
-    bot.memory['url_callbacks'][regex] = mw_info
+
+def shutdown(bot):
+    bot.unregister_url_callback(WIKIPEDIA_REGEX)
 
 
 def configure(config):
diff --git a/sopel/test_tools.py b/sopel/test_tools.py
index 6346302062..abad6ade58 100644
--- a/sopel/test_tools.py
+++ b/sopel/test_tools.py
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
 import sopel.trigger
 
 
+if sys.version_info.major >= 3:
+    basestring = str
+
+
 class MockConfig(sopel.config.Config):
     def __init__(self):
         self.filename = tempfile.mkstemp()[1]
@@ -52,6 +56,7 @@ def __init__(self, nick, admin=False, owner=False):
         self.channels[channel] = sopel.tools.target.Channel(channel)
 
         self.memory = sopel.tools.SopelMemory()
+        self.memory['url_callbacks'] = sopel.tools.SopelMemory()
 
         self.ops = {}
         self.halfplus = {}
@@ -74,6 +79,27 @@ def _init_config(self):
             os.mkdir(home_dir)
         cfg.parser.set('core', 'homedir', home_dir)
 
+    def register_url_callback(self, pattern, callback):
+        if isinstance(pattern, basestring):
+            pattern = re.compile(pattern)
+
+        self.memory['url_callbacks'][pattern] = callback
+
+    def unregister_url_callback(self, pattern):
+        if isinstance(pattern, basestring):
+            pattern = re.compile(pattern)
+
+        try:
+            del self.memory['url_callbacks'][pattern]
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+    def search_url_callbacks(self, url):
+        for regex, function in sopel.tools.iteritems(self.memory['url_callbacks']):
+            match = regex.search(url)
+            if match:
+                yield function, match
+
 
 class MockSopelWrapper(object):
     def __init__(self, bot, pretrigger):