Domain Tools

Domain Unicode / Punycode Converter

Convert domain names with non-English characters to Punycode (xn--) and back.

Free & instant No signup How to use FAQ

Enter a domain (Unicode or Punycode)

Not sure what to enter?

Type a domain with accented or non-Latin characters to get its xn-- Punycode form, or paste a Punycode name to read it in Unicode.

What is Punycode?

Punycode is how domain names containing non-ASCII characters - such as münchen.de or domains in Hindi or Chinese - are stored in DNS. The Unicode name is converted to an ASCII form that starts with xn--, for example xn--mnchen-3ya.de. This converter works both ways, right in your browser.

How to convert a domain to or from Punycode

Type or paste a domain, either in Unicode (münchen.de) or Punycode (xn--mnchen-3ya.de).
Click Convert.
Copy the converted form - use the xn-- version in DNS settings and the Unicode version for display.
Watch for look-alike characters: a Punycode name that displays like a well-known brand can be a phishing attempt.

Related checks

To check whether the name is registered, use the Domain Availability Checker.
To encode other parts of a URL, use the URL Encoder / Decoder.

Lookalike characters in internationalised domains are a common phishing trick, so check the xn-- form of any link that looks odd. The conversion happens in your browser and nothing you type is uploaded.

Frequently Asked Questions

DNS only supports basic English letters, digits and hyphens. Punycode encodes names like münchen.de or भारत.भारत into that set (xn--...) so they work everywhere.

Use the Punycode (xn--) form in DNS records, SSL certificates and server configs. Visitors can still type and see the Unicode version.

Domains that use characters from other alphabets that look like English letters, to imitate a well-known brand. Converting a suspicious name to Punycode reveals the real characters.

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