How to use Punycode / IDN Converter
The Punycode converter translates internationalised domain names containing non-ASCII characters — accents, emoji or non-Latin scripts — into the ASCII-compatible xn-- form that DNS actually uses, and decodes it back to the readable Unicode name. DNS was designed for plain ASCII, so a domain like münchen.de is stored as xn--mnchen-3ya.de under the hood. Use this tool to see the real registered form of an internationalised domain, to spot homograph phishing attacks that disguise look-alike characters, or to enter such a domain into systems that only accept ASCII.
- Enter a domain in Unicode form, or a Punycode (xn--) string.
- Click Convert to translate between Unicode and Punycode.
- Read the ASCII-compatible xn-- form used by DNS.
- Inspect decoded names to reveal disguised look-alike characters.
- Copy whichever form your registrar or application requires.
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Why Punycode exists
The DNS protocol only natively supports a limited ASCII character set, yet domain names are needed in every language and script. Punycode bridges that gap by encoding any Unicode string into a unique ASCII sequence prefixed with xn--, a process defined by the Internationalised Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) standards. Browsers display the friendly Unicode form to users while resolving the xn-- form on the wire. This lets a domain be registered in Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic or with accented Latin letters without changing the underlying DNS infrastructure.
Punycode and homograph attacks
Because many Unicode characters look almost identical to ASCII ones — the Cyrillic “а” versus the Latin “a”, for instance — attackers can register a domain that visually mimics a trusted brand. Decoding a suspicious link with this tool reveals whether the displayed name hides a different xn-- registration. Modern browsers mitigate the risk by showing the raw Punycode when a name mixes scripts suspiciously, but verifying manually is a useful defence when you receive an unexpected link that claims to be from a familiar site.
| Unicode | Punycode |
|---|---|
| münchen.de | xn--mnchen-3ya.de |
| 例え.jp | xn--r8jz45g.jp |
| café.fr | xn--caf-dma.fr |
Glossary
- Punycode
- An encoding that represents Unicode domain labels as ASCII strings prefixed with xn--.
- IDN
- Internationalised Domain Name — a domain containing non-ASCII characters.
- IDNA
- The standard governing how IDNs are encoded and processed by applications.
- Homograph attack
- Using look-alike characters to register a domain that mimics a trusted name.
- ASCII-compatible encoding
- The xn-- form of a label that DNS can store and resolve.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use Punycode / IDN Converter?
- Decode the xn-- form of an internationalised domain to reveal its Unicode characters
- Detect homograph phishing attempts by exposing look-alike characters in a domain
- Convert a Unicode domain to the ASCII form required by DNS registrars
- Identify the actual registered domain hidden behind a visually confusing link
Common use cases
- Decode a suspicious xn-- domain in a phishing email to reveal hidden characters
- Convert a Unicode domain to Punycode before entering it in a DNS zone editor
- Check whether a link using Cyrillic or Greek letters impersonates a trusted brand
- Verify the registered form of an internationalised domain before purchasing it
- Prepare an emoji domain's ASCII equivalent for use in systems that reject Unicode
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