Punycode Converter: Free Online Tool

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FREE TOOL · NO SIGN-UP





This punycode converter turns internationalized domain names (IDNs) like münchen.de into the ASCII form browsers and DNS actually use (xn--mnchen-3ya.de), and decodes xn-- domains back into readable Unicode. Paste one domain or a whole list, and the converted result appears instantly. It is useful for checking what a strange xn-- address really says, setting up DNS or SSL for a non-Latin domain, or spotting lookalike phishing domains. The conversion runs in your browser, so the domains you check are never sent to a server.













How to Use the Punycode Converter





The tool has one input box, one direction setting and a result panel. Most people never need to touch the setting.





Step 1: Enter or paste your input





Type or paste domains into the box, one per line. You can mix plain domains (bücher.de), Punycode domains (xn--fiqs8s.cn) and full URLs. If you paste a URL such as https://münchen.de/stadtplan, the converter keeps the scheme and path and only converts the hostname.





Step 2: Choose your options





The Convert menu has three choices. Auto-detect looks at each line: if it contains xn--, it decodes to Unicode, otherwise it encodes to Punycode. Choose Unicode → Punycode or Punycode → Unicode if you want every line forced in one direction. Only labels with non-ASCII characters are encoded, so example.com stays exactly as it is.





Step 3: Copy, download or apply the result





Results update as you type. Use Copy to grab the output, or Download to save it as a .txt file. The stats line shows input and output character counts. Paste the ASCII form into your DNS panel, hosting dashboard, redirect rules or certificate request.













What Punycode Is and Why Domains Need It





Punycode is an encoding that represents Unicode characters using only the letters a to z, digits 0 to 9 and hyphens. It lets domain names in scripts like Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic or Hindi, and even emoji, work inside the DNS, which was designed to handle only ASCII.





The domain name system dates from the 1980s and only accepts a small set of characters in each label: letters, digits and hyphens (the “LDH” rule). Rather than rebuild DNS, the IETF defined Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA). Browsers and email clients convert what you type into Punycode before looking it up, and convert it back for display.





So when you visit пример.рф, your browser actually asks DNS for xn--e1afmkfd.xn--p1ai. The registry stores the ASCII form, the SSL certificate lists the ASCII form, and server logs usually record the ASCII form. That is why site owners with IDNs need a punycode converter: the readable name is for people, and the xn-- name is what every system behind the scenes uses.













The xn-- Prefix and IDNA Encoding Rules





Every Punycode label begins with xn--. This “ACE prefix” (ASCII Compatible Encoding) tells software that the label should be decoded for display. The rules work per label, meaning each part between dots is handled separately.





RuleWhat it means
Per-label encodingOnly labels containing non-ASCII characters get converted. In bücher.de, only “bücher” changes.
ASCII characters firstPlain letters are kept, followed by a hyphen and a code that describes where the special characters go. bücher becomes bcher-kva.
xn-- prefixAdded to every encoded label: xn--bcher-kva.
63-character label limitEach encoded label, including xn--, must fit within 63 characters.
LowercaseIDNA works in lowercase, so the converter lowercases labels before encoding.
Registry rulesRegistries decide which scripts and characters they allow. Encoding a name does not mean it can be registered.





The current standard, IDNA2008, also disallows some characters that the older IDNA2003 allowed, including many symbols. This tool performs the raw Punycode conversion. It does not check whether a registry or browser will accept a particular character, so confirm that with your registrar.













Emoji and Non-Latin Domain Examples





Seeing real examples makes the encoding easier to recognize in the wild.





    

  • münchen.de → xn--mnchen-3ya.de (German umlaut)
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  • café.com → xn--caf-dma.com (French accent)
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  • 中国 → xn--fiqs8s (Chinese, used as a country TLD)
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  • пример.рф → xn--e1afmkfd.xn--p1ai (Russian domain and Russian TLD)
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  • 例え.jp → xn--r8jz45g.jp (Japanese)
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  • 😀.ws → xn--e28h.ws (emoji)
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  • ☕.ws → xn--53h.ws (emoji)
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Notice that a label made only of special characters, such as 中国 or 😀, has no ASCII part, so it goes straight to xn-- followed by the code. A label with mostly Latin letters, such as münchen, keeps those letters and adds a short suffix.





Emoji domains are only available under a handful of country-code TLDs, and many browsers show them as Punycode in the address bar rather than the emoji. They can work for memorable short links, but they are hard to type, hard to say out loud and unreliable in email. Treat them as a novelty, not a main brand domain.













Homograph Attacks and Lookalike Domains





The same feature that makes IDNs possible also enables phishing. A homograph attack uses characters from another script that look identical to Latin letters. The Cyrillic “а” looks exactly like the Latin “a”, so “аpple.com” written with a Cyrillic first letter can look like apple.com while being a completely different domain. Its Punycode form, xn--pple-43d.com, gives it away.





Browsers defend against this by showing the xn-- form when a domain mixes scripts or looks suspicious, but the rules differ between Chrome, Firefox and Safari, and they do not catch everything. Email clients and chat apps are often less strict.





A punycode converter helps here. If you get a link that looks familiar but slightly off, paste it into the tool. If the “Latin” domain converts to something starting with xn--, at least one character is not what it seems. Brand and security teams can also use it to check lookalike variants of their own name before attackers register them.













Key Features of Our Punycode Converter





    

  • Free with no signup. Convert as many domains as you like.
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  • Two directions plus auto-detect. Encode Unicode to xn-- or decode xn-- back, line by line.
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  • Bulk input. One domain per line, with mixed directions handled automatically.
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  • URL aware. Full URLs keep their scheme, path and query; only the hostname changes.
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  • Private. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
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  • Instant output. Results update as you type, with Copy and Download buttons.
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Who Needs to Convert Punycode





    

  • Site owners with IDNs who need the ASCII form for DNS records, hosting panels, CDN settings and SSL certificates.
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  • SEOs and analysts reading server logs, Search Console exports or backlink reports where IDNs appear as xn--.
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  • Developers writing redirects, canonical tags or hreflang annotations for international sites.
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  • Security teams investigating suspicious links and lookalike domains.
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  • Domain investors checking what an xn-- listing actually spells before buying.
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Pro Tips and Mistakes to Avoid





Checklist of best practices





    

  • Use the Punycode form in server configs, DNS and redirect rules, since many systems reject raw Unicode.
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  • Keep the Unicode form for visible text, marketing and print.
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  • Register common lookalike and non-accented versions of your IDN and redirect them to your main domain.
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  • When you build hreflang or redirect files with the Hreflang Generator or .htaccess Redirect Generator, paste the converted hostname.
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  • Check the encoded label stays under 63 characters.
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Common mistakes and quick fixes





    

  • Encoding the whole URL. Only the hostname is Punycode. Paths use percent-encoding instead. This tool leaves paths alone for that reason.
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  • Forgetting a label. In пример.рф both parts need converting. Run the full domain, not just the first part.
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  • Assuming a name is registrable. Valid Punycode can still be refused by a registry. Check with your registrar.
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  • Mixed case surprises. Punycode is case-insensitive, so XN– and xn-- are the same. Store it in lowercase.
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Decode Any Domain in One Click





Paste a domain or a list of them above and get the Punycode or Unicode version in one step. Clean messy links with the URL Cleaner, build readable paths with the URL Slug Generator, and tag campaign links with the UTM Builder. See every free tool in the FHSEO Hub tools directory.













Punycode Converter: Free Online Tool FAQs









Punycode is a way of writing Unicode text using only ASCII letters, digits and hyphens. It lets domain names in non-Latin scripts, accented letters or emoji work with the DNS, which only accepts ASCII. An encoded label starts with xn--, so münchen becomes xn--mnchen-3ya, and browsers turn it back into readable text for display.









Your domain starts with xn-- because it contains non-ASCII characters and is shown in its Punycode form. Browsers sometimes display this form instead of the Unicode version, especially when a name mixes scripts and could be a lookalike. Servers, certificates and logs usually store it that way. Decode it with a punycode converter to read it.









Punycode domains are as safe as any other domain. The encoding itself is harmless and widely used by legitimate sites in many languages. The risk is lookalike domains that use characters from another script to impersonate brands. If a familiar-looking link converts to an xn-- address, treat it with suspicion and type the real address yourself.









A punycode converter is a tool that translates internationalized domain names between their readable Unicode form and their ASCII xn-- form. It is used to set up DNS and SSL for non-Latin domains, read xn-- addresses in logs and reports, and check whether a suspicious link hides lookalike characters. This one works in bulk and in both directions.









A punycode converter splits a domain into labels at each dot. For any label with non-ASCII characters, it keeps the plain letters, then encodes the position and value of each special character as ASCII digits and letters, and adds the xn-- prefix. Decoding reverses those steps. Labels that are already plain ASCII are left unchanged.