Bytelify

IDN Decode

Decode a Punycode domain back to Unicode, live as you type.

Runs in your browser, nothing sent
idn-decode
münchen.de

Converts an ASCII-compatible "xn--" Punycode domain back to its readable Unicode form. Only labels starting with "xn--" are decoded; plain ASCII labels pass through unchanged. Converts live as you type, entirely in your browser.

Need the opposite? IDN Encode

What is IDN Decode?

Converts an ASCII-compatible "xn--" Punycode domain back to its readable Unicode form. Useful for checking what an internationalized domain actually spells out when you encounter it in a browser's address bar, an email header, or a DNS record, rather than trying to decode it by hand. This matters for security as well as convenience. Punycode domains are sometimes used in phishing attempts to visually mimic a trusted domain with lookalike Unicode characters, so decoding a suspicious "xn--" domain can reveal what it actually says before you click it. Conversion happens live as you type, entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server.

How to Use the IDN Decoder

  1. 1

    Paste the Punycode Domain: Enter a domain containing an xn-- label, such as xn--mnchen-3ya.de.

  2. 2

    Read the Decoded Result Instantly: The readable Unicode domain appears automatically as you type.

  3. 3

    Copy the Result: Use the copy button to copy the decoded domain.

What Punycode Is

DNS was designed around ASCII, so it has no native way to store domain labels containing non-ASCII characters (accented letters, non-Latin scripts, emoji). Punycode, defined in RFC 3492, solves this by re-encoding a Unicode label into an ASCII-only string prefixed with "xn--". That encoded form is what actually gets stored and resolved in DNS, even though browsers typically display the original Unicode version to the user.

Example

OUTPUT
"xn--mnchen-3ya.de" decodes to "münchen.de".

Only the non-ASCII label ("münchen") is Punycode-encoded to "xn--mnchen-3ya"; the plain-ASCII ".de" suffix passes through unchanged.
FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IDN Decode.

A way to represent Unicode text using only the ASCII characters DNS supports, defined in RFC 3492. Every internationalized domain is really a Punycode-encoded ASCII domain underneath.

Browsers sometimes show a domain's raw "xn--" form instead of the Unicode version (particularly for suspicious-looking domains, as a security precaution), so decoding it tells you what the domain actually reads as in its original script.

Use the paired IDN Encode tool for the reverse direction.

Yes, this is a known technique called a homograph or IDN homograph attack: a lookalike Unicode domain (using characters that look like familiar Latin letters) gets encoded to an innocuous-looking xn-- form, so decoding it is a quick way to check exactly which characters a suspicious domain actually uses.

Many browsers display the raw Punycode form for domains that mix scripts or use characters commonly abused in spoofing attempts, specifically so the lookalike characters aren't disguised behind a familiar-looking rendering.

Yes, Bytelify's IDN Decoder is free with no account or sign-up required.

No. The decoding runs entirely client-side in your browser, so the domain you enter is never sent anywhere.