Bytelify

IDN Encode

Encode an internationalized domain name to Punycode, live as you type.

Runs in your browser, nothing sent
idn-encode
xn--mnchen-3ya.de

Converts an internationalized domain name to its ASCII-compatible "xn--" Punycode form — the format DNS actually stores and resolves. Only non-ASCII labels are converted; plain ASCII labels pass through unchanged. Converts live as you type, entirely in your browser.

Need the opposite? IDN Decode

What is IDN Encode?

Converts an internationalized domain name (one containing non-ASCII characters, like münchen.de) to its ASCII-compatible "xn--" Punycode form, the format DNS actually stores and resolves, even though browsers usually display the readable Unicode version to users. Only the non-ASCII labels of a domain are converted; any plain-ASCII labels (like a .de or .com suffix) pass through unchanged. Useful for domain registration, DNS record entry, email header inspection, or anywhere a tool insists on ASCII-only domain input. Conversion happens live as you type, entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server.

How to Use the IDN Encoder

  1. 1

    Type or Paste the Domain: Enter an internationalized domain name containing non-ASCII characters, such as münchen.de.

  2. 2

    Read the Punycode Result Instantly: The ASCII-compatible xn-- form appears automatically as you type.

  3. 3

    Copy the Result: Use the copy button to copy the encoded domain for DNS entry or registration.

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
"münchen.de" encodes to "xn--mnchen-3ya.de".

Only the non-ASCII label ("münchen") is converted to its "xn--" Punycode form; the plain-ASCII ".de" suffix passes through unchanged.
FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IDN Encode.

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.

Only labels (the parts between dots) that contain non-ASCII characters are converted to "xn--" form; a label that's already plain ASCII is left as-is.

Use the paired IDN Decode tool for the reverse direction.

xn-- is the ASCII Compatible Encoding (ACE) prefix defined by the IDNA standard, signaling to DNS resolvers and browsers that what follows is a Punycode-encoded label rather than a literal ASCII domain name.

Most domain registrars accept the Unicode form directly and encode it to Punycode for you, but understanding or manually verifying the xn-- form is useful when working with DNS records, zone files, or APIs that require the ASCII-compatible form explicitly.

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

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