Domains & DNS
Punycode IDN Domain Converter
Convert internationalized domain names both ways — Unicode (ខ្មែរ.com, münchen.de) to ASCII punycode (xn--…) and back. See the per-label breakdown, validate label lengths, and get the exact form browsers and registrars use. Works fully offline in your browser.
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The Punycode IDN Domain Converter translates internationalized domain names between their Unicode form and the ASCII xn-- form that DNS actually understands, in both directions. Type a domain written in Khmer, Chinese, Thai, or accented Latin script — such as ខ្មែរ.com or münchen.de — and instantly get the registrable punycode version, or paste an xn-- domain to reveal the human-readable name hiding behind it. Conversion is done label by label using the standard RFC 3492 algorithm, entirely in your browser, with warnings when a label exceeds the 63-byte DNS limit.
This free tool by Hosting Cambodia is especially useful for Cambodian businesses that want a domain in Khmer script: browsers display the beautiful Unicode name, but registrars, DNS zones, SSL certificates and server configs all need the xn-- spelling, and this converter gives you both. Use it before registering an IDN, when adding a Khmer domain to your hosting control panel, or to safely decode a suspicious xn-- link and check it is not impersonating a brand with look-alike characters.
Frequently asked questions
What is punycode and why do domains start with xn--?
Punycode is the encoding defined by RFC 3492 that converts Unicode text into plain ASCII so it can live inside DNS, which only supports letters, digits and hyphens. Any domain label containing non-ASCII characters is stored with the xn-- prefix followed by the encoded form, so ខ្មែរ becomes xn--j2e0cg3n2c.
Do Khmer-script domains actually work in browsers?
Yes. All modern browsers support internationalized domain names: you can type the Khmer name directly and the browser silently converts it to punycode before looking it up. You register and configure the xn-- form, and visitors can use either spelling to reach your site.
Why does the tool warn about a 63-byte label limit?
DNS restricts each label (the part between dots) to 63 bytes in its ASCII form. Because punycode expands non-Latin scripts, a fairly short Khmer or Chinese name can exceed that limit after encoding, which means it cannot be registered and must be shortened.
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