Clean Up the Input
Paste a domain, URL or email address. The converter keeps the domain, lowercases it and normalizes the accents so é is always stored the same way.
Free Domain Conversion Tool
French Accent & Punycode Converter
Convert accented .ca domains like café.ca to Punycode for DNS, SSL and server setup, or decode an xn-- domain back to French.
✓ Accents to Punycode
✓ Punycode to Accents
✓ CIRA French Check
Nothing you enter is saved. Works with any language; .ca accepts French accents only.
CIRA French Characters
French Accents Allowed in .CA Domains
Source: CIRA
| Character | Variant Of | Example | Punycode |
|---|---|---|---|
| à | a |
voilà.ca | xn--voil-3na.ca |
| â | a |
château.ca | xn--chteau-xta.ca |
| æ | ae |
vitæ.ca | xn--vit-0la.ca |
| ç | c |
français.ca | xn--franais-xxa.ca |
| è | e |
très.ca | xn--trs-7la.ca |
| é | e |
café.ca | xn--caf-dma.ca |
| ê | e |
fête.ca | xn--fte-fma.ca |
| ë | e |
noël.ca | xn--nol-kma.ca |
| î | i |
île.ca | xn--le-pja.ca |
| ï | i |
maïs.ca | xn--mas-0ma.ca |
| ô | o |
hôtel.ca | xn--htel-vqa.ca |
| œ | oe |
cœur.ca | xn--cur-fya.ca |
| ù | u |
où.ca | xn--o-7ga.ca |
| û | u |
août.ca | xn--aot-eoa.ca |
| ü | u |
aigüe.ca | xn--aige-2ra.ca |
| ÿ | y |
aÿ-champagne.ca | xn--a-champagne-uib.ca |
CIRA accepts these 16 characters in .ca domains. Each is a variant of a plain letter (æ and œ of "ae" and "oe"), so every accented spelling of a name belongs to the same bundle.
How It Works
How Punycode Conversion Works
DNS only understands plain letters, numbers and hyphens. Punycode rewrites accented names in that alphabet, and the xn-- prefix tells software to show the accents again.
Split the Domain Into Parts
Each part between the dots is converted on its own. Parts without accents stay exactly as they are.
Encode With Punycode
Accented parts are encoded with Punycode (RFC 3492) and prefixed with xn--, the form DNS, web servers and SSL certificates read.
Check CIRA's French Characters
For .ca domains, each accented character is checked against the 16 French characters CIRA accepts.
Build Your Setup
The result shows the variant bundle CIRA reserves and ready-to-copy settings for DNS, Nginx, Apache, SSL and redirects.
Accented .CA Domains
How French Accented .CA Domains Work
Visitors see the accents. DNS records, web servers and SSL certificates only read the Punycode form that starts with xn--.
Under CIRA's French-character rules, every accented spelling of a .ca name is reserved for its registrant, but each one you plan to use must be registered separately.
Ready to set one up? Compare hosts with French and English support in my Canadian web hosting directory.
Before You Register
Register both the accented and unaccented names
Keep every variant with the same registrar
Choose one version as your main address
Plan which version your email will use
Server Setup Checklist
Add the Punycode form in your hosting panel
Point DNS records at the xn-- name
Cover every version in your SSL certificate
Redirect the second version to the main one
Accented Domain Setup
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems with accented .ca domains come from the setup, not from the accents themselves.
Registering only the accented name
Visitors who skip the accent type cafe.ca. CIRA reserves it for you, but it doesn't work until you register it and redirect it to your main address.
Typing the accented name into DNS
Zone files, server blocks and many hosting panels need the xn-- form. An accented name in a DNS record is rejected or never matches what browsers look up.
Leaving a version off the SSL certificate
A certificate for cafe.ca doesn't cover xn--caf-dma.ca. Include every version you use, in Punycode, or browsers show a security warning.
Serving the same site on both names
If café.ca and cafe.ca both show your site, search engines see duplicate pages. Pick one main address and send the other to it with a 301 redirect.
Using an accent CIRA doesn't accept
Only CIRA's 16 French characters work in .ca. Letters such as ñ, ö or á can't be registered in a .ca domain, even though other extensions accept them.
Moving email to the accented name too soon
Many mail servers, apps and web forms still reject addresses with accents. Keep email on the unaccented domain until sending and receiving are tested.
Common Questions
Accented .CA Domain FAQ
Answers about French accents in .ca domains, Punycode, DNS and pointing an accented domain to your web host.
Do .ca domains support French accents?
Yes. CIRA accepts 16 French characters in .ca domains: é, ë, ê, è, â, à, æ, ô, œ, ù, û, ü, ç, î, ï and ÿ. Other accented letters, such as ñ or ö, cannot be used in a .ca domain.
What is Punycode?
Punycode is the standard (RFC 3492) that writes letters such as é, ç or ü using only the plain letters, numbers and hyphens DNS can store. Each converted part of a domain starts with xn--, so café.ca is stored as xn--caf-dma.ca.
What does xn-- mean in a domain name?
The xn-- prefix marks a part of a domain that has been converted to Punycode. Browsers recognize it and show the accented name instead: xn--htel-vqa.ca, for example, is hôtel.ca. Paste any xn-- domain into the converter above to see its accented form.
What is an internationalized domain name (IDN)?
An IDN is a domain that uses characters beyond plain English letters, such as French accents or scripts like Arabic, Chinese or Cyrillic. Visitors see the name in their own language, while DNS stores its Punycode form. In .ca, IDNs are limited to CIRA's 16 French characters.
How do I convert a French accented domain name to Punycode?
Enter the domain above, for example café.ca. The converter returns the Punycode form, xn--caf-dma.ca, which you can copy into DNS records, server settings and SSL certificates. It also decodes an xn-- domain back to its accents.
How do I use French accents in a DNS zone file?
Write the Punycode form in the zone file, not the accented one. For café.ca, the records use xn--caf-dma.ca. Browsers still show café.ca to visitors.
Should I register both the accented and unaccented .ca domain?
Usually, yes. CIRA reserves every accented spelling of a .ca name for the registrant, but a variant only works once it is registered, with the same registrar. Many businesses register both, then redirect one to the other.
How do I point an accented domain name to my web host?
Add the Punycode form of the domain in your hosting control panel, point its DNS records to your host, and get an SSL certificate that covers the Punycode name. The snippets in each result show these steps.
Can I use an accented domain for email?
It can work, but not every mail server, email program or web form handles addresses with accents. Many businesses keep email on the unaccented version of the domain to avoid delivery problems.
Does the converter work for other languages?
Yes. It converts any internationalized domain, such as German, Spanish or Japanese names on other extensions. The CIRA character check only applies to .ca domains.
Conversion follows the Punycode standard (RFC 3492) used for internationalized domain names. The French character list and bundle rules come from CIRA, checked October 20, 2026. Configuration snippets are starting points; adjust them for your server.