====== Internationalized Domain Names ======



===== General =====

IDN means //Internationalized Domain Name//. IDNs are domain names that include local language characters, such as ''bébé.fr''.



===== IDN policies by registry =====

Gandi already has 50 extensions that support IDNs.

IDNs can be registered at Gandi for the following extensions (click for more info):
  * [[en:domains:idn:AFNIC|AFNIC extensions]]: .fr, .re, .tf, .wf, .pm, .yt
  * [[en:domains:idn:Verisign|Verisign extensions]]: .com, .net, .tv, .cc
  * [[en:domains:idn:Eurid|EURid]]: .eu
  * .РФ





===== How IDNs work =====

Technically, the "special" characters are encoded using a conversion table. This is why an IDN domain name will begin with the four characters ''xn––''. For example: ''bébé.eu'' becomes ''xn-–bb-bjab.eu''. (This is also why you can't otherwise register domain names with hyphens in the third and fourth position.)

The IDN System is specified by RFC standards [[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3490.html|3490]], [[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3491.html|3491]] and [[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3492.html|3492]].

<note important>Note that while email addresses that use an IDN domain name will work with most modern webmails and email programs (if it does not work with yours, please update your email program to the latest version), **you must use the ''xn––'' version of your domain name when logging into Gandi's  webmail or when configuring your email program.**</note>


===== See also =====
  * [[:en/glossary/idn|IDN (Internationalized Domain Names)]]: Definition
  * Gandi bar post: [[http://www.gandibar.net/post/2012/03/19/|И лове РФ]] 19 March, 2012