The top-level domain (TLD) “XN—HXT814E” is a domain name represented in punycode, which allows for the encoding of Unicode strings into the limited character set that is allowed in the Network Standard of Domain Names.
Understanding this TLD requires having some knowledge about the system of domain names used on the internet. The last part of the domain that follows the last dot is referred to as the top-level domain. As the hierarchy suggests, top-level domains sit at the top of the internet’s system. These domains are supervised by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
Usually, top-level domains (TLDs) are majorly divided into two broad categories: country-code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD) and generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD). They consist of three or more characters and examples include .com, .edu, .gov, .net, .int, etc. Meanwhile, ccTLDs are typically used for a specific country or a specific geographical location and consist of two characters such as .us for United States, .uk for United Kingdom, .au for Australia, etc.
Now, “XN—HXT814E” looks quite different from these usual TLDs because it is a Punycode representation of a specific internationalized domain name (IDN). IDNs were introduced to allow internet users to access domain names in their local language scripts. These domain names are converted into a format that is understood by the Domain Name System (DNS) using Punycode. In Punycode, the “xn—” prefix is a constant that signals that the characters succeeding it are encoded.
The “XN—HXT814E” TLD stands for “.网店”, which means “webstore” or “webshop” in Simplified Chinese. The Punycode translated format for domain names was developed to accommodate the expanding global usage of the internet.
Chinese Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), China Organizational Name Administration Center (CONAC), and Teleinfo, all three have managed Chinese IDNs in the past. According to IANA, where all TLD data are published and updated, as of my recent search, this specific IDN TLD is currently being managed by Alibaba Group Holding Limited. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has been officially listed by IANA as the Sponsored top-level domain .网店 delegation.
To summarize, the TLD represented by “XN—HXT814E” in Punycode corresponds to “.网店” or “webstore” in English and is currently managed by Alibaba Group Holding Limited.
Sources: IANA Root Database, Internet Society Global Internet Report, RFC 3492 (Punycode: A Bootstring encoding of Unicode for Internet Host Names).
