---
id: idna-ssl
version: "1.1.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# idna_ssl — Patch ssl.match_hostname for Unicode(idna) domains support

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 697.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

idna-ssl is a monkey-patch for Python's ssl.match_hostname function to handle Unicode (internationalized) domain names in HTTPS certificate validation. When applied, it allows SSL certificate matching to work correctly with domains containing non-ASCII characters, which would otherwise fail during hostname verification in HTTPS connections.

The package was created to work around a Python bug where Unicode domains could not be validated. It patches the ssl module globally before any HTTP client imports. However, the package is no longer maintained; the last release was 2018-07-05 and the repository is archived. The description notes that the core issue was fixed in Python 3.7, though IDNA2008 standard compliance remained incomplete at that time.

Use it for:

- Making HTTPS requests to internationalized domain names with HTTP clients on Python 3.3–3.6.
- Patching legacy Python environments that lack native Unicode domain support in ssl.match_hostname.
- Testing applications that connect to non-ASCII domain names on older Python versions.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Patches Python's ssl.match_hostname to support Unicode (IDNA) domain names, enabling SSL certificate validation for internationalized domain names in HTTPS connections.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2018-07-05, repository archived) with high install friction. Modern Python versions have addressed the underlying issue. On older Python versions, the lack of maintenance makes this a poor choice; upgrading Python is the better path.

## Install

pip install idna-ssl
uv add idna-ssl
poetry add idna-ssl

## Installing idna_ssl

Before you install: High install friction due to source distribution; package is abandoned (last release 2018-07-05, repository archived), with no maintenance for nearly 6 years.

License in practice: Licensed under MIT (permissive), imposing no restrictions on use or redistribution.

Quickstart:

pip install idna-ssl

from idna_ssl import patch_match_hostname
patch_match_hostname()

import ssl
# ssl.match_hostname now supports Unicode domains

Requires patching before importing HTTP client libraries; the patch modifies global ssl.match_hostname behavior.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the underlying ssl.match_hostname issue has been resolved in Python 3.7+, making this patch unnecessary.
- Current compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.7 (classifiers only list up to 3.7).
- Whether IDNA2008 standard issues mentioned in the description have been addressed in Python's standard library.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 697.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

unicode domain ssl certificate validation, idna ssl hostname matching, internationalized domain names https, ssl match_hostname unicode patch, cyrillic domain ssl support, internationalized-domains, ssl-patching, legacy-support

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