diff --git a/src/cli/cli_dns.cpp b/src/cli/cli_dns.cpp
index 2aa0f15d8..8c843bc85 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_dns.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_dns.cpp
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ otError Dns::GetDnsConfig(Arg aArgs[], otDnsQueryConfig *&aConfig)
 
     VerifyOrExit(!aArgs[0].IsEmpty(), aConfig = nullptr);
 
-    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseToIp6Address(GetInstancePtr(), aArgs[0], aConfig->mServerSockAddr.mAddress, nat64Synth));
+    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(aArgs[0], aConfig->mServerSockAddr.mAddress, nat64Synth));
+
     if (nat64Synth)
     {
         OutputFormat("Synthesized IPv6 DNS server address: ");
diff --git a/src/cli/cli_ping.cpp b/src/cli/cli_ping.cpp
index 2100ea2a7..af243f62b 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_ping.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_ping.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ otError PingSender::Process(Arg aArgs[])
         aArgs++;
     }
 
-    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseToIp6Address(GetInstancePtr(), aArgs[0], config.mDestination, nat64Synth));
+    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(aArgs[0], config.mDestination, nat64Synth));
 
     if (nat64Synth)
     {
diff --git a/src/cli/cli_tcp.cpp b/src/cli/cli_tcp.cpp
index 96275ab69..7c5dadba6 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_tcp.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_tcp.cpp
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ template <> otError TcpExample::Process<Cmd("connect")>(Arg aArgs[])
 
     VerifyOrExit(mInitialized, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
 
-    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseToIp6Address(GetInstancePtr(), aArgs[0], sockaddr.mAddress, nat64Synth));
+    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(aArgs[0], sockaddr.mAddress, nat64Synth));
 
     if (nat64Synth)
     {
diff --git a/src/cli/cli_udp.cpp b/src/cli/cli_udp.cpp
index b59dd67c4..50f17cef0 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_udp.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_udp.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ template <> otError UdpExample::Process<Cmd("connect")>(Arg aArgs[])
     otSockAddr sockaddr;
     bool       nat64Synth;
 
-    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseToIp6Address(GetInstancePtr(), aArgs[0], sockaddr.mAddress, nat64Synth));
+    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(aArgs[0], sockaddr.mAddress, nat64Synth));
 
     if (nat64Synth)
     {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ template <> otError UdpExample::Process<Cmd("send")>(Arg aArgs[])
     {
         bool nat64Synth;
 
-        SuccessOrExit(error = ParseToIp6Address(GetInstancePtr(), aArgs[0], messageInfo.mPeerAddr, nat64Synth));
+        SuccessOrExit(error = ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(aArgs[0], messageInfo.mPeerAddr, nat64Synth));
 
         if (nat64Synth)
         {
diff --git a/src/cli/cli_utils.cpp b/src/cli/cli_utils.cpp
index 6709e0163..be7d94767 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_utils.cpp
@@ -629,25 +629,27 @@ const char *Utils::PreferenceToString(signed int aPreference)
 }
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD || OPENTHREAD_MTD
-otError Utils::ParseToIp6Address(otInstance *aInstance, const Arg &aArg, otIp6Address &aAddress, bool &aSynthesized)
-{
-    Error error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
 
-    VerifyOrExit(!aArg.IsEmpty(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
-    error        = aArg.ParseAsIp6Address(aAddress);
+otError Utils::ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(const Arg &aArg, otIp6Address &aAddress, bool &aSynthesized)
+{
+    Error        error;
+    otIp4Address ip4Address;
+
     aSynthesized = false;
 
-    if (error != OT_ERROR_NONE)
-    {
-        // It might be an IPv4 address, let's have a try.
-        otIp4Address ip4Address;
+    error = aArg.ParseAsIp6Address(aAddress);
 
-        // Do not touch the error value if we failed to parse it as an IPv4 address.
-        SuccessOrExit(aArg.ParseAsIp4Address(ip4Address));
-        SuccessOrExit(error = otNat64SynthesizeIp6Address(aInstance, &ip4Address, &aAddress));
-        aSynthesized = true;
+    if (error == OT_ERROR_NONE)
+    {
+        ExitNow();
     }
 
+    // Try to parse it as an IPv4 address and synthesize.
+
+    SuccessOrExit(error = aArg.ParseAsIp4Address(ip4Address));
+    SuccessOrExit(error = otNat64SynthesizeIp6Address(GetInstancePtr(), &ip4Address, &aAddress));
+    aSynthesized = true;
+
 exit:
     return error;
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/cli_utils.hpp b/src/cli/cli_utils.hpp
index 6ad136c30..a7acb074b 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_utils.hpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_utils.hpp
@@ -674,24 +674,20 @@ public:
     static const char *PreferenceToString(signed int aPreference);
 
     /**
-     * Parses the argument as an IP address.
+     * Parses the argument as an IPv6 address or synthesizes it from an IPv4 address.
      *
      * If the argument string is an IPv4 address, this method will try to synthesize an IPv6 address using preferred
      * NAT64 prefix in the network data.
      *
-     * @param[in]  aInstance       A pointer to OpenThread instance.
      * @param[in]  aArg            The argument string to parse.
-     * @param[out] aAddress        A reference to an `otIp6Address` to output the parsed IPv6 address.
+     * @param[out] aAddress        A reference to an `otIp6Address` to output the parsed/synthesized IPv6 address.
      * @param[out] aSynthesized    Whether @p aAddress is synthesized from an IPv4 address.
      *
-     * @retval OT_ERROR_NONE           The argument was parsed successfully.
+     * @retval OT_ERROR_NONE           The argument was parsed/synthesized successfully.
      * @retval OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS   The argument is empty or does not contain a valid IP address.
      * @retval OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE  No valid NAT64 prefix in the network data.
      */
-    static otError ParseToIp6Address(otInstance   *aInstance,
-                                     const Arg    &aArg,
-                                     otIp6Address &aAddress,
-                                     bool         &aSynthesized);
+    otError ParseOrSynthesizeIp6Address(const Arg &aArg, otIp6Address &aAddress, bool &aSynthesized);
 
     /**
      * Parses the argument as a Joiner Discerner.