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What is Website Favicon?

Learn the basics of website favicons and why they're important

1 min read

Website favicons are small icons associated with websites that appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, and other places. They are essential for brand recognition and user experience.

The

The term 'favicon' comes from 'favorites icon' and was first introduced by Internet Explorer in 1999. Since then, favicons have evolved to support multiple sizes and formats for different devices and platforms.

Favicons

Favicons help users quickly identify your website among multiple open tabs and bookmarks. They enhance your brand visibility and improve the overall user experience.

Modern

Modern websites use multiple types of favicons for different purposes:

  • favicon.ico (16x16, 32x32) - Traditional browser tabs and bookmarks
  • PNG icons (various sizes) - Modern browsers and high-resolution displays
  • Apple Touch Icons - iOS devices when added to home screen
  • Android icons - Android devices when added to home screen
  • Microsoft Tile icons - Windows devices

For

For the best experience across all platforms, websites should include multiple favicon sizes and formats. This ensures your site looks professional on all devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a favicon used for?+

A favicon is shown in browser tabs, bookmarks, browser history, mobile home screens, and search results. Its main job is brand recognition — helping users spot your site instantly among many open tabs.

Do favicons affect SEO?+

Indirectly. A favicon is not a direct Google ranking factor, but it appears next to your listing in search results and can improve click-through rate and perceived trust, which supports SEO performance.

What sizes does a modern favicon need?+

At minimum 16x16 and 32x32 for browser tabs, 180x180 (apple-touch-icon) for iOS, and 192x192 plus 512x512 for Android and PWA. See our complete favicon sizes guide for the full list.

Ready to put it into practice?

Fetch any favicon

Enter a URL and get every favicon the site exposes, plus one-line embed code.

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Generate from image

Upload a logo and download favicon.ico, apple-touch-icon, and PNG icons in one ZIP.

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From text or emoji

Type a letter or pick an emoji, choose colors, and generate a full favicon package.

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Check a site's favicon

Test whether a website's favicon, apple-touch-icon, and manifest are correctly set up.

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