What is a Favicon?

A favicon isn't really an image format — it's a specific use of an image.

What is a favicon?

A favicon is the small icon associated with a website. You commonly see favicons in:

• Browser tabs — next to the page title
• Bookmarks — alongside a saved site's name
• Browser history
• Shortcuts — on a phone or desktop home screen
• Search results — Google Search can display a site's favicon next to its organic listing

What does "favicon" mean?

The name comes from "favorite icon", referring to icons shown next to bookmarked/favorite websites.

What size should a favicon be?

Different platforms request different dimensions, so most sites generate multiple sizes rather than a single file:

For Google Search specifically, Google requires a square favicon of at least 8×8 px and recommends one larger than 48×48 px for visibility across its surfaces.

What is favicon.ico?

ICO is a container format historically associated with Windows icons and website favicons. One useful trait: a single .ico file can contain multiple sizes at once.

How is a favicon added to a website?

<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico">

Modern sites typically add several tags covering the PNG sizes and the Apple touch icon as well.

Favicon vs logo

They're related but not identical.

Logo — can be detailed, horizontal, and contain text.
Favicon — needs to stay recognizable at extremely small sizes.

For example, a full wordmark logo makes little sense at 16×16px — a simplified mark or monogram is usually the better source image for a favicon.