What is a favicon?

A favicon is the small icon that represents a website. It appears in browser tabs, bookmark lists, history, address-bar suggestions, home screen shortcuts and, on many devices, next to your result in Google Search.

Favicon meaning

The word is a blend of “favorite” and “icon”. Internet Explorer 5 introduced it in 1999 to mark sites saved to the Favorites list. Today every major browser supports favicons, and the term means any site icon.

What is a favicon image?

A favicon image is the picture file behind the icon. It is usually a square PNG, ICO or SVG. A favicon icon in ICO format can hold several sizes in one file, while PNG and SVG files are linked separately from your HTML.

Where favicons appear

• Browser tabs, usually at 16×16 or 32×32 pixels.
• Bookmarks, history and the new-tab page.
• Phone and tablet home screens when someone saves your site (Apple touch icon, Android icons).
• Google Search results on mobile and desktop.

Why a favicon matters

People with many tabs open find sites by their icon, not their title. A missing favicon shows a generic globe, which looks unfinished. A clear favicon makes your site easier to recognize and return to, and it adds a small trust signal.

How to get one

Use the free favicon generator to create one from an image, text or emoji, then follow the HTML code guide to add it. See favicon sizes for the files you need.