You open your browser and there are dozens of tabs. Without a small icon next to the page title, a website gets lost among the others. But with a favicon, it’s easy to find — even in a sea of open tabs.
A favicon is a small icon that appears next to the page title in a browser tab, in bookmarks, search results, and on mobile screens. You can notice it while entering Netflix, a high-quality gambling platform for the best Online Casino Experience, or looking for new clothes at Amazon. It helps users quickly identify and remember a site among many open pages.
A favicon isn’t just decoration. It:
• Helps users recognize your site faster
• Makes your site stand out in bookmarks and search results
• Builds trust — sites with favicons look more professional
• Google and Yahoo display favicons in search results, which means the right icon can boost click-through rates.
But to get results, the favicon must be chosen and set up correctly. Where does it appear? What formats are there? Why are so many different sizes needed? Let’s break it down.
This small icon, which may seem like a minor detail, actually shows up everywhere:
• Browser tabs – It appears next to the page title in every open tab. If missing, the browser shows a default icon.
• Bookmarks and favorites – When a user saves your site, the favicon shows up in their bookmarks list. Without it, there’s just an empty space—which increases the chance your site will be overlooked.
• Search results – Google and Opera include favicons in search listings. A bright and recognizable icon helps your site stand out and grab attention, improving click-through.
• Smartphone screens and PWAs – When a user adds your site to their home screen, the icon serves as the app logo. Without it, your site looks plain and unprofessional.
Without a favicon, your site disappears everywhere. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference in whether people remember you.
Your favicon needs to look sharp everywhere—from browser tabs to mobile screens. To achieve this, you’ll need several sizes.
Recommended sizes:
• 16×16 pixels – The minimum size for browser tabs.
• 32×32 pixels – For display in favorites/bookmarks lists.
• 48×48 pixels – Sometimes used in older systems.
• 180×180 pixels – Apple Touch icon (iPhone, iPad).
• 512×512 pixels – For Android devices and AMP pages.
If you only use 16×16, the icon will look blurry on mobile. If you only use 512×512, it might not load properly in older browsers.
Also, if your favicon file is too large, it can slow down your site. Use image optimization tools to avoid this.
Popular tools:
• TinyPNG – Compresses PNG files without quality loss.
• Squoosh – Lets you choose compression settings.
• RealFaviconGenerator – Automatically creates favicons in all needed sizes.
For perfect results, create multiple sizes and optimize them.
If your favicon isn’t showing up, try the following:
• Refresh the page with cache cleared (Ctrl + Shift + R in Chrome).
• Check the page code: the HTML source should include a <link rel=”icon”> tag.
• Use online tools like RealFaviconGenerator or Google Favicon Checker to see how your icon appears across platforms.
Curious about a competitor’s favicon? Here’s how to find it:
• Open the page source (Ctrl + U), find the favicon link, and open it.
• In Chrome, go to the Network tab → Img to locate it.
• Use tools like GetFavicon for quick access.
Favicons don’t have to be static — they can be animated using GIFs, CSS, or JavaScript:
• GIF – Easiest option, but animation only plays once when the page loads.
• CSS & JavaScript – Allow dynamic changes to the favicon, for example, to show new notifications.
Note: Animation support varies between browsers. Use animated favicons to draw attention, not just for aesthetics.
