Can I use an SVG as a favicon?

Yes. SVG favicons are supported in modern browsers and look perfect at any size.

Why does my new favicon not show up after changing it?

Browsers cache favicons aggressively. Clear cache or add a version query string to force update.

What Is an ICO File and How to Create a Favicon

Q: Where does favicon.ico go in WordPress?

Use Appearance → Customize → Site Identity → Site Icon. Upload a 512x512px PNG and WordPress generates all required sizes automatically.

The favicon is the small icon that appears in browser tabs, bookmarks, and browser history. It seems trivial but it's one of those details that makes a site look professional or unfinished. A missing favicon generates a 404 request on every page load — a tiny but unnecessary server hit.

Create your favicon ICO file instantly with our PNG to ICO and JPG to ICO converters.

What Is an ICO File?

ICO is a container format developed by Microsoft for Windows icons. Unlike JPG or PNG which store a single image, an ICO file can contain multiple image sizes within a single file. This allows the operating system or browser to pick the most appropriate size for the context.

A well-formed favicon.ico typically contains: 16x16px (browser tab), 32x32px (taskbar, shortcuts), 48x48px (Windows desktop shortcuts). Some implementations also include 64x64 and 128x128.

Modern browsers also accept PNG favicons directly, and many sites now use PNG or SVG for the favicon. But favicon.ico remains the most universally supported format — some older browsers, RSS readers, and system tools still expect it at the root URL.

Modern Favicon Requirements

A complete favicon implementation for 2025 includes:

favicon.ico — root of domain, 16x16 and 32x32 inside. For legacy support. favicon-32x32.png — explicit PNG for modern browsers. apple-touch-icon.png — 180x180px PNG, used when someone adds site to iOS home screen. favicon.svg — vector favicon, perfect at all sizes, supported by most modern browsers.

HTML in your head:

How to Create a Favicon

From your logo (recommended)

1. Start with your logo in SVG or high-resolution PNG (at least 512x512px) 2. Crop to a square if needed — favicons are always square 3. Simplify if necessary — at 16x16px, complex logos become unreadable. A monogram or simplified icon works better than the full logo. 4. Convert to ICO using our tool below

From scratch

Design at 512x512px, export as PNG, then convert. Keep it simple — one or two colours, bold shapes, no fine detail. What looks good at 512px needs to still be recognisable at 16px.

Convert PNG or JPG to ICO favicon format — free, instant, no software needed

PNG to ICO → JPG to ICO →

FAQs

WordPress has a built-in site icon feature: Appearance → Customize → Site Identity → Site Icon. Upload a 512x512px PNG and WordPress generates all required sizes automatically. This is the recommended approach — it handles the apple-touch-icon and various PNG sizes without manual file management.

Yes. SVG favicons are supported in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Safari added support in version 12. An SVG favicon is vector so it looks perfect at any size and supports dark mode variants via CSS media queries inside the SVG. Use it alongside favicon.ico for maximum compatibility.

Browsers cache favicons aggressively. Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) clears the page cache but not the favicon cache. To force a favicon update: close all tabs with that domain, clear browser cache fully, or add a version query string to the favicon link tag: href="/favicon.ico?v=2".