Your Ultimate Guide on How to Add a WordPress Favicon

When you start a WordPress website, you need a visual cue that helps visitors remember or identify your site. This cue serves as your trademark and keeps your site different. That's why a favicon or “favorite icon” is your best representation of this. It's typically displayed in the site identity tab of your browser next to the title page and can be seen in bookmarks, history lists, and other browser interfaces.

Using this icon will help your visitors recognize you from time to time. That said, we've created a simple guide to help you familiarize yourself with this favicon image and learn how to add a WordPress favicon.

Importance of a Favicon for Your WordPress Site

Having WordPress favicons makes your site easier to distinguish and locate without the need to read the page title. These small icons help users quickly identify and return to your site.

Now, why is a site icon important in WordPress? Well, a well-designed favicon enhances your site's professionalism and credibility. That said, creating a memorable favicon can significantly benefit your site's overall appeal and functionality. Here are some reasons why it is beneficial to a business.

Brand Identity

A favicon is an important element of WordPress's overall site identity. According to Mailchimp, a site icon on WordPress can help your website stand out from similar sites in the same industry.

That said, a well-designed favicon can also convey your brand's personality and values, contributing to a cohesive user experience.

User Experience

WordPress favicons improve user experience by making navigation more intuitive. Let's face it: Users usually open many browser tabs when searching for something online.

With so many tabs open, it can become quite challenging to identify and switch between different websites. Thus, this switching process amidst a sea of tabs would be easier with a favicon. It enhances the browsing experience and efficiency.

Bookmarks

A favicon on your WordPress website is a huge perk. This small icon makes your site easily recognizable and memorable to users. It also puts your website in a better position for users to revisit, as it visually stands out from other tabs. It also contributes to brand identity and recall, making your website more attractive and trustworthy.

Credibility and Professionalism

A well-designed favicon gives a website a more professional and polished look. It builds trust and improves user engagement. Using a site icon can give users a positive first impression and potentially lead to no doubts about the site's legitimacy.

With a thoughtfully crafted favicon. it can set your site apart. It reinforces your brand identity and encourages repeat visits from time to time.

SEO and Accessibility

There are proven SEO benefits of favicon on WordPress sites. Although it does not directly influence the rankings, it can improve overall click-through rates and user engagement.

All you need to do is ensure that your chosen favicon is visible and distinct from others. In addition, it should be accessible to multiple devices and screen sizes.

Where Can You See the Favicon?

As mentioned, a favicon serves as an app icon for web visitors. This small image represents the WordPress site across various devices and platforms.

Where can you see this icon? It is typically found in the browser's address bar, tab titles, bookmark lists, and even history entries.

Web browser. When you open a browser, the WordPress favicon is displayed next to the site’s name. This small icon appears on each site identity tab whenever you open one.

The advantage of a favicon is that it provides a quick visual representation of the site. You can easily identify and navigate between different websites without reading the titles.

Moreover, favicons enhance the user experience by allowing faster access to frequently visited sites. They serve as a branding tool, reinforcing the visual identity of the WordPress website.

Bookmark bar. This bar in many browsers allows users to save and quickly access their favorite websites. When you bookmark a site, its favicon icon in WordPress appears next to its name on the bar.

This visual cue helps users easily find and click on their desired site without typing out the web address each time. Some users even remove the text, relying only on favicons.

This approach can be particularly useful for users with a large number of bookmarks who prefer a more streamlined and organized browser interface.

Search results. Google is one of the search engines that shows a WordPress favicon. This small icon helps users recognize familiar websites they might’ve accessed.

When users search for information, the presence of a favicon alongside the website's title and description becomes crucial. It instills a sense of trust and reliability.

A recognizable favicon can prompt users to select a familiar and trusted site. Based on brand recognition, they are more likely to find accurate and relevant information.

Browser history. To find a recently visited website, you can visit your browser’s history. Here, you can see app icons beside the site’s name and URL, which helps you identify the site.

For instance, the favicon beside the website name can make tracking down the specific site you need much easier. These visual references provide a quick and intuitive way to recognize the site's identity.

By leveraging your browser history, you can streamline your browsing experience, ensuring you can easily return to valuable resources and pages as needed.

Creating a Favicon

When you want your site to stand out, consider the design when adding a favicon icon. It will be very small, so you need to consider its dimensions and file formats. Not only that, you also need to choose the right tools to create and implement it effectively. To guide you, here are a few things to keep in mind!

Ideal Dimensions and File Formats

Common sizes for a typical WordPress favicon are 16x16 pixels and 32x32 pixels. To some platforms and devices, there are instances when they use larger sizes like 48x48 pixels or 256x256 pixels. So, having multiple sizes for WordPress's favicon is much better.

To better elaborate, here are some favicon sizes and their purposes:

• 16x16: Browser size.

• 32x32: Taskbar shortcut icon size

• 96x96: Desktop icon size.

• 180x180: Apple touch icon size.

• 300x300: Required by Squarespace size.

• 512x512: Required by WordPress size.

Aside from the dimensions, you also need to consider the file format to use when creating app icons. Some primary formats used are ICO, PNG, GIF, SVG, APNG, and JPG files.

So, better decide what you think is the most appropriate site icon option.

Tools for Designing Site Icon

With many online design tools, there is no reason you can't create a site's favicon yourself. That said, we will introduce you to some of the most reliable and worthy tools, such as Canva, Photoshop, and other favicon generator options. 

Adobe Photoshop is a powerful tool for creating detailed graphics, including logos and favicons. It also has an advanced site icon feature and capabilities for controlling every pixel.

In addition to Photoshop, Canva is a one-way, user-friendly online design tool. It is ideal for individuals who do not possess advanced graphic design skills but have basic knowledge about them.

There are many online tools for designing a WordPress favicon. These tools can help you generate high-quality icons for your website. Just browse online for some of the best favicon generator options. 

Best Practices and Tips

Designing a favicon is not a work-in-a-park activity. You are not just creating an icon so your website has one; its purpose is to enhance your site identity and ensure a seamless experience for your visitors.

We have compiled some best practices for creating an enticing favicon.

Tip 1: Keep it simple. Since a WordPress favicon is small, intricate details can get lost. Aim for a design that focuses on a single, clear element or symbol as much as possible.

For a clean site icon feature, you can use simple shapes, symbols, or initials. To achieve pure simplicity, go for a minimalist design, recognizable shapes, high contrast, and avoid text.

Aside from that, always limit colors. Use a limited color palette to maintain clarity. Too many colors can make the favicon look cluttered.

Tip 2: Always align with your site identity. Incorporate your brand’s primary colors into the favicon image you create. Also, match the style elements to reflect your brand's overall style and aesthetics.

So, if your brand is modern, your WordPress favicon should mirror this style. Opt for clean lines, minimalistic design, and contemporary colors.

Remember, consistency is key to brand identity; even small elements like a favicon play a crucial role in maintaining this coherence.

Tip 3: Read and follow Google guidelines. When you create a WordPress favicon for your website, you must know the specifications. Afterall, your favicon should represent your brand as a whole.

To begin, a well-designed favicon is not just a small icon; it symbolizes your brand's identity and enhances user recognition. Thus, ensure it adheres to the correct size and format requirements.

Well, it simply builds credibility and identity for your site. Following Google's favicon guidelines makes your site eligible to rank.

Tip 4: Test for various devices and browsers. In addition to the style, your site icon should be compatible with cross-devices, from sizes to displays.

In addition, your WordPress site icon design should have positive browser tab compatibility. Check the different browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge. You can also do real-world testing such as:

• Bookmark bar

• Dark and light modes

• Different screen sizes

By thoroughly testing your site icon across these various scenarios, you can ensure your website's polished and professional appearance.

Add a Favicon to the WordPress Site

If you’re done designing a WordPress site icon, it’s time to add it to your site to professionalize its appearance and improve the users' overall experience.

A well-designed site icon enhances your brand identity and makes your website easily recognizable in browser tabs, bookmarks, and mobile home screens.

So, if you’re new to this, we’ll walk you through the detailed steps to add and select site icons on WordPress, ensuring that your site stands out and functions smoothly.

Using the WordPress Customizer

WordPress customizer is one of the easiest ways to add a WordPress favicon to your site. This method ensures that your favicon has been automatically applied to all browsers and devices.

Step 1. Open the WordPress customizer and go to the WordPress dashboard. Select Appearance > Customize.

Step 2. Open site identity. Select the Site Identity in the WordPress Customizer.

Step 3. Upload favicon. Select the site icon button from the media library and upload the favicon image. You can crop the existing image and click Publish once done.

Step 4. Save and publish. After uploading your favicon to your site, it will appear in the browser site identity tab. 

Using a WordPress Favicon Plugin

If a WordPress customizer is not for you, you can use a plugin. Fortunately, several options are available online that simplify the process. The top recommended plugins that everyone uses are All in One Favicon and the RealFaviconGenerator website. 

RealFaviconGenerator Website

Step 1. Go to the website and add New to your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2. Search for "Real Favicon Generator" and click Install Now.

Step 3. Activate the plugin once installed.

Step 4. Go to Appearance > Favicon.

Step 5. Follow the instructions to generate a favicon using Real Favicon Generator’s tool.

Step 6. Select an image from the WordPress media library. Upload the generated favicon files and save your changes.

All in One Favicon

Step 1. Go to Plugin and Click New in your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2. Search for "All in One Favicon" and click Install Now.

Step 3. Activate the plugin once installed.

Step 4. Navigate to Settings > All in One Favicon.

Step 5. Choose from the media library and upload your WordPress favicon images for different sizes and formats (ICO, PNG, GIF).

Step 6. Save your changes, and your favicon will be applied.

Using a Gutenberg Block

In addition to the typical WordPress customizer or plugin, you can use this specific block for an easier process. However, this can only be possible with the use of a WordPress block theme. You should also have the 5.9 or higher version.

To add a favicon to your site, try doing the following:

Step 1. Open the Gutenberg Block Editor. Navigate to Appearance → Editor from your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2. Check the area where you want to put the logo and click the block inserter (+).

Step 3. Search the Site Logo block on the search bar and add it to your site.

Step 4. Click the Add a Site logo button and upload your favicon image file from the media library.

Step 5. Click the block and open Settings to enable the Use as Site icon toggle.

Step 6. Once done, click Save.

Doing the Manual Method from the WordPress Dashboard

Other than the customizer, plugins, and Gutenberg site logo block, you can try the manual method to add a favicon in WordPress. So, if you’re comfortable with editing HTML code or something, feel free to add favicon files to the theme’s header.php file directly.

To do that, here’s the favicon code process!

Step 1. Ensure your site icon file is in the proper format (ICO, PNG)

Step 2. Upload it to your site’s root directory or a preferred location.

Step 3. Go to Appearance. Click the Theme Editor in your WordPress dashboard.

Step 4. Locate and open the header.php file of your active theme.

Step 5. Find the closing </head> tag in the header.php file.

Step 6. Add the favicon code before the </head> tag. Replace your-favicon path with the actual path to your file.

Step 7. Save the changes to the header.php file.

There are several ways to effectively add a favicon to WordPress. You can try using the customizer or plugins or even coding yourself. The choice is yours!

Common Favicon Issues and How to Fix It

Adding your favicon right can enhance your branding and user experience. However, technical or browser compatibility problems can sometimes prevent it from displaying correctly.

To guide you, refer to the detailed list below!

Favicon is Not Showing Up

When the favicon image does not appear as expected, you can try to at least clear the browser cache, check the file path, verify the file format, or even correct site icon dimensions. 

Problem 1: Web browsers often cache WordPress favicon to improve load times, which can cause them to display an old favicon version.

Solution: Clear your browser cache or refresh the page multiple times. Just go to Settings > Privacy and Security> Clear browsing data and select Cached images and files.

Problem 2: The browser tab won't be able to find it if the site icon's file path is incorrect.

Solution: Double-check the path specified in your code or settings. Ensure the favicon file is in the correct directory and the link in your header.php file (if you're using the manual method) accurately points to it.

Problem 3: Favicons should be incompatible formats like .ico, .png, or .gif. If the format needs to be corrected, it might not display.

Solution: Ensure your favicon is saved in a browser-compatible format. The .ico format is universally accepted, but .png is widely supported and allows for transparency.

Problem 4: A WordPress favicon with non-standard dimensions might not display properly.

Solution: Choose a 16x16, 32x32, or 48x48-pixel favicon size. This approach ensures that you can successfully add a favicon to your WordPress.

Compatibility Issues

There are times when the favicon does not reflect the browser or the device due to compatibility. That said, you need to check if these things are correct.

Problem 1: Different web browsers have varying levels of support for formats and sizes.

Solution: Test your site icon in multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to ensure compatibility. Consider using a favicon generator tool that creates multiple versions for different browsers.

Problem 2: Favicon on WordPress may appear differently on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.

Solution: Test your favicon across various devices to ensure it looks good everywhere. Create favicons in multiple sizes to accommodate different resolutions.

Problem 3: Some WordPress themes may have settings or HTML code that overrides your favicon settings.

Solution: Check your theme’s documentation or settings. Some themes have the best site icon option for uploading a favicon that might conflict with the default WordPress settings.

Updating Your Favicon on WordPress Website

There are times when you need to update your WordPress site icons. Although it does not necessarily mean that you do it often, there are some situations where it becomes necessary for your brand or site.

One of the main reasons you need to update your WordPress favicon is that you might be thinking of rebranding, like creating a new logo and even changing colors and styles.

And as design trends evolve, your current favicon might be outdated. It is important to update it for a cleaner and more modern design, as this ensures compatibility across all devices and browsers.

Aside from that, users may have difficulty looking into specific details on a particular website. A distinctive and updated favicon helps them find and return to your page.

Final Thoughts

Adding a WordPress favicon is a significant step toward enhancing your website's identity. It ultimately helps you and your visitors grasp your brand in general. Although it can be a small part of the overall build of your WordPress website, it can be a huge contributor to your brand recognition. 

That said, a well-crafted favicon makes a recognizable and impactful impression on your visitors. Embracing the right techniques and strategies to create one gives an extra touch of professionalism and polish you never expected.

So, as early as now, make your favicon stand out in this crowded online space for a better user experience and site credibility.