Favicon FAQ
Quick answers to the questions people ask most about website icons.
What is a favicon?
The small icon that identifies your site in a browser tab, bookmarks bar and on mobile home screens.
What format should a favicon be?
PNG and SVG are the modern standard. A multi-size favicon.ico is still worth keeping for older browsers.
Do I need an ICO file?
Not strictly, but it is recommended for backward compatibility. Modern browsers will happily use a PNG favicon.
Why is my favicon not updating?
Browsers cache favicons hard. Hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+Shift+R), clear the cache, or open your site in a private window to see the new icon.
What image size should I start with?
Use a square image of at least 512×512 pixels. Downscaling a large image gives a much sharper small icon than upscaling a small one. See the size guide for the full list.
Does it cost anything?
No. The generator is free and runs entirely in your browser — your images are never uploaded to a server.