How To Add WordPress Favicon To A Website: 4 Easy Methods

The WordPress favicon is the small icon next to a website’s name in a browser tab. It lets you easily identify a site among multiple open tabs, especially when the title isn’t fully visible.

It also makes your brand look more professional. Whether you run a blog, an online store, or a business website, adding a WordPress favicon can make your site stand out.

This tutorial offers 4 easy ways to add a favicon to your WordPress site. You’ll learn how to do it using the WordPress Customizer, the Site Editor, a plugin, and a manual method. Each method is beginner-friendly, so you don’t need any coding skills.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A favicon is a small but important image representing your website in bookmarks, browser tabs, and mobile home screens.
• Adding a favicon makes your site look more professional and improves brand recognition.
• The easiest way to add a favicon in WordPress is through the Customizer, where you can upload an image under Site Identity.
• If your theme supports Full Site Editing (FSE), you can set a favicon using the Site Editor by adding a Site Logo block.
• A plugin like RealFaviconGenerator simplifies favicon setup by handling multiple icon sizes for different devices.
• For more control, you can manually upload a favicon to your site’s root directory and edit your theme’s header.php file to include the favicon code.
• The recommended favicon size is 512×512 pixels, and the best formats are PNG, ICO, and SVG.
• A good favicon should be simple, recognizable, and use high-contrast colors for visibility.
• Always test your favicon on different browsers and devices to ensure it displays correctly.
• If you need to update or remove a favicon, replace the existing file or remove the code from your theme.

WordPress Favicon & its Significance

A favicon (short for favorite icon) is a small image representing your website. It appears in different places, like browser tabs, bookmarks, and mobile home screens. This tiny icon helps visitors quickly recognize your site, even when they have multiple different tabs open.

In WordPress, a favicon is also called a WordPress site icon. It’s an important part of your website’s branding. When people see your favicon, they can instantly connect it with your business, blog, or store.

It may seem a small detail, but adding a WordPress favicon offers huge benefits for your website. Here’s why it matters:

• As mentioned, a favicon makes your site instantly recognizable.
• When users have multiple tabs open, a favicon helps them spot your site faster. It also organizes bookmarks so users can find your site without reading long text titles.
• Websites without a favicon often show a blank or default icon, which doesn’t look great. A custom favicon makes your site look professional, well-maintained, and trustworthy.

How to Create a WordPress Favicon

To design a favicon for WordPress, you can use graphic design software or online tools like Real Favicon Generator. The best tool depends on your familiarity with design concepts and your comfort using these platforms.

When creating a favicon, keep the following factors in mind:

• Resolution: Since favicons primarily appear in browser tabs and search engine results, ultra-high resolution isn’t necessary. The recommended favicon size is 512 x 512 pixels. 
• File Format: If your favicon includes transparency, use PNG format. WordPress also supports ICO, JPEG, and GIF files. 
• Aspect Ratio: Ensure your WordPress favicon maintains a 1:1 aspect ratio to prevent distortion or cropping that could affect your site’s appearance. 
• Color Palette: A transparent background makes your favicon more visible, especially if it contains white elements. However, stick to your brand’s color scheme for consistency. 
• Search Engine Compatibility: Follow Google’s favicon guidelines to ensure it displays correctly in search results. 

Remember, creating a favicon varies depending on the tool you choose. Once you create a WordPress site icon, you can use the methods below to add a favicon to the WordPress website.

4 Methods to Change or Add Favicon to WordPress Site

This section explains 4 different ways to add a WordPress favicon. You can choose any of them based on your requirements:

Use WordPress Theme Customizer

The WordPress Theme Customizer (also known as Customizer and WordPress Customizer) is a built-in tool that lets you change your site’s design, including adding a favicon. Follow these steps to set up your favicon:

Go to yourwebsite.com/wp-admin, fill in your username (or email address) and password, and click Log In to access the WordPress admin panel.

In the left menu, find Appearance and click Customize. This will open the WordPress Customizer, where you can edit your WordPress site’s settings in real time. In the Customizer, look for Site Identity and click on it. This section lets you change your site title, tagline, and favicon (site icon).

Click Select Site Icon. You can upload a new image or select one from your Media Library. However, ensure your WordPress favicon is at least 512 x 512 pixels and in PNG, JPEG, or ICO format for the best results. You can also crop the image to fit the required dimensions if you wish.

Once you’ve added your favicon, click Publish at the top of the Customizer. Your favicon is now live and will appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, and mobile home screens.

Use Site Editor

The previous method can be used using classic themes (like Astra and Twenty Sixteen). However, if your WordPress theme supports Full Site Editing (FSE), you can add a favicon using the Site Editor. This method works best with block-based themes like Twenty Twenty-Two or any theme that supports the Site Editor.

Before using this method, ensure your theme allows full WordPress site editing. If you see Appearance → Editor in your WordPress dashboard, your theme supports it. Otherwise, you need to use a different method covered in this tutorial.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to add a WordPress favicon using Site Editor:

Sign in to WordPress Admin Dashboard and navigate to Appearance → Editor. This will open the Full Site Editor, where you can customize different parts of your website.

Click Patterns.

Then, click Header. This will show all the header patterns you can choose from. Remember, the number of patterns may differ depending on your theme. Click the 3-dot menu on your desired header pattern and select Edit to open it in edit mode.

Next, locate Site Logo inside the header section. If you cannot find it, click Add Block (represented with a +) and select Site Logo from the WordPress block options.

After that, click Site Logo and upload a new image or select one from your Media Library. When it’s added to the header template, you can use the cropping handles to crop and adjust it as needed to fit the WordPress favicon size (we cover favicon image size guidelines below). Ensure you enable Use as Site Icon and Link image to home, then click Save.

Optionally, you can style your site icon by navigating to Block → Styles. Once your favicon is all set, click Save, and it will appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, and mobile home screens.

Use a Plugin

Use a plugin for a quick, easy way to add a favicon to your WordPress site. A plugin can handle the technical details, ensuring your favicon looks good across different browsers and devices.

There are various plugins you can choose from; however, we use RealFaviconGenerator for this tutorial example. It allows you to upload a favicon, generate multiple icon sizes, and optimize it for different platforms. Here’s how to use it:

Log in to your WordPress dashboard. Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin. In the search bar, type RealFaviconGenerator. Click Install Now, then Activate to activate the plugin.

After activation, go to Appearance → Favicon. This will open the plugin’s settings page, where you can upload your favicon. Click Select from the Media Library. This will let you upload an image from your computer or choose from the existing WordPress Media Library. Next, click Generate favicon to apply the changes.

On the next screen, you can update your regular & dark icon settings, Apple touch icon, and other things based on your requirements. Lastly, click Generate and install favicon. Now, the plugin will automatically update your favicon code in WordPress.

IMPORTANT:

It’s important to keep the plugin activated. If you deactivate it, your favicon will no longer be displayed.

Manually Add Favicon to WordPress Site

If your WordPress theme does not support favicons through the Customizer or Site Editor, you can add one manually. This method gives you full control over the WordPress favicon setup but requires uploading files and editing code.

If you want to use this method, we recommend you always back up your theme files to avoid issues if something goes wrong. Alternatively, you can set up a staging environment to test before changing the live website. Also, use a child theme if you don’t want to lose customization after a parent theme update.

Once you’re sure you’re safe to edit theme files, go through the following steps:

Step 1: Create Favicon (Skip if You Have This Already)

Go to RealFaviconGenerator.net and click Pick your favicon image to upload your site icon’s image.

Design your WordPress favicon by choosing settings based on your requirements. Fill in the Favicon path. The path should be relative to your website’s root directory. For instance, if you want your favicon files to be located at https://yourdomain.com/my-favicon/favicon.ico, you should enter /my-favicon/ (we’re using / to have the favicon icon in the root directory). After that, click Next.

Now, you will be taken to the installation manual page. Click Download to download a favicon package. Moreover, copy the provided code snippet and store it safely, such as in a TXT file. Alternatively, keep the tab open, as you will need this later.

Step 2: Upload WordPress Favicon to Root Directory

Now, you should upload the favicon files to your WordPress website’s root directory. You can use any of the following methods:

1. Use FTP: Connect to your site using FileZilla and navigate to the public_html folder. We’ve already written about this. You can find these details on the following links:

– How To Configure A Site In FileZilla

– How To Manage Files In FileZilla

– How To Upload Files Using FileZilla

2. Use the Hosted® Control Panel (cPanel): Open File Manager, then go to public_html

We use the Hosted® File Manager (the second approach) in this example. If you’re a Hosted® user, you can follow the instructions below.

Login to your Hosted® cPanel. Locate Files and click File Manager.

In File Manager, click the public_html folder, then click Upload to upload the WordPress favicon package you downloaded earlier.

Once it’s uploaded, select your folder and click Extract to unzip it within the public_html folder. Then, delete the .zip folder you just unzipped. Ensure you only have the favicon files inside the public_html directory, not the entire folder.

Now, go to the following directory:

public_html/wp-content/themes/your-active-theme-folder

Find header.php, right-click on it, and choose Edit.

Find the <head> section and add this code inside it:

<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon-96x96.png" sizes="96x96" />
<link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg" />
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" />
<link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest" />

Then, click Save Changes to save the header.php file.

Now, open your website in a new tab and check if the favicon appears.

TIP: Clear your browser cache if you don’t see the changes immediately. If you change your favicon later, replace the favicon.ico file in the root directory, and the new icon will update automatically.

Now that you’ve learned four different ways to add a favicon, let’s look at how often you should change your WordPress site icon.

How Often Should You Change WordPress Favicon?

There’s no strict rule on how often you should change your WordPress favicon, but it’s generally best to keep it consistent unless there’s a valid reason to update it. Here’s why and when you may consider changing your favicon:

• If you change your website’s logo, colors, or overall branding, your favicon should reflect those updates to maintain a cohesive identity. A mismatched favicon can confuse users and weaken brand recognition. 
• If your current favicon is hard to see in browser tabs or appears blurry, update it with a higher-quality version to improve clarity. You may also need to adjust colors if the favicon blends too much with browser themes. 
• Design preferences evolve, and an outdated WordPress favicon may not look professional. In this case, updating your favicon to a cleaner, minimalist style can enhance user perception of your site. 
• Google occasionally updates its favicon display rules, and ensuring compliance can help your favicon appear correctly in search results. If Google Search Console flags favicon-related issues, you may need to make changes. 
• Some brands temporarily change their favicon for events, holidays, or special promotions (e.g., adding a holiday theme). This isn’t necessary, but it can add a festive touch if done carefully. 

To ensure your favicon remains clear and visually appealing, it’s a good idea to check it periodically – at least once a year or during website audits. This lets you update it if necessary while keeping it aligned with modern design standards.

TIP: Avoid changing your favicon too often, as it is a recognizable element for returning visitors. Frequent updates can create confusion and reduce brand recognition, so only update it when necessary.

Tips for Creating an Effective Favicon

A WordPress favicon is small, but it plays a big role in making your WordPress website recognizable. To ensure your favicon looks great and serves its purpose, follow these simple tips:

Keep the Design Simple & Recognizable:

Since favicons are tiny, complex details won’t be visible. A clean, simple design helps users recognize your site instantly. Try using a single letter, symbol, or a minimal version of your logo instead of a detailed image. 

Ensure it Reflects Your Brand:

Your favicon should match your brand identity. If you have a logo, consider using a small part, like the first letter or a symbol related to your business. This makes your WordPress website more memorable and consistent with your branding. 

Use High-Contrast Colors for Visibility:

Since favicons appear on light and dark backgrounds in browser tabs, use high-contrast colors to make them more visible. Avoid pale colors that can blend into the background. A favicon with a strong contrast ensures it stands out. 

Test Your WordPress Favicon on Different Devices & Browsers:

Your favicon should look good on all devices, from desktops to mobile phones. Some browsers resize favicons differently, so always test your favicon on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge to ensure it appears correctly. 

Favicon WordPress Image Size & Guidelines

To ensure your favicon WordPress website looks sharp and functions correctly on all platforms, it’s important to follow some recommended guidelines:

First, use the ideal size of 512×512 pixels. Although the favicon may display at smaller sizes, such as 16×16, 32×32, or 48×48 pixels, starting with a larger image helps maintain clarity and quality when resized.

Second, it’s also essential to use a supported format. PNG is preferred for modern browsers since it supports transparency and high quality. ICO suits older browsers and Windows systems, while SVG works well on high-resolution displays due to its scalability.

Another key factor is maintaining the correct aspect ratio. A WordPress favicon should always have a 1:1 square ratio to avoid stretching or cropping. If the image isn’t perfectly square, crop it before uploading to prevent distortion.

FAQS

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