What does a Favicon do, why do I need it and how can I add it?

April 14, 2024

A favicon, short for "favorite icon," is a small, iconic image that represents your website in web browsers. Typically displayed in the address bar, on tabs, and in bookmarks, favicons are a crucial part of your site's branding and user experience. This blog post explores what a favicon does, why it's essential for your website, and provides detailed instructions on how to add one to various web development platforms.

Technical Deep Dive

Favicons are the tiny images that appear next to your web page's title in browser tabs and bookmark lists, playing a significant role in website identification and navigation. They help enhance user experience, increase brand recognition, and can even impact user engagement.

Purpose of Favicons:

  1. Brand Identity: Favicons reinforce your brand by displaying your logo or a part of it, making your website easily recognizable.
  2. Usability: Helps users quickly identify your website when multiple tabs are open or when scrolling through bookmarks.
  3. Professionalism: A well-designed favicon gives a professional appearance and can influence users' perception of your site as trustworthy and reliable.

Why You Need a Favicon:

  • Visibility in Browser Tabs: A clear, distinct favicon makes your tab stand out among others, especially important in a multi-tab browsing experience.
  • Enhanced User Experience: Provides a visual cue that users can instantly recognize, improving navigation and efficiency.
  • SEO Benefits: While not a direct SEO factor, having a favicon can reduce bounce rates by contributing to a more cohesive and satisfying user experience.

How to Add a Favicon

NextJS

When using the latest nextjs version with app directory you can use meta files to add a favicon. You can simply place a favico.ico file (other formats are also supported) to the /app folder of your app.
For more information please refer to the docs here https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/metadata/app-icons

When using Next.js with the pages router, you can add your favicon by placing the image in the public folder and referencing it in your pages’ <Head> component:

<Head>
    <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" />
</Head>

This will make the favicon visible in the browser tab for your NextJS application.


To generate different sizes of your favicon for various platform we recommend using https://realfavicongenerator.net/

WordPress

For WordPress sites, you can upload your favicon directly through the WordPress Customizer:

  1. Go to Appearance > Customize in the WordPress dashboard.
  2. Select 'Site Identity'.
  3. Upload your favicon where it says 'Site Icon'. This favicon will then appear in user tabs and bookmarks.

Plain HTML

To add a favicon to a static HTML site, place the favicon file in the root of your website and include the following link in the <head> section of your HTML:

<link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="favicon.ico">

Ensure your favicon file is accessible, and this tag is included on each page of your site.

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