Quick Tip: Add Favicons Quickly and Easily to Your HTML
Favicons add that extra bit of polish to your website, helping to separate your site from the rest. These icons are increasingly more crucial as desktop clients, operating systems, and mobile devices let users pin useful sites for quick access. It’s important to get these favicons right so that regardless of where your site is pinned, your users will always get the best looking icon.
Favicons generally aren’t easy to manage. Because of the fragmentation of both mobile and desktop operating systems and browsers, catering to every device to ensure the best icon is used becomes a slow and tedious process. Sometimes you may have to manage 30+ resources for this task depending on how much support you want to provide.
However, thankfully there’s the Real Favicon Generator web service. This website takes you through a step by step process to quickly and easily generate all the favicons and web resources you’ll need.
The Generation Process
Real Favicon Generator makes the whole process painless. You start by selecting your favicon and uploading it to the generator. When the page loads, you’ll see different screens for the different device targets.
Several of these sections offer similar options, such as being able to supply a dedicated picture to target the device, adding margins around the icon and applying background colors. Below are the main screens you can adjust, one for iOS, one for Android and one for others (Windows / Safari) respectively.
The visual interface makes tweaking your favicons easy, you can see exactly how your icon will appear when you pin your site to your device.
Besides actual favicons themselves, this generator will also handle the creation of a manifest file for mobile Chrome, along with other settings for pinnable tabs in Safari. These values are eventually turned into <meta> tags in the final output.
Using Your Favicons
When you’re ready to proceed, press the “generate” button. Once the page loads, it will give you the raw HTML you need to add to your site. Here’s an example of the output:
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="57x57" href="/apple-touch-icon-57x57.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="60x60" href="/apple-touch-icon-60x60.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="72x72" href="/apple-touch-icon-72x72.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="76x76" href="/apple-touch-icon-76x76.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="114x114" href="/apple-touch-icon-114x114.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="120x120" href="/apple-touch-icon-120x120.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="144x144" href="/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="152x152" href="/apple-touch-icon-152x152.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/android-chrome-192x192.png" sizes="192x192">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon-96x96.png" sizes="96x96">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16">
<link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
<link rel="mask-icon" href="/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#cc0033">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="Web Bird Digital">
<meta name="application-name" content="Web Bird Digital">
<meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#cc0033">
<meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="/mstile-144x144.png">
<meta name="theme-color" content="#cc0033">
The generator creates all of your <link> and <meta> tag elements based on the settings you provided earlier.
Now you just need to press the Favicon Package button to get your files. Once downloaded, just extract them somewhere and copy these icons to your site. As part of the generation process you can specify the directory if you will not be storing them on the site’s root location (for example storing them inside of a nested directory like /images/favicons).
Once you copy over your files and add your HTML to your site’s <head>, you’re good to go. When you pin your site on your device, your website will serve the best looking favicon to your users.
If you end up finding this service useful and find that it saves you time, you might consider donating a few dollars to them as a thank you (they even take Bitcoins!).
Extra Functions and Options
Besides generating favicons, the Real Favicon Generator service lets you check if your website is serving all the required favicons you need, giving you a breakdown of what you could be missing.
Favicon support is continually evolving, so this is a great tool to ensure you are serving up the best favicons and resources you can.
Frequently Asked Questions about Adding Favicons to Your HTML
What is a favicon and why is it important for my website?
A favicon, short for favorite icon, is a small square image or logo that appears next to a web address. You can usually see favicons in your browser tabs, as well as in lists of bookmarks. They are important because they help with the visual identification of your website, improving user experience and brand recognition.
How can I create a favicon for my website?
You can create a favicon using any graphic or logo design software. The image should be square and at least 16×16 pixels. Once you have your image, you can convert it into a .ico file using an online converter tool.
Where should I place the favicon file in my website directory?
It’s recommended to place your favicon file in the root directory of your website. This is usually the same place where your website’s index file is located.
How do I add a favicon to my HTML code?
To add a favicon to your HTML, you need to include a link element in the head section of your HTML document. The link element should point to the location of your favicon file and specify the image type.
Why isn’t my favicon showing up even after I’ve added it to my HTML?
If your favicon isn’t showing up, it could be due to several reasons. The image might not be in the correct format, the link in your HTML might be incorrect, or your browser cache might need to be cleared.
Can I use different favicons for different pages on my website?
Yes, you can use different favicons for different pages. You just need to add the appropriate link element to the head section of each HTML document.
What are the best practices for designing a favicon?
When designing a favicon, it’s important to keep it simple and recognizable. It should match your brand and be easily visible at small sizes. Using a square image is best, as it will display correctly in all browsers.
How can I make my favicon compatible with all browsers?
To ensure your favicon is compatible with all browsers, you can use a favicon generator tool. These tools will create a set of favicons in different sizes and formats to accommodate different browsers.
Can I use an animated favicon?
While it’s technically possible to create an animated favicon, it’s generally not recommended. Animated favicons can be distracting and may not be supported by all browsers.
How can I test if my favicon is working correctly?
You can test your favicon by opening your website in different browsers and checking if the favicon appears correctly. You can also use online favicon checker tools to verify if your favicon is properly implemented.
Full stack developer and overall web enthusiast. I love everything to do with web / design and my passion revolves around creating awesome websites. Focusing primarily on WordPress, I create themes, plugins and bespoke solutions.
