Skip to main content
Google displays website favicons next to search results to help users identify brands. This guide covers how to set up your favicon so it appears in Google Search.

​
Requirements

Before Google will display your favicon, ensure you meet these requirements:
RequirementDetails
DimensionsSquare, minimum 8x8 pixels (48x48+ recommended)
FormatICO, PNG, SVG, or any valid favicon format
Aspect ratioMust be 1:1 (square)
AccessibilityGooglebot must be able to crawl your favicon
ContentNo inappropriate imagery (hate symbols, adult content)
Google recommends favicons of 48x48 pixels or larger for best display quality across devices.

​
Add the favicon to your website

1

Create your favicon file

Design a square image that represents your brand. Save it in a web-compatible format (PNG or ICO are most common).
favicon.ico (32x32 or 48x48 pixels)
For high-DPI displays, consider creating multiple sizes or using SVG format.
2

Add the link tag to your homepage

Add a <link> tag in the <head> section of your homepage HTML:
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico">
Google looks at your homepage to find the favicon for your entire site.
3

Verify crawlability

Ensure your robots.txt file doesn’t block access to your favicon:
robots.txt
# Allow favicon access
User-agent: Googlebot
Allow: /favicon.ico

User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Allow: /favicon.ico
Both Googlebot and Googlebot-Image must be able to access your favicon file.
4

Request indexing (optional)

Speed up the process by requesting Google re-crawl your homepage:
  1. Go to Google Search Console
  2. Enter your homepage URL in the URL Inspection tool
  3. Click “Request Indexing”
Without this step, it can take several days to weeks for Google to discover your favicon.

​
Important limitations

One favicon per hostname: Google supports one favicon per site hostname. Subdomains (like blog.example.com) can have different favicons than your main domain, but subdirectories (example.com/blog/) share the same favicon. No guarantee of display: Even with correct implementation, Google doesn’t guarantee your favicon will appear in search results. Processing time: Changes can take days to weeks to appear, depending on how often Google crawls your site.

​
FAQs

No. Google uses one favicon per hostname. All pages on example.com share the same favicon. Only different subdomains (like app.example.com) can have separate favicons.
ICO format has the widest compatibility. PNG works well for modern browsers. SVG scales perfectly but has slightly less browser support. For best coverage, provide ICO as a fallback with PNG or SVG as the primary.
Typically several days to a few weeks. You can speed this up by requesting indexing through Google Search Console, but there’s no way to force immediate updates.
Google caches favicons and updates them based on crawl frequency. Request re-indexing through Search Console and wait for the cache to refresh. Avoid changing your favicon frequently.
Favicon size doesn’t directly impact SEO rankings, but a clear, recognizable favicon can improve click-through rates by helping users identify your brand in search results.