Creating Your Site Icon for Web Design Services

site icon header

The Site Icon (sometimes called a favicon or shortcut icon) is a small image associated with a website. Site Icons differ slightly from favicons. A true favicon is an .ico format image that generally appears only in a couple of places like a browser address bar or browser tab, next to the site or page title. A Site Icon may be used in a variety of places to help identify and brand a site, including:

  • Browser address bar
  • Browser tab, next to the site or page title
  • Beside a bookmark on desktops
  • On a user’s mobile device if the site is bookmarked or added to the user’s home screen.

Because Site Icons are used in a variety of places; to ensure good image quality, regardless of where it appears, a site icon should be square and at least 512 pixels wide and tall.

A modern, user-friendly website can boost your online engagement and help build your business. Contact our professional web design team today for a beautiful, custom WordPress website.

Adding Site Icon to Your website:

  1. In the dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize > Site Identity.
  2. Next, click on the Select Image button under Site Icon and upload the Site Icon. If the Site Icon was uploaded previously, select that existing image instead of uploading.
  3. Click the Select button in the lower right corner to take you back to the Site Identity screen.

    If the image isn’t 512px X 512px, you will be presented with an option to crop the image so it is 512px X 512px. Complete this step to be taken back to the Site Identity screen.
  4. Back on the Site Identity screen, click the Publish button at the top of the panel.
  5. Check the live site, and you should now see the icon next to the site/page title on the browser tab. Depending on the browser used, you may see the icon next to the browser address bar as well.

Note, if you are changing from a favicon.ico to a Site Icon, you will need to either rename the favicon.ico file on the server or delete it. Additionally, the old favicon.ico file may be cached in the browser for a couple of days as well, and you will need to come back and check the Site Icon after a couple of days.

  • customize
  • site identity
  • select
  • imh favicon
  • site icon preview
  • publish

For more tutorials and information on how to customize your website or get started with the design process, please check our Web Design Services channel!

InMotion Hosting Contributor
InMotion Hosting Contributor Content Writer

InMotion Hosting contributors are highly knowledgeable individuals who create relevant content on new trends and troubleshooting techniques to help you achieve your online goals!

More Articles by InMotion Hosting

Was this article helpful? Join the conversation!