Do you need a favicon? The small icon buyers notice

Key takeaways

Yes, every business website needs a favicon. It is the small icon shown in browser tabs, bookmarks and next to your site in Google's mobile and desktop results. Without one, Google shows a generic globe and browser tabs look blank, which makes a site look unfinished. It takes an hour to set up properly.

• A favicon appears in browser tabs, bookmarks and Google results.
• Google requires a square icon in a multiple of 48px, such as 48×48.
• A missing favicon shows a generic globe icon in search results.
• Use a simplified mark of your logo that reads at tiny sizes.

What is a favicon?

A favicon is a small square icon that represents a website in browser tabs, bookmarks, home-screen shortcuts and search results. The name comes from 'favourites icon'. Google shows it next to your site name in search results, so it is often the first piece of your brand a searcher sees.

• How website design influences brand credibility
• Does logo quality affect your website's credibility?

Why does a favicon affect credibility?

A favicon affects credibility because its absence is noticeable. In Google results, a site without one shows a generic globe while competitors show their marks. In a browser with several tabs open, a blank tab looks like a site nobody finished. It is a small signal, but it sits right at the moment of choosing which result to click.

• Website first impressions: what visitors judge in seconds
• Distinctive brand assets: be recognised at a glance

What are Google's favicon requirements?

Google's guidance says the favicon must be square, a multiple of 48 pixels on each side, such as 48×48 or 96×96, and in a supported format. It must be crawlable and represent your brand. Google also uses your site name, which you can influence with WebSite structured data, alongside the favicon in results.

• Square, and a multiple of 48px, such as 48×48, 96×96 or 192×192.
• A supported file type, such as ICO, PNG or SVG.
• Crawlable by Google, with a stable URL.
• Visually represents your brand; no inappropriate content.

• Schema markup for small business websites

How do you design a good favicon?

Use a simplified part of your logo, such as an initial or symbol, because a full logo with words becomes unreadable at 16 pixels. Check it on light and dark browser themes. Keep the colours the same as your brand so it is recognisable from your social profiles and signage.

• Brand guidelines for your website: what to include

When does the favicon not matter?

The favicon will not rescue a weak result. If your title and description in search are vague, or the site has larger credibility gaps, fix those first. Think of the favicon as a finishing detail: cheap and worth doing, but only one small signal among many.

• Website credibility quick wins you can make this week

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a site launched with the platform's default favicon, so its tab and search result show the website builder's logo rather than the business's. Replacing it with a simplified brand mark takes minutes and stops the site looking like a template.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Favicon checklist

• Create a square icon from a simplified logo mark.
• Export at 48×48 and larger multiples of 48.
• Check it on light and dark browser themes.
• Replace any website builder default icon.
• Search for your business and check how it appears.

• The website credibility score: rate your site out of 10
• Website template mistakes that make a business look generic

Next step

Search your business name on a phone and look at the icon beside your result. If it is a globe or a builder's logo, fix it today.