One 32-pixel icon is not enough any more: browsers, phones and install prompts each ask for a
different size and format.
One upload, every size
The tab icon, the bookmark bar, the shortcut on an Android home screen and the icon iOS
keeps when someone adds your site to their phone are four different files. This tool
builds all of them from one upload, each at the exact size its platform expects.
Sharp where it is smallest
Every icon is drawn down from one large square image, so the 16-pixel version stays crisp
instead of turning into a smudge. Nothing is upscaled, so no icon is invented out of too
few pixels.
Ready-made markup
The pack also brings the link tags for the head of your document and a web manifest, so
you paste one snippet instead of hunting down six filenames and their attributes.
How to make a favicon
Three steps, one download, no design software.
Upload your logo
Drop a square PNG or an SVG on the box, click it to browse, or paste straight from the
clipboard with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac). Files up to 25 MB are fine, and an SVG stays a
vector inside the pack.
Fine-tune the icon
Add padding if the artwork reaches the very edge of the square, choose a background when
a transparent icon would disappear on a dark tab bar, set the theme colour that mobile
browsers paint around the icon, and type your site name so the manifest reads nicely.
Download and install it
One click saves a ZIP with every file listed below. Unzip it into the root of your site —
the folder that holds index.html — and paste the snippet from snippet.html into the head
of your pages. The paths in that snippet match the file names, so nothing needs editing.
What is in the pack
The archive is flat: every file sits at the top level, exactly where the snippet expects it.
favicon.ico
The classic icon file, holding 16, 32 and 48 pixel images in one container. Older
browsers, feed readers and shortcuts still look for favicon.ico at the root of a site
before asking for anything else.
favicon-16x16.png and favicon-32x32.png
The two sizes browser tabs, bookmarks and pinned tabs use. Given a choice, modern
browsers prefer these over the .ico, because a PNG keeps transparency and colour far
better at small sizes.
apple-touch-icon.png
A flat 180 pixel icon for iOS and iPadOS home screens; the rounded corners are added by
the system. It is always opaque — transparent areas are filled with your background
colour, or white when none was chosen, because those devices paint transparency black.
android-chrome-192x192.png and android-chrome-512x512.png
The two sizes listed in the web manifest, used for home-screen shortcuts and the
installable app prompt. The 512 pixel file is also the one app stores ask for when they
want a large icon.
favicon.svg
Included only when you upload an SVG: the same artwork as a vector, so a browser on a
high-density screen can draw it without resampling. A raster upload does not get this
file — tracing a vector out of pixels would only make the icon softer.
site.webmanifest and snippet.html
The manifest carries the site name, the theme and background colours and the icon list
that phones read when your site is installed. snippet.html carries the link tags and the
theme-color meta tag, ready to paste. Keep both file names as they are, or edit the
markup to match.
Three tips for an icon that holds up
Small icons forgive very little, so the file you start from decides almost everything.
Start from a square SVG or a PNG of 512 px
A vector, or a PNG of at least 512 × 512 pixels, has enough detail for every size in the
pack, and a square source is used as drawn instead of being fitted into the canvas with
empty bands on two sides. A smaller image still works, but the bigger icons will look
soft.
Use padding instead of a tight crop
An icon that touches all four edges looks crowded next to other tabs. A few percent of
padding, up to 30, adds breathing room on a transparent canvas, and the same amount is
applied to every size, so the pack stays consistent.
Keep the shape simple at 16 px
Sixteen pixels hold a silhouette, not thin lines, lettering or fine gradients. A bold
mark in one or two colours survives the smallest size; if your logo puts a word under the
symbol, upload a version without it and the tab icon will read much better.
Frequently asked questions
Which files does the ZIP contain?
A favicon.ico holding 16, 32 and 48 pixel images, the favicon-16x16.png and favicon-32x32.png pair, a 180 pixel apple-touch-icon.png, the 192 and 512 pixel Android icons, site.webmanifest, and snippet.html with the link tags. Upload an SVG and favicon.svg is added as well, because that is the one format that can stay a vector.
Where do the files go?
Into the root folder of your site, the same place as index.html, without any subfolder. The link tags in snippet.html point at /favicon.ico, /favicon-32x32.png and the rest, so moving a file into an images folder means editing the snippet too. Once the files are in place, paste the snippet into the head section of every page, or into the shared template if your site has one.
Can I start from an SVG logo?
Yes, and it is the best starting point: the icon keeps sharp edges at every size, and the pack includes favicon.svg so browsers on high-density screens can use the vector directly. The script elements and outside references of the upload are removed before anything is rendered, so only the drawing itself ends up in the icon.
What size should my source image be?
At least 512 pixels on both sides, and ideally 1024. The largest icon in the pack is 512 pixels, so a source of that size or bigger can be downscaled without loss. A square image works best; a wide or tall one is fitted into a square with transparent space around it, which makes the visible icon smaller. Anything under 192 pixels is accepted but the large icons will look soft.