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In WordPress, a favicon is called a Site Icon. The correct way to add one depends on your WordPress version and whether your active theme is a block theme or a classic theme. Prepare a square image, then use the built-in Site Icon control in your dashboard—no favicon.ico file or theme-code editing is normally required.
What a favicon is called in WordPress
A favicon, short for “favorite icon,” is the small image associated with a website or web page. Browsers display it in tabs and bookmarks, and phones can use it when a site is saved as a mobile app or home-screen shortcut.
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WordPress calls this image a Site Icon. The name changed the emphasis from an old-style favicon.ico file to one setting that can supply the appropriate icon metadata for modern browsers and devices. WordPress Version 4.3 introduced the built-in Site Icon feature.
The setting is separate from your Site Logo. A logo is visible page content, usually in a header or branding area. A Site Icon identifies the site outside the page itself, such as in a browser tab. You can use the same source image for both, but they serve different purposes.
Prepare the image before opening WordPress
Use the required shape and size
Make the source image square and at least 512 by 512 pixels. WordPress.org recommends PNG for a Site Icon. A larger square source gives WordPress enough pixels to generate the smaller representations used by browsers and operating systems.
Design for very small display sizes
At tab size, fine lettering and complex illustrations disappear. Use a simple mark with strong contrast and enough empty space around it. Keep important details away from the extreme edges because some devices mask icons into rounded or circular shapes.
Choose the source file
- Use a clean square PNG whenever possible.
- Keep the original file available in case you need to replace or resize the icon later.
- If your existing logo is a wide rectangle, do not upload it unchanged and expect it to remain legible. Place the mark on a square canvas first.
- Use an image for which you have the necessary rights; the Site Icon is distributed wherever your site is represented.
You do not need to create multiple files for 16-pixel, 32-pixel, or mobile use. The built-in setting accepts one source image and WordPress supplies the relevant icon declarations.
WordPress 6.5 and later: use Settings
On WordPress 6.5 or a later version, the standard dashboard route is in the general settings screen.
- Sign in to the WordPress administrator dashboard.
- Open Settings > General.
- Find the Site icon control and click Choose a Site icon.
- In the Media Library dialog, select the prepared image. To add a new file, choose the upload option and select it from your computer.
- Confirm the image selection and save the settings.
- Open the front end in a fresh browser tab and look at the tab or bookmark presentation.
The Media Library may show an existing image that meets the size requirement. Selecting it reuses that attachment; uploading a new image creates a new media item. If WordPress asks you to confirm or crop the image, follow that prompt before saving.
If the control is not on Settings > General
Do not assume the feature is unavailable. The visible menu can reflect the active theme architecture, a managed host’s dashboard customizations, or an older WordPress release. Check the version under Dashboard > Updates, then identify whether the theme uses the Site Editor or the Customizer. Use the matching workflow below rather than adding code immediately.
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Block themes: use the Site Editor
Block themes expose site-wide identity controls through the Site Editor. Their menu does not use the classic Customizer path for this task.
- Open Appearance > Editor.
- In the Site Editor sidebar, select Identity.
- Locate Site Icon and choose an image from the Media Library or upload the prepared file.
- Save the Site Editor changes when prompted. Saving the editor is separate from editing an individual page or template.
- Visit the public site in a new tab to check the browser tab icon.
The Identity panel is where a block theme groups site-level branding controls. If you open a template or a page instead, you may see blocks but not the Site Icon control; return to the editor’s Identity area.
Using a Site Logo block as the source
Some block-theme interfaces offer Use as site icon from the Site Logo block. That command reuses the logo image for the Site Icon. It is convenient when the logo is already square and remains recognizable at tiny sizes. If the logo is a wide header graphic, create a suitable square image instead of accepting a distorted or unreadable result.
Classic themes and WordPress 4.3 through 6.4: use the Customizer
Classic themes, including older installations in the 4.3–6.4 range, normally place the control in the Customizer.
- Open Appearance > Customize.
- Select Site Identity.
- Under Site Icon, click Select Image.
- Choose an existing Media Library image or upload the prepared file.
- If WordPress presents a crop screen, keep the crop square and confirm it.
- Click Publish or Save & Publish to apply the change.
- Open the site in a fresh tab and inspect the tab or bookmark icon.
The Customizer preview can show the selected image before it is published. Leaving the screen without publishing leaves the public site unchanged.
Which workflow should you use?
Use the row that matches both the WordPress release and the active theme. The labels are more reliable than trying to infer the route from a tutorial written for a different installation.
| Situation | Menu path | Where the image is selected | How changes are saved | Manual theme code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress 6.5 or later using the standard settings control | Settings > General | Site icon control and Media Library | Save the general settings | Not needed |
| Active block theme | Appearance > Editor > Identity | Site Icon in the Site Editor | Save Site Editor changes | Not needed |
| Classic theme or WordPress 4.3–6.4 | Appearance > Customize > Site Identity | Select Image in the Customizer | Publish or Save & Publish | Not needed |
A site can be updated or have its theme switched after an earlier icon was set. If a menu appears to have moved, check both the WordPress version and the currently active theme before changing anything else.
What WordPress generates for the icon
The Site Icon setting is more than a single filename. WordPress core’s wp_site_icon() function emits icon metadata for several target sizes:
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- A 192×192 icon link used by compatible Android and other web-app contexts.
- A 180×180 Apple touch icon.
- A 270×270 Microsoft tile image.
The exact way a browser displays an icon depends on that browser, operating system, bookmark type, and cache. The important practical point is that one properly prepared Site Icon lets WordPress publish the declarations rather than requiring you to hand-author each link element.
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Why a separate favicon.ico is usually unnecessary
Older tutorials often tell you to make a file named favicon.ico, upload it to the site root, and add HTML to a theme header. The built-in Site Icon workflow normally removes that work. Manually adding competing tags can create conflicting sources, be overwritten by a theme update, or require maintenance whenever the image changes.
Troubleshoot a missing or unchanged Site Icon
The Site Identity menu is missing
“Site Identity” is the classic Customizer label. A block theme generally places the control at Appearance > Editor > Identity instead. Conversely, a classic theme may not offer the Site Editor Identity panel. Check the active theme under Appearance > Themes and use its matching interface.
The Site Icon control is not in General settings
Confirm the WordPress version and dashboard permissions. The Settings route described above applies to WordPress 6.5 and later, while older versions and theme interfaces can expose the same feature elsewhere. A user role that cannot change site settings may also hide or disable the control; an administrator can verify the setting.
The image is rejected or cannot be selected
- Check that the source is square and at least 512×512 pixels.
- Try a PNG if the current file format produces an upload or processing error.
- Choose a different image from the Media Library to determine whether the issue is with the file or the interface.
- If WordPress offers a crop step, complete it rather than closing the dialog.
The old icon still appears
First confirm that you completed the relevant save action: general settings, Site Editor save, or Customizer publish. Then open the public URL in a new tab or a private window. Browsers can retain previously fetched tab and bookmark icons, so checking only the already-open tab may not show the latest image immediately. Also inspect the site’s public front end rather than relying solely on the administrator preview.
The logo appears but the tab icon does not
A visible Site Logo does not automatically prove that a Site Icon is configured. Set the icon in the Site Icon control, or use Use as site icon from a Site Logo block when that option is available. The two settings can contain different images.
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The icon looks blurry or cropped
Replace a small or rectangular source with a larger square PNG. Simplify the artwork and leave visual breathing room around the mark. The browser may display the same source at dimensions far smaller than the original, so details that look sharp in the Media Library can become indistinct in a tab.
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Verification should test the places where visitors encounter the identity image, not just the dashboard control.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Open the site’s public home page in a new browser tab and inspect the tab.
- Bookmark the page or open an existing bookmark and check whether the icon is associated with it.
- Test the site on a mobile browser if mobile shortcuts matter to your audience.
- Check a second browser or a private window to distinguish a saved old icon from a publishing problem.
- If the icon is still absent everywhere, return to the matching WordPress workflow and confirm that the image selection was saved or published.
Do not treat a favicon as a ranking or conversion guarantee. Official WordPress material documents the feature and its generated icon targets, but it does not publish a measured traffic, search-ranking, or conversion increase attributable to adding one.
When manual code is justified
For a normal WordPress site, the built-in Site Icon control is the default. Consider custom markup only when a specific, documented requirement falls outside WordPress’s generated set—for example, a separately managed application manifest or a platform-specific asset system. Such work should be planned with the site’s developer because it can interact with theme output, caching, security rules, and future updates.
Do not edit a parent theme’s header merely to reproduce the standard Site Icon feature. A parent-theme change can be lost during an update, while duplicate icon declarations can make troubleshooting harder. If a custom implementation is genuinely required, document which source is authoritative and remove conflicting declarations.
Changing or removing a Site Icon
Replace it
Repeat the workflow for your installation, choose the new square image, and complete the same save or publish action. Recheck a fresh tab because an already-open browser tab may continue displaying the previous resource.
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Open the same Site Icon control and use its remove or clear command if the interface provides one, then save or publish. Removing the Site Icon does not remove a Site Logo from page content; those are independent settings.
Quick Recap
Quick decision checklist
- Is the source image square, at least 512×512 pixels, and preferably a PNG?
- Is the site running WordPress 6.5 or later, or an older release?
- Is the active theme a block theme or a classic theme?
- Did you use the corresponding menu path rather than a guide for another interface?
- Did you finish the required save, Site Editor save, or publish action?
- Did you test a fresh tab, bookmark, and mobile context where relevant?
- Did you keep the Site Icon separate from the Site Logo when the two images have different jobs?
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