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Favicon not showing: causes and fixes

Most missing favicons come from five causes. Check them in this order.

1. The file cannot be opened

Open the address of the icon in a browser tab, for example https://example.com/favicon.ico. You should see the picture. A "not found" page means the file is missing or in the wrong folder. Check that its name and capital letters are exactly as in the link tag.

The tag belongs in the <head> of the page. Google's documentation says to add it to the head of your home page. View the page source and search for rel="icon".

3. The browser keeps the old icon

Browsers keep icons for a long time and do not always check them when you reload. Close the tab and open the site again, try a private window, or change the icon's file name (for example favicon-v2.png) and the link tag.

4. The address keeps changing

Google says the favicon address must be stable and not changed frequently. If your build adds a new random name each time, search results can keep showing the old icon or no icon.

5. The format or size is not supported

The icon must be square, at least 8 × 8 pixels, and Google recommends larger than 48 × 48. Supported formats for Google Search are BMP, GIF, ICO, PNG, JPEG, PPM and TIFF. SVG is not in that list.

Search results are slower than tabs

A favicon in a browser tab can change at once, but the icon in Google search results is updated when Google has fetched it again, which can take a while.

In Blogger

Blogger's settings page lists a Favicon option for uploading a custom favicon. Use a square picture, and upload the largest size you have.

Quick test list

  1. Open the icon address directly.
  2. View the page source for the link tag.
  3. Test in a private window.
  4. Change the file name once if the cache is the problem.
  5. Use a square image of at least 48 pixels.
How long does a change take in search results?

There is no fixed time. Keep the address stable and wait.

Why does my icon look blurry?

The browser scales it. Provide the 16, 32 and 48 pixel versions and test the 16 pixel one.

Sources

  • Google Search Central: Define a favicon to show in search results (developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/favicon-in-search)
  • Blogger Help: settings page (support.google.com/blogger), the Favicon setting

Read on 14 November 2026.

This is an independent guide. It is not connected with Google, Apple, Mozilla, Blogger or any company named here. Facts were read on 14 November 2026 from the pages named on each page. The icon maker runs in your browser: your picture is not uploaded anywhere.