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To change a favicon, upload the icon file to your deployed website and add a <link rel="icon"> element inside the document’s <head>. For example: <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon.png">. The href must resolve to the image visitors can actually request on your live site.

The basic favicon change

A favicon is the small page icon shown in browser tabs and other browser UI. HTML declares it with the icon link relation. The declaration belongs in the <head>, near the page title and other metadata:

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>My site</title>
  <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon.png">
</head>
<body>
  <h1>My site</h1>
</body>
</html>

Upload favicon.png to the location represented by the URL. A root-relative URL such as /favicon.png starts at the website root, so it works from pages in different folders. A document-relative URL such as images/favicon.png is resolved from the current page’s URL and is appropriate only when that location is intentional.

The type attribute tells the browser the image’s MIME type. It is optional, but useful when you provide alternatives. The sizes attribute is also optional and describes the dimensions of a particular file so a browser can choose among candidates.

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Choosing the file format

Format Example declaration When it fits
ICO <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico"> A conventional favicon file, often containing more than one raster size.
PNG <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon.png"> A raster icon when you want an explicit MIME type and predictable dimensions.
SVG <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg"> A scalable icon when the browser supports the supplied SVG MIME type.

ICO, PNG, SVG and other image formats can be used when the browser supports the supplied MIME type. Do not put an image’s source filename in href unless that filename is also the URL served by your deployed site. A local path that exists on your computer is not a public web address.

Supplying several favicon sizes

If you have more than one icon, add one <link rel="icon"> for each candidate. Browsers can use the media, type and sizes attributes to select an appropriate resource.

<link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32x32.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/favicon-16x16.png">

The dimensions in sizes should describe the actual image. If a file is not 32 by 32 pixels, do not label it 32x32. Accurate hints make selection more predictable when alternatives are present. If you have only one icon, one declaration is sufficient.

Where the declaration must go

  1. Create or select the icon. Save the file in a format your target browsers support.
  2. Copy it into the site’s published files. For a root-relative URL, a file named favicon.png must be reachable at https://your-domain.example/favicon.png.
  3. Edit the HTML document or template. Put the link element between <head> and </head>, not in the body.
  4. Deploy both changes. Uploading the HTML without the image, or the image without the updated HTML, leaves the browser with an incomplete configuration.
  5. Inspect the deployed page. Check the final HTML delivered to visitors, rather than only a source template or development file.

For a site with many pages, place the declaration in the shared layout or head template. Every page then points to the same deployed asset unless a page intentionally overrides it.

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Using the conventional /favicon.ico fallback

Browsers may request /favicon.ico automatically when no explicit icon link is present. That convention can make a newly uploaded root-level ICO appear to work without HTML changes. An explicit declaration is still clearer: it documents the intended asset and lets you choose PNG, SVG, a different path or multiple candidates instead of relying on an automatic request.

If you keep the conventional file as a fallback, you can also declare it explicitly:

<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico">

Adding an Apple home-screen icon

An Apple home-screen (Web Clip) icon is a separate asset from the favicon shown in browser UI. You can declare it with rel="apple-touch-icon":

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">

Apple’s documented site-wide convention is a PNG named apple-touch-icon.png in the root document folder. This declaration does not replace rel="icon"; keep the browser favicon link as well.

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Adding an icon to a progressive web app

A PWA uses a web app manifest in addition to the favicon. Link the manifest from the document head:

<link rel="manifest" href="/app.webmanifest">

The manifest’s icon objects describe installation and launch contexts. Each icon object requires src; sizes, type and purpose are optional.

{
  "name": "Example site",
  "short_name": "Example",
  "icons": [
    {
      "src": "/icons/icon-192.png",
      "sizes": "192x192",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "any"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icons/icon-512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "any maskable"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icons/icon.svg",
      "sizes": "any",
      "type": "image/svg+xml"
    }
  ]
}

Manifest-relative paths resolve relative to the manifest URL, not necessarily the HTML document URL. For example, if the manifest is /app.webmanifest, icons/icon-192.png resolves under /icons/. A PWA app icon is not the same thing as the favicon displayed in the browser’s address bar or tab, so configure both when you need both experiences.

Why the new favicon is not showing

Symptom Likely cause What to check or change
No icon or a default icon The URL in href is wrong, or the file was not deployed. Open the exact href URL directly from the live domain and confirm it returns the intended image.
The old icon remains The browser has not reloaded the icon resource yet. Reload the deployed page and test in a private window. The documentation does not define one universal cache-clearing procedure, so use the browser’s own reload or cache controls.
One of several icons is ignored A type value is not supported, or sizes does not match the file. Verify the MIME type, the actual pixel dimensions and each candidate URL.
Works in a template but not online The published HTML differs from the source template. Inspect the final deployed HTML and confirm the link is inside <head>.
Apple home-screen icon is missing Only a browser favicon was configured. Add rel="apple-touch-icon" and make the PNG reachable at the declared URL, or use the documented root filename.
PWA installation uses the wrong artwork The manifest is missing, inaccessible or points to different icon files. Confirm <link rel="manifest" href="...">, then check each manifest src, sizes and type.

Do not diagnose only from your editor’s preview. The decisive checks are the URL in the live HTML, the response at that URL and the dimensions and MIME type of the returned file.

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Path and deployment examples

Root-relative asset

<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/assets/favicon.png">

This expects the file at the site root’s assets directory. It remains stable when the page is moved from / to /docs/ or another folder.

Document-relative asset

<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="images/favicon.png">

On a page at /guide/start.html, this resolves under that page’s directory. Use it only when that relationship is deliberate; a page at a different depth will resolve a different URL.

One shared head with alternatives

<head>
  <title>Example</title>
  <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg">
  <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32x32.png">
  <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">
  <link rel="manifest" href="/app.webmanifest">
</head>

Performance and maintenance considerations

  • Keep URLs intentional. A single stable root-relative path is easier to deploy and debug than many accidental document-relative paths.
  • Describe alternatives accurately. The browser can use type, media and sizes as selection hints; incorrect values can prevent the preferred candidate from being selected.
  • Separate contexts. Browser tabs, Apple home screens and PWA installation read related but separate declarations. Updating one does not automatically update the others.
  • Test the live response. A successful local build does not prove that the production server exposes the image at the URL in the final HTML.
  • Expect delayed visual changes. Browsers can retain icon resources while testing. A private-window check helps distinguish a bad path from a previously loaded resource.
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A single GET request can capture the deployed page. The API supports PNG, JPEG, WebP and PDF output, and options include full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, device presets or custom viewports, retina scale, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, waits, blocked requests, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, TTL-based caching, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks and bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call. Its MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.

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Using the API documented at https://screenshotneo.com/docs/:

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cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://freedom251.com -o shot.webp

Python

import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://freedom251.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://freedom251.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);

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Quick verification checklist

  • The icon file exists in the deployed site, not only in the local project.
  • The final HTML contains <link rel="icon" ...> inside <head>.
  • Every href points to the intended live URL.
  • Any declared MIME type matches the returned file format.
  • Each sizes value matches the actual dimensions.
  • Apple and PWA assets have their own declarations when those contexts matter.
  • You have tested after a reload or in a private window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an explicit favicon link required if I already have /favicon.ico?

Not always: browsers may request /favicon.ico automatically, but an explicit link documents the intended asset and gives you control over format and alternatives.

Can one favicon declaration also set the PWA installation icon?

No. A PWA reads icon objects from its linked web app manifest; configure that manifest separately from the browser-tab favicon.

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Why does a relative favicon path work on one page but fail on another?

Document-relative URLs resolve from the current page’s directory. Use a root-relative path when the same asset must work at different URL depths.

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