Favicon Checker Tool

Favicon Checker

Note: This tool checks common favicon locations. Results may be incomplete if the site uses non-standard methods or blocks access (CORS). See explanation below.

About the Favicon Checker Tool

What is a Favicon?

A favicon (short for "favorite icon") is a small icon, typically 16x16 or 32x32 pixels, associated with a particular website or web page. You most commonly see favicons in:

  • Browser tabs
  • Bookmark lists or favorites bars
  • Browser history
  • Address bar (in some browsers)
  • Search engine results pages (SERPs)

Favicons serve as a visual identifier for your website, helping users quickly locate your site among multiple open tabs or bookmarks. They are an important part of website branding and user experience.

Common favicon formats include ICO (a traditional format that can contain multiple sizes), PNG (supports transparency, widely used), GIF, JPEG, and increasingly SVG (scalable vector format).

How Does This Tool Work?

This Favicon Checker tool attempts to find the favicons associated with the URL you provide by checking the most common locations and declarations:

  1. Fetch HTML (Attempt): The tool first tries to download the main HTML source code of the entered URL.
    • If successful: It parses the HTML to find specific `` tags that define favicons. These typically look like:
      • (for iOS devices)
      It also looks for a tag.
    • If unsuccessful (e.g., due to CORS): The tool cannot parse the HTML for specific `` tags. It will indicate this limitation and proceed only with checking the default location.
  2. Fetch Manifest (Attempt): If a `manifest.json` link was found in the HTML (and HTML was accessible), the tool tries to download this JSON file. If successful, it looks for icon definitions within the manifest's `icons` array. (This step is also subject to CORS).
  3. Check Default Location: Regardless of HTML access, the tool *always* checks for the presence of a file named favicon.ico located at the root of the website's domain (e.g., `https://www.example.com/favicon.ico`). This is a widely supported convention.
  4. Display Results: The tool gathers all the unique favicon URLs found through these methods, resolves any relative paths to full URLs, and then attempts to display each icon along with information about where it was found (e.g., "HTML Link Tag", "Default /favicon.ico", "Manifest File").

Important Limitations:

  • CORS Restrictions: Like the Webpage Size Checker, this tool's ability to fetch the HTML source or `manifest.json` file from *other* websites is limited by the browser's Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) policy. If the target website doesn't explicitly allow access, the tool cannot read the HTML or manifest and will rely primarily on the default `/favicon.ico` check.
  • Non-Standard Implementations: Websites might use server-side logic or unusual JavaScript methods to set favicons, which this tool may not detect.
  • Dynamic Favicons: Some sites change favicons dynamically (e.g., notification counts). This tool checks the static declarations available at load time.

How to Use This Tool

  1. Enter URL: Type or paste the full URL (including `http://` or `https://`) of the website you want to check.
  2. Click Button: Press the "Check Favicon" button.
  3. View Results:
    • A status message will indicate if the check is running, encountered an error, or faced limitations (like CORS blocking HTML access).
    • The results area will display any detected favicons as image previews.
    • Below each image, it will note how the favicon was found (e.g., Link Tag, Default, Manifest) and provide a link to the icon file itself.
    • If no favicons are found via the checked methods, a message indicating this will appear.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is this Favicon Checker tool free?
Yes, this tool is completely free to use.
Why didn't the tool find my website's favicon?
There could be several reasons:
  • The favicon might not be implemented correctly according to web standards (missing link tags, incorrect paths).
  • The tool might have been blocked by CORS from accessing the website's HTML or manifest file, limiting its check to just `/favicon.ico`.
  • The favicon file itself might be missing or inaccessible (e.g., 404 error).
  • Your browser might have cached an old version or no favicon; try clearing cache or a private browsing window.
  • The website uses a non-standard method this tool doesn't check.
What are the best practices for implementing favicons?
Modern best practice involves providing multiple sizes and formats:
  • Include a basic /favicon.ico at the root for broadest compatibility.
  • Use `` for various PNG sizes (e.g., 16x16, 32x32, 48x48).
  • Consider `` for a scalable SVG favicon.
  • Include `` for iOS home screen icons.
  • Define icons within a `manifest.json` file for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Ensure paths are correct and files are accessible.
What image formats work best for favicons?
  • ICO: Traditional, can contain multiple resolutions, best for widest legacy support. Still recommended to include `/favicon.ico`.
  • PNG: Excellent quality, supports transparency, widely supported by modern browsers. Good for standard icons and Apple touch icons.
  • SVG: Scalable vector format, looks sharp at any resolution, smaller file size often. Increasingly supported but not universal yet.
  • GIF: Can be used, supports animation (though often discouraged for favicons).
Why did the tool show a CORS warning or error?
This happens when the website you are checking doesn't allow this tool (running on a different domain) to fetch its HTML source code or manifest file due to browser security rules (CORS). When this occurs, the tool can only perform the limited check for `/favicon.ico` at the root.
Does this tool check favicons for mobile apps (PWAs)?
It attempts to find and check icons listed in a `manifest.json` file if one is linked in the HTML and accessible (not blocked by CORS). Manifest files are commonly used for PWAs.
Can I trust the results completely?
The tool provides a good indication based on standard practices and accessible files. However, due to potential CORS limitations and non-standard implementations on websites, it might not always find every single favicon a site uses or declare a site has no favicon when one exists but is implemented unusually.