How to Convert Images to ICO (Favicon) for Free
That little icon in the browser tab next to a site's name is called a favicon, and its file format is ICO. Every website should have one — it makes the site recognisable in tabs and bookmarks. Here is how to make one from any image, free, in your browser.
What is an ICO file?
ICO is the format Windows and browsers use for icons. Unlike JPG or PNG, a single ICO file can hold the same image at several sizes at once (16, 32 and 48 pixels are the classics), so the browser picks the sharpest one for wherever it shows it. That is why favicons are ICO files and not just small PNGs.
Convert an image to ICO in three steps
- Open the PNG to ICO converter (or the JPG to ICO converter if your image is a JPG). There is nothing to install and no sign-up form.
- Drop in your image. A square image works best — a logo, or a photo cropped to a square.
- Click Convert, then download the .ico file. Save it as favicon.ico and put it in your website's root folder.
Tips for a good favicon
Keep it simple. At 16 pixels wide, fine detail disappears, so a bold shape or a single letter works far better than a detailed photo. If your logo has a lot of text, use just the mark or the first letter. And check it on a dark tab as well as a light one — a dark logo on a dark tab is invisible, so a light border or a contrasting background helps.
How to add it to your website
Most website builders and WordPress themes pick up a file named favicon.ico in the site's root automatically. If yours does not, add one line to the site's header: a link tag pointing at the favicon. Then reload the page — you may need to clear the browser cache once before the new icon shows.