Free Tool

Favicon Checker

Q: Why is my favicon not showing in Google search results?

The four common causes are: the icon is not square, robots.txt blocks Googlebot-Image from crawling the file, the icon is declared on a subpage rather than the home page, or Google has not recrawled yet. Google supports one favicon per hostname and reads it from the home page.

Q: Does my favicon have to be a multiple of 48px?

No. That was earlier guidance and it is still repeated widely, but the current Google documentation states the favicon must be square and at least 8x8px, with larger than 48x48px recommended. Any valid favicon format is supported.

Q: Do I still need favicon.ico in the site root?

Yes. Browsers and crawlers request /favicon.ico directly whether or not you declare it in your markup, so serving one avoids repeated 404s. A multi-size ICO also covers 16, 32, and 48px from a single file.

Q: Why does my icon look blurry even though the file is large?

Usually the sizes attribute in your markup does not match the real file. Browsers pick which icon to render from the declared value, so a 16x16 file labelled sizes=32x32 gets selected for a 32px slot and then upscaled. This tool reads the real dimensions from the file and flags the mismatch.

Q: Can I check localhost or staging URLs?

Staging URLs work if they are publicly reachable. Localhost and private network addresses will not work, because the check runs server-side and cannot reach your machine.

A favicon checker audits the icons a live site serves. OverlayQA's free favicon checker finds every declaration on a page, including link rel="icon", apple-touch-icon, mask-icon, msapplication-TileImage, and the icons listed in a web app manifest. It then requests each file to confirm it actually loads, reads the real pixel dimensions out of the image bytes, probes the root /favicon.ico fallback, and checks robots.txt for rules that would stop Googlebot-Image from crawling the icon. No account required.

What Is a Favicon?

A favicon is the small square icon that represents a site in a browser tab, a bookmark, a browsing history list, and next to the result in Google Search. It is declared with a link rel="icon" tag in the page head, and most browsers also request /favicon.ico at the site root whether you declare it or not. One icon is no longer enough: iOS reads a separate apple-touch-icon for home screen tiles, Android reads its icons from the web app manifest, and Google Search reads the declaration on your home page.

The Rule Most Favicon Guides Get Wrong

Google's current documentation states a favicon "must be a square (1:1 aspect ratio) that's at least 8x8px" and recommends "a favicon that's larger than 48x48px so that it looks good on various surfaces". The widely repeated claim that a favicon must be an exact multiple of 48px is older guidance that Google no longer publishes. Google also requires that Googlebot-Image can crawl the favicon file, and supports one favicon per hostname, read from the home page. Source: Google Search Central, Define a favicon to show in search results.

How to Check a Favicon

Enter your URL. Check the home page first, because Google reads one favicon per hostname from the home page.
Click Check Favicon. The tool reads the head, follows the manifest, probes the root favicon.ico, and requests every icon.
Review the previews and findings. See the icon as a browser tab, an iOS home screen tile, and a Google result, with a table of declared size against real size.
Fix what is broken. Replace icons that error, correct any wrong sizes attribute, add a 180x180 apple-touch-icon, and add 192x192 and 512x512 manifest icons.

The Favicon Files You Actually Need

favicon.ico at the site root. A multi-size ICO holding 16, 32, and 48px. Browsers and crawlers request this path directly.
An SVG icon. Scalable, sharp at every size, and able to respond to dark mode.
A PNG larger than 48x48. Square, and what Google Search wants for the result icon.
apple-touch-icon.png at 180x180. The iOS home screen tile. Without it, Safari saves a screenshot of your page instead.
192x192 and 512x512 PNGs in your web app manifest. Chromium requires both for a site to be installable. Source: web.dev, Add a web app manifest.

Favicon Size Reference

File	Size	Where it shows up
favicon.ico	16, 32, 48 in one file	Browser tabs, bookmarks, legacy browsers, crawlers
icon.svg	Scalable	Modern browser tabs, dark mode variants
favicon PNG	Larger than 48x48, square	Google Search results
apple-touch-icon.png	180x180	iOS home screen, iPadOS dock
manifest icon	192x192	Android home screen, install prompt
manifest icon	512x512	Android splash screen, app listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this favicon checker free? Yes. Paste any URL and check as many pages as you need. No account, no login, no usage limits.

What size should a favicon be? Google requires a square icon at least 8x8px and recommends larger than 48x48px. In practice, ship a multi-size favicon.ico, an SVG, a 180x180 apple-touch-icon, and 192x192 plus 512x512 manifest icons.

Why is my favicon not showing in Google search results? The icon is not square, robots.txt blocks Googlebot-Image, the icon is declared on a subpage instead of the home page, or Google has not recrawled yet.

Does my favicon have to be a multiple of 48px? No. That is older guidance. The current documentation asks for a square icon of at least 8x8px, with larger than 48x48px recommended.

Do I still need favicon.ico in the site root? Yes. Browsers and crawlers request that path directly whether or not you declare it, so serving one avoids repeated 404s.

What is the difference between a favicon and an apple-touch-icon? The favicon is the browser tab and search result icon. The apple-touch-icon is the iOS home screen tile. Skipping it makes iOS save a screenshot of your page.

Why does my icon look blurry even though the file is large? The sizes attribute usually does not match the real file, so a small file gets selected for a larger slot and upscaled.

Can I check localhost or staging URLs? Staging URLs work if publicly reachable. Localhost and private addresses will not, because the check runs server-side.

Related Free Tools

Last updated August 2026