Designers and brand teams
Reviewing how competitors present their icons at small sizes.
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FREE TOOL
Favicon Downloader: Download Any Website Favicon
A favicon downloader fetches the small icon that a website shows in browser tabs, bookmarks and search results. Enter a domain in the WritoryBuzz tool and it previews the favicon at standard sizes on light or checkerboard backgrounds, lets you download it and runs a quick check against Google's search favicon requirements.
Favicons are brand assets that belong to their owners, so download them for research, competitor analysis or reference, not to reuse as your own icon.
Fetch a favicon aboveQuick start
1Enter a domain
2Click Fetch
3Check the preview
4Read the quality check
Fetch Favicon
Preview
Fetching favicon...
Enter a domain above to begin.
Domain: -
Status: -
Quality Check
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through Google's public favicon service, not straight from the target site's own file. Browsers block most direct requests due to CORS. Common sizes: 16x16 and 32x32 for tabs, 180x180 for Apple Touch Icon, 192x192 for Android Chrome and 512x512 for PWAs. For Google Search, the favicon must be square, crawlable and a multiple of 48 pixels. Use: research and reference only. Do not reuse another brand's icon.
What Is a Favicon?
A favicon, short for favourite icon, is the small image that represents a website. It appears in the browser tab, the bookmarks list, browser history, mobile home screen shortcuts and, on Google, next to the site name in search results. It is usually defined in the HTML head with a link tag using rel="icon".
A good favicon helps people find your tab among twenty others, recognise your result in a crowded search page and trust the link. It is a small part of branding, but it appears everywhere.
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How to Use the Favicon Downloader
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1STEP 1 Enter a domain, such as github.com or notion.so, in the box. You can also click one of the examples.
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2STEP 2 Click Fetch. The tool retrieves the favicon.
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3STEP 3 Check the preview. You see the icon at several sizes. Toggle the checkerboard background to spot transparency.
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4STEP 4 Read the quality check. It compares the result with Google's search display requirements.
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5STEP 5 Download the size or file you need.
Favicon Sizes and Best Practices
| Size | Where it is used | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 16x16 | Browser tab and address bar | Required |
| 32x32 | Windows taskbar and high-DPI tabs | Required |
| 180x180 | Apple Touch Icon for iOS home screens | Required |
| 192x192 | Android Chrome and progressive web apps | Required |
| 512x512 | PWA splash screens and app stores | Recommended |
An SVG favicon is scalable, so one file can cover every size on browsers that support it. Many sites still ship an ICO or PNG fallback for older browsers.
Citable definition
A favicon is a small icon that identifies a website in browser tabs, bookmarks and search results. It is declared in the page's HTML head and is typically provided in several sizes, such as 16x16, 32x32 and 180x180 pixels.
Google Search Favicon Requirements
Google can show your favicon next to your site name in search results. Google Search Central lists these main requirements in its favicon guidelines:
- The favicon file and the home page must both be crawlable by Googlebot.
- The image should be square, with an aspect ratio of 1:1, and a multiple of 48 pixels, such as 48x48, 96x96 or 144x144. SVG is supported.
- Use a stable URL and keep the same icon, rather than changing it often.
- The icon should be a clear visual representation of your brand and must not be inappropriate or misleading. Google may replace such an icon with a default.
- Google can take from days to a few weeks to show a new favicon after you change it.
How This Tool Fetches Favicons
Most websites do not let another site fetch their favicon.ico from a browser, because of CORS restrictions. So this tool uses Google's public favicon service to get an image for the domain, then shows it at standard sizes for preview and download. The image is what that service returns, which is not always the site's original ICO or SVG file.
One practical effect: if the returned image is small, the larger previews are scaled up and can look soft. Scaling cannot add detail that is not in the source. For the original artwork, ask the brand for its brand kit or find the icon in the site's HTML head.
How to Find a Favicon Manually
- 1Open the site and view the page source.
- 2Search for rel="icon" or rel="shortcut icon" in the head. The href shows the file path.
- 3If there is no tag, try adding /favicon.ico to the domain in your browser.
- 4For app icons, search for apple-touch-icon and the web app manifest file.
Who Uses a Favicon Downloader
SEO professionals
Checking whether a client's favicon meets Google's rules.
Content creators
Who need a small logo reference for an article or comparison table, within fair use and permission rules.
Developers
Checking what icon a site currently exposes.
Marketers
Building a competitor swipe file for research.
Why a Site Shows a Blank or Default Favicon
- The site never defined a favicon in its HTML.
- The file path is wrong or returns a 404.
- The favicon is blocked by robots.txt, so Google cannot crawl it.
- The image is not square or is too small.
- The browser or Google has cached an old icon. Wait, or clear the cache and test again.
Fix the cause, then wait for Google to recrawl. You can preview how your title and description look in search with the Google SERP Simulator.
How to Add a Favicon in WordPress
- 1Prepare a square image of at least 512x512 pixels. WordPress generates the smaller sizes.
- 2Go to Appearance, then Customize, then Site Identity.
- 3Click Select site icon and upload the image.
- 4Save, then reload your site and check the tab.
Block themes may use the Site Editor instead of the Customizer, but the idea is the same: set a Site Icon. Other platforms have a similar setting, and plain HTML sites add link tags in the head.
Common Mistakes
- Detailed logos at 16 pixels. Use a simple mark, not a full logo with text.
- Only providing favicon.ico. Add an Apple Touch Icon and an Android icon.
- Transparent backgrounds that disappear on dark tabs. Test on light and dark.
- Blocking the icon in robots.txt. Google cannot use what it cannot fetch.
- Changing the favicon often. Stability helps recognition.
- Copying another brand's icon. It risks confusion and copyright problems.
Honest Limits and Fair Use
- The downloaded image comes through Google's favicon service and may not be the site's original source file.
- The tool cannot fetch favicons from sites that Google's service cannot reach, or from private pages.
- A quality check is a guide. Google decides whether to show your favicon.
- Favicons are copyrighted or trademarked brand assets. Use them for research and reference only. Do not use another brand's favicon as your own or redistribute it commercially.
Privacy
Because the tool uses Google's favicon service to retrieve an image, the domain you enter is requested from that service. Do not enter private or internal hostnames.
Building the head section for your own site? Use the Meta Tag Generator for titles and social tags, and the Schema Markup Generator for your logo and organisation markup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a favicon?
A favicon is the small icon shown in a browser tab, in bookmarks and in search results next to a site's name. It is typically defined in the HTML head with a link tag using rel="icon".
How do I download a website's favicon?
Enter the domain in the tool and click Fetch. You can preview the icon at standard sizes and download it. The tool retrieves the image through Google's favicon service.
What size should a favicon be?
Provide at least 16x16 and 32x32 for browser tabs, 180x180 for Apple Touch Icon and 192x192 for Android Chrome. For Google Search, use a square image that is a multiple of 48 pixels. An SVG can cover every size.
What are Google's favicon requirements?
Google needs the favicon and home page to be crawlable, the image to be square and a multiple of 48 pixels, and the icon to be appropriate and stable. Changes can take days to weeks to appear.
Why does a site show a blank or default favicon?
Usually the site never defined a favicon, the file path is broken, the server returns a 404, or robots.txt blocks the file. Caching can also keep an old icon visible.
Can I use a downloaded favicon on my own site?
No, not another brand's. Favicons are copyrighted or trademarked brand assets. Download them for research or reference only, and never as your own icon or for commercial redistribution.
How do I add a favicon in WordPress?
Go to Appearance, then Customize, then Site Identity, and choose a Site Icon. WordPress recommends a square image of at least 512x512 pixels and creates the smaller sizes.
Why does this tool use Google's favicon service?
Most sites block other domains from fetching their favicon.ico because of CORS. Google's public service gives a reliable image for almost any domain, and the page discloses this.
Is the favicon downloader free?
Yes. It is free and needs no signup. Fetch and preview a favicon now, then check yours against Google's rules.
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