Favicon Size for Google: Practical Setup

Google Search expects a square favicon that is a multiple of 48px. Browsers and devices need additional sizes. Ship a full set to avoid broken icons across platforms.

Generate Favicon Pack Validate Implementation

Recommended Favicon Bundle

Use Case	Recommended Size	Format	Why It Matters
Browser tab fallback	16x16, 32x32	ICO/PNG	Covers classic tab/icon contexts.
Google Search source	48x48 or 96x96	PNG	Matches Google multiple-of-48 guidance.
Android/PWA	192x192, 512x512	PNG	Needed for install prompts and launcher icons.
iOS touch icon	180x180	PNG	Improves home-screen icon quality on Apple devices.

Drop-In HTML Snippet

Use this as a baseline in your site head, then validate live output.

<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="any">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32x32.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="48x48" href="/favicon-48x48.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">
<link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest">

Recommended Workflow

Step 1

Generate all icon sizes in Favicon Generator.
Step 2

Deploy files and tags in production head templates.
Step 3

Run Favicon Checker and resolve warnings.
Step 4

Purge browser/CDN cache if old icons persist.

Frequently Asked Questions

: Use a square icon that is a multiple of 48px. In practice, 48x48 and 96x96 PNG files are common safe choices.
: Yes. These are still useful fallbacks for browser tabs and legacy contexts.
: Browser and CDN cache can delay updates. Add versioned URLs and clear cache after deploy.
: No. A multi-size favicon package gives much better cross-platform consistency.