How to use it
- Drop a PNG image here (ideally square, at least 256 × 256 px).
- Pick the icon sizes to include: 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and/or 256 px.
- Click Convert.
- Download the .ico file and upload it to your site as favicon.ico.
What is an ICO file?
ICO is the Windows icon format. One .ico file can hold several versions of the same image at different sizes, and the system or browser picks the best one for the situation: a tiny 16 × 16 px version for a browser tab, 32 × 32 px for a taskbar or bookmark, 48 × 48 px and larger for desktop shortcuts.
Websites have used favicon.ico for decades. Browsers still look for it at the root of a site, so having one avoids 404 errors and makes your icon show up in tabs, bookmarks and history.
Which sizes to include
| Size | Where it shows up |
|---|---|
| 16 × 16 | Browser tabs, address bar |
| 32 × 32 | Bookmarks, taskbar shortcuts, high-density tabs |
| 48 × 48 | Windows desktop and folder views |
| 64 × 64 | Large icon views |
| 128 × 128 | Large icons, some app launchers |
| 256 × 256 | Windows large icon view and high-resolution displays |
For a website favicon, 16, 32 and 48 are the classic set; the default here also adds 256 for crisp large icons. Each size you add makes the file a little bigger, but even with all six sizes an ICO is usually small.
The tool scales your image down to each selected size with smooth resampling. If the 16 px version looks muddy, simplify the design or make a separate, bolder version for small sizes.
Preparing the PNG
Good icons start with a good source image:
- Use a square image. A non-square image is stretched to fit each square size. Crop it first with Crop image using the 1:1 ratio.
- Start large. A 512 × 512 or 256 × 256 px PNG scales down cleanly to every icon size.
- Keep it simple. At 16 × 16 px fine detail disappears. A bold symbol or one or two letters work better than a full logo with small text.
- Use transparency. A transparent background lets the icon blend into light and dark browser themes. Transparency is kept in the ICO.
If your logo is an SVG, export it at 512 px with SVG to PNG first.
Adding the favicon to your website
- Upload the file as favicon.ico to the root folder of your site, so it is reachable at yoursite.com/favicon.ico.
- Optionally reference it in the
<head>of your pages:<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="any">. - Many sites also add a PNG or SVG icon and a 180 × 180 px apple-touch-icon for iPhone and iPad home screens.
- Clear your browser cache or open the site in a private window to see the new icon; browsers cache favicons aggressively.
Website builders such as WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and Wix have a site icon setting where you upload the image instead.
Privacy and limits
The ICO file is built in your browser from the pixels of your PNG; nothing is uploaded. You can also convert JPG, WebP or other images, but PNG is best because it supports transparency. For the reverse direction or other formats, the image converter handles JPG, PNG, WebP, ICO and GIF output.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a favicon.ico from a PNG?
Drop a square PNG here, keep the default sizes (16, 32, 48, 256 px), click Convert and upload the downloaded file to your site's root folder as favicon.ico.
What size should a favicon be?
Include at least 16 × 16 and 32 × 32 px. Adding 48 and 256 px covers Windows shortcuts and high-resolution displays.
Does the ICO keep transparency?
Yes. Transparent areas of the PNG stay transparent in every size inside the ICO file.
Can I use a JPG instead of PNG?
Yes, but JPG has no transparency, so the icon will have a solid background.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The icon is created in your browser.
Last updated: November 12, 2026