What favicon files does a modern website need?

A modern website needs just 4 essential favicon tags: favicon.svg (primary, scales to any size), favicon.ico (32px for legacy browsers), apple-touch-icon.png (180px for iOS), and a site.webmanifest file for PWA support. Everything else is optional or deprecated.

Why are msapplication meta tags deprecated?

Microsoft's msapplication-* meta tags (TileColor, TileImage, config, tooltip, starturl, task, etc.) were introduced for Windows 8 live tiles in 2012. Windows 10 deprecated live tiles in 2015, and Windows 11 removed them entirely in 2021. These 10+ tags are now pure tech debt.

Do I need favicon-16x16.png and favicon-32x32.png separately?

No! A properly formatted favicon.ico file contains multiple sizes (16, 32, and 48px) embedded in a single file. Modern browsers prefer SVG favicons anyway, which scale perfectly to any size. Separate PNG files are legacy bloat.

Why is SVG favicon recommended as the primary format?

SVG favicons are vector-based, meaning they scale perfectly to any size without pixelation. They support CSS media queries for dark mode adaptation, and are typically smaller in file size. All modern browsers support SVG favicons (Chrome 80+, Firefox 41+, Safari 16+, Edge 80+).

How does this Favicon Checker work?

Enter a URL and we fetch the page's HTML to Analyze 66+ favicon-related tags and meta data. We check for essential items (ICO, SVG, Apple Touch Icon), important items (manifest, theme-color), recommended items (og:image, mask-icon), and flag 25+ deprecated patterns. You get a coverage score, detailed findings, and actionable recommendations.

Is my URL data stored or logged?

No. All analysis happens 100% in your browser. For sites that block direct requests (CORS), we use a public proxy to fetch the HTML, but no data is logged or stored. The URL you check never touches our servers.

What is rel=fluid-icon and why is it deprecated?

Fluid.app was a macOS application from the early 2010s that let users create standalone apps from websites. It used rel=fluid-icon to specify a high-resolution icon. This has been completely superseded by PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) and modern browser features like Add to Home Screen.

What about Opera Speed Dial and Coast icons?

Opera Speed Dial (195x195, 160x160) was removed from Opera in 2013 when they switched to Chromium. Opera Coast (228x228) was an iOS browser discontinued in 2017. Both required special icon sizes that no browser uses anymore and can be safely removed.

Favicon Checker
The Definitive Favicon Audit Tool

Stop guessing. Start knowing. We check 66+ favicon patterns - from essential modern standards to deprecated Windows 8 tiles, UX hazards like black-translucent, and syntax errors. Get a detailed score, actionable fixes, and a downloadable report. 100% client-side. Zero data stored.

The Most Comprehensive Favicon Checker Online

Check Website

Website URL

Press Enter to check

Modern Standards Only

We check for current best practices (SVG, ICO, PWA manifest, Apple Touch Icon). Deprecated formats like Windows 8 tiles are flagged as obsolete.

Privacy

We fetch the URL's HTML to detect favicon tags. For sites with strict CORS, we use a secure proxy. No data is stored.

Direct Link

Bookmark or share checks with ?url=domain.com - auto-runs on page load!

Enter a URL to check

We'll analyze the favicon setup and provide recommendations

Favicon Coverage Score

Shareable Link

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Your site is Favicon Certified!

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66+ Favicon Patterns Checked

We check everything - from essential modern standards to decades-old deprecated tags, UX hazards, syntax errors, and archaic MIME types that are still cluttering websites.

Essential Must have for all sites

favicon.ico (multi-size)
favicon.svg (scalable)
apple-touch-icon (180px)

PWA Ready For installable apps

site.webmanifest
android-chrome-192x192
android-chrome-512x512

Recommended Enhanced experience

Safari mask-icon (pinned tabs)
theme-color (default + dark)
og:image for sharing

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Deprecated 56+ legacy patterns

rel="shortcut icon"
apple-touch-icon-precomposed
msapplication-* (15+ tags)
browserconfig.xml / Metro tiles
fluid-icon / yandex-tableau
Opera Speed Dial / Coast
black-translucent status bar
GIF favicons / archaic MIME
mask-icon with sizes (invalid)
...and 47+ more

Run SEO Analysis

Modern 2025+ Standard

The complete favicon snippet - everything else is tech debt

Generate These

<!-- ==================================================== -->
<!-- Generated by RJL.io - Developer Tools That Just Work -->
<!-- https://rjl.io/favicon-checker/                      -->
<!-- Copyright 2025 RJL.io - All Rights Reserved          -->
<!-- ==================================================== -->
<link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg" sizes="any">
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="32x32">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">
<link rel="mask-icon" href="/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#5bbad5">
<link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest">
<meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff">
<meta name="theme-color" media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" content="#1a1a1a">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="Your App Name">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yourdomain.com/og-image.png">

Frequently Asked Questions

Why We Built This Favicon Checker

We built this for ourselves first. As developers managing hundreds of websites, we needed a way to audit our own favicon implementations. Every time we updated a site, we asked: "Are we using modern standards? Do we have deprecated Windows 8 tiles cluttering our markup? Is our Apple Touch Icon the right size?" So we built this tool - and figured everyone else needs it too.

Favicons are stuck in 2012. Most websites still serve 15+ favicon files, including Windows 8 tiles nobody uses, browserconfig.xml for a platform that's obsolete, and redundant PNG sizes that should be in a single ICO file. This is pure technical debt - extra files, extra requests, extra maintenance.

We check 66+ patterns so you don't have to research them. From Opera Speed Dial icons (remember those?) to Fluid.app's macOS integration, from Windows 8 Metro tiles to iOS touch icon precomposed variants, from Yandex Tableau widgets to black-translucent status bar hazards - we've documented every favicon format that ever existed and whether you still need it. Enter any URL and we'll tell you exactly what's good, what's missing, and what's outdated.

Stop copying favicon configs from Stack Overflow answers written in 2015. The web has moved on. Windows 8 tiles are dead. Safari pinned tabs use mask-icon now. Modern browsers prefer SVG. Let us check your site and give you a clear path to a clean, modern favicon setup with our favicon generator.

Favicon Checker
The Definitive Favicon Audit Tool

Stop guessing. Start knowing. We check 66+ favicon patterns - from essential modern standards to deprecated Windows 8 tiles, UX hazards like black-translucent, and syntax errors. Get a detailed score, actionable fixes, and a downloadable report. 100% client-side. Zero data stored.

Check Website

Favicon Coverage Score

Found (0)

Missing (0)

Deprecated Items (0)

Recommendations

66+ Favicon Patterns Checked

Modern 2025+ Standard

Frequently Asked Questions

Why We Built This Favicon Checker

Favicon Checker The Definitive Favicon Audit Tool

Stop guessing. Start knowing. We check 66+ favicon patterns - from essential modern standards to deprecated Windows 8 tiles, UX hazards like black-translucent, and syntax errors. Get a detailed score, actionable fixes, and a downloadable report. 100% client-side. Zero data stored.

Favicon Checker Tool

Check Website

Favicon Coverage Score

Found (0)

Missing (0)

Deprecated Items (0)

Recommendations

66+ Favicon Patterns Checked

Modern 2025+ Standard

Frequently Asked Questions

Why We Built This Favicon Checker

Your Favicon Certificate

Favicon Checker
The Definitive Favicon Audit Tool