Favicon (favorite icon) – an icon located in the browser tab, which personalizes the site. Its size is 16×16 pixels and can be scaled up to 512×512 pixels.
When many tabs are open in the browser, page names are not displayed. A favicon comes to the rescue, which identifies each tab, helping with navigation and speed of finding the right one. This is a small, but one of the first tools used to make your resource recognizable to users. Its installation on a site with WordPress is not very difficult.
Creating a favicon
The best favicon is considered the logo of the site or company. But if it is too extensive or geometrically complex, you need to make a simplification with the preservation of recognizability.
To create a favicon you can use both graphic editors and online generators. The formats of images used: .ico, .gif, .jpeg, .png. The background should be transparent.
Ways to install a favicon in WordPress
There are many ways to customize your site in the WordPress environment. Using a favicon is no exception. After all, the first image the user sees should be unique. Installing a favicon is possible in several ways:
- using the WordPress control panel
- by changing the header.php file
- using the Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator plugin
The control panel of WordPress
Installation from WordPress version 4.3 is possible directly from the admin panel.
Go to the admin panel, the menu “Appearance”.
Once in the “Settings” menu of the current theme, go to the “Header Builder” menu.
Click on “Logo” and go to “Site Icon”.
Load a picture. If you already have a favicon, click “Change image”.
In case the file is not the right size, there is an option to change (crop) it with the view option in the browser.
After the manipulation it is necessary to “Save and publish”.
When you open your site now you can see the installed favicon.
Changing the header.php file
When the installation fails through the control panel, you can resort to changing the file header.php. To do this, use the code editor (built-in).
Using the file manager connect to the server hosting, and then copy the finished media file named “favicon”.
In the admin panel, the menu “Appearance”, go to “Theme Editor”.
In “Templates” (theme files) open the header.php file.
After the opening tag insert the line
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon.png/">
You must correctly set the format of the uploaded media file (ico, gif, jpeg, png).
Update the file to change the settings.
Now when you enter the site, the favicon should automatically appear.
Plugin Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator
For WordPress, there are many plugins with which you can install a favicon. The preferred one is Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator.
After installation, go to the “Appearance” menu, where under “Choose from Media Library” you specify the location of the media file icon in the media.
You click “Generate favicon” and you’ll be redirected to the plugin site, where you can configure how the favicon is displayed, as well as specifying the scaling and compression algorithm of the image.
After doing the necessary operations, make changes and generate a favicon. The plugin will install the favicon and you will return to the admin panel.
The plugin needs to be active in order to display the favicon. If it is disabled, the favicon will not be available.
Important! Using a large number of plugins slows down the speed of page loading, so it is better to use the previous installation methods to add a favicon.
The importance of using a favicon
The picture displayed in the browser bookmarks is the most often remembered by users. A favicon not only makes a site stand out from the rest, but also makes it easier to find the right tab without having to click on others. It improves the user experience in the browser, which contributes to a longer and more productive interaction with your site.