Correct MIME Type for favicon.ico?

"image/x-icon" vs "image/vnd.microsoft.icon"

While the IANA-listed MIME type is "image/vnd.microsoft.icon," "image/x-icon" is widely preferred due to its wide-ranging support, especially in Internet Explorer. Although both MIME types are recognized by modern browsers, using "image/x-icon" ensures maximum compatibility across different platforms.

Elevate with .png favicons

Presently, many cutting-edge browsers support .png files as favicons, allowing for transparency and richer colors. However, it's essential to provide a fallback .ico to maintain support with all browsers:

<!-- For the modern artist, here's .png -->
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="favicon.png">
<!-- For the good ol' times, here's .ico -->
<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="favicon.ico">


This blend of png and ico guarantees a robust favicon display across different browsers.

MIME type significance and browser behavior

Impact of mismatch or absent MIME type

Though browsers are designed to intelligently handle missing or incorrect MIME types, inconsistencies might lead to unexpected browser behaviour. Providing the correct MIME type helps to prevent ambiguity—leading to consistent display across numerous browsers.

Offline development and MIME types

For offline development, using "image/x-icon" tends to result in fewer hiccups. "image/vnd.microsoft.icon" could fail when not served via a web server, thereby causing offline development issues. Hence, it's safer to stick to "image/x-icon" during local or offline development.

Role of MIME type in <link> tag

Specifying the correct MIME type within the <link> tag can iron out potential differences in browser behaviour. So, for streamlined browser interpretation, always specify your MIME type.

For best favicon results

Comprehensive favicon strategy

For best results, ensure your favicon is available in a variety of sizes and formats. This covers all possible platform and devices that may use your site. Consistency is key—across various favicon sizes and across different browsers.

Server MIME type configuration

For those with server configuration access, ensuring the correct MIME types are served can help improve site performance and user experience:

For Apache servers

<!-- Like inviting Bill Gates to a Windows launch -->
AddType image/x-icon .ico


For nginx servers

<!-- Bringing the x-icon to a PNG party -->
types {
    image/x-icon     ico;
}


Doing this ensures a consistent experience, no matter the browser or platform.