What is the best practice for creating a favicon on a web site?

Crafting the Perfect Favicon

For broad compatibility, choose the right icon sizes for specific devices. Let's delve into a couple of best practices:

Widen your compatibility scope

SVG favicons have gained traction given their versatility and scalability, yet with some elder browsers, PNGs are a sure bet. Declare both in your HTML:

<!-- Dynamic SVG favicons, now that's called being extra! -->
<link rel="icon" href="/path/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">

<!-- But sometimes, you've to be a simpleton. Hence, PNGs. -->
<link rel="alternate icon" size="any" href="/path/favicon.png">
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Boost performance

Stave off additional HTTP requests by Base64 encoding your SVG favicon. It's equivalent to dropping a handwritten love letter - minimal and impactful:

<!-- Go ninja! Eliminate HTTP requests. -->
<link rel="icon" href="data:image/svg+xml;base64,[your-base64-data]" type="image/svg+xml">
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Stay desktop-friendly

A favicon.ico with both 16x16 and 32x32 images is like a polite guest, welcomed by many desktop browsers. They are your audience, and they ought not to be ignored.

Elevate visual identity

A favicon is your brand's visual identity expressed concisely, even on homescreen shortcuts, multi-tasking interfaces, and more. Hence, aim for a consistent theme across platforms.

Tuning specifics

Always refer to a favicon cheat sheet for specific browsers, and make sure to declare different icons for specific platforms.

Learn from the leaders

Look up to GitHub and Kotlin for pointers on effective favicon implementation. You aspire to be global; your favicon should too.

Mindful of mobile

While favicon.ico is venerable, its prominence on mobile browsers differs. Because, guess which icons get the spotlight when your site gets added to homescreen? Yes, those PNGs and Apple Touch icons!

Automate conversion

Online tools like iconifier.net can convert your brand image into a savvy favicon. To ensure it looks perfect, avail the services of any online Favicon Checker.