When readers discover your blog online, their first impression often comes from a tiny visual square graphic measuring only a few millimeters across: your favicon.
A favicon is the small icon displayed beside your website title in browser tabs, bookmark lists, browser history menus, and Google Search results.
If you don’t already have a favicon, you can create one with a free tool such as favicon.io, which lets you generate icons from text, emojis, or uploaded logos.
Once generated, download the PNG or ICO file before uploading it to Blogger, as explained below.
Although it occupies very little screen space, it helps visitors recognize your site instantly and contributes to a more professional appearance.
Blogger favicon optimization guide
If your blog still displays the default Blogger favicon or a generic browser icon, replacing it with a custom design is one of the quickest branding improvements you can make.
This Blogger favicon optimization guide explains the recommended dimensions, file formats, and upload process to help your icon remain sharp and recognizable across modern devices.
While this post focuses specifically on favicons, Blogger applies many of the same image processing and optimization principles throughout its platform.
For the bigger picture, read the complete Blogger image guide: optimization, compression & rendering.
Why 16×16 favicons are no longer ideal
Many older web design tutorials recommend creating a favicon at only 16×16 or 32×32 pixels. While those dimensions were common in the early days of the web, today's devices use much higher-resolution displays.
Modern smartphones, tablets, and high-density screens frequently scale images to accommodate different interface sizes. Starting with a larger source image generally produces cleaner results than starting with an extremely small graphic.
Rather than designing directly at 16×16 pixels, it is better to create a larger master image and allow browsers and platforms to scale it appropriately.
Google recommends favicon sizes that are multiples of 48 pixels, such as 48×48, 96×96, or 192×192 pixels. For Blogger users, a 192×192 pixel favicon provides an excellent balance between sharpness and file size.
If you've noticed logos, thumbnails, or other graphics appearing soft on modern devices, you may also want to read my guide on Fixing Retina blur in Blogger: how to make images sharp on phones and high-resolution screens.
Recommended specifications for Blogger favicon
1. Use a perfect square image
Your favicon should have a 1:1 aspect ratio. Square dimensions ensure the image displays correctly across browsers, devices, and search platforms.
- 48×48 pixels
- 96×96 pixels
- 192×192 pixels
Avoid rectangular or wide-format logos unless they have been placed inside a square canvas first.
2. Choose PNG for best compatibility
While traditional icon files use the older .ico file extension, modern web platforms completely support .png.
A PNG file supports transparency, allowing circular or uniquely shaped logos to blend cleanly into both light and dark browser interfaces.
3. Keep the file size under 100 KB
Blogger's favicon uploader recommends using an image smaller than 100 KB.
Simple logos with transparent backgrounds can usually remain well below this limit while maintaining excellent visual quality.
Need help reducing file size without ruining image quality?
See our complete guide about how to compress images before uploading to Blogger.
Also, read the difference between image dimensions and image file size
4. Use a practical resolution
Although larger source images can be useful, most Blogger users do not need extremely large favicon files.
A 192×192 pixel PNG is often the best compromise between clarity, compatibility, and file size.
For a deeper understanding of how Blogger handles image resizing and display quality, see Blogger image size system explained (s640 vs s1600).
How to upload your Blogger favicon
Blogger provides a dedicated configuration tool built directly into the dashboard to make uploading your icon simple.
You do not need to manually edit your theme's HTML layout code to install it.
Follow these quick configuration steps to upload your optimized asset:
- Log into your main Blogger Dashboard.
- Look at the navigation sidebar on the left side of your screen and click on Settings.
- Scroll down until you can see the word Favicon and click on it.
- A small box pops up; click the orange "SELECT ICON FILE" button.
- Select your optimized square image in PNG or ICO file.
- The favicon appears, and finally click the orange Save button.
Why is the favicon not appearing or missing in Google Search
The three most common problems after uploading a new favicon in Blogger are:
- does not appear after uploading it
- continues showing the old icon
- missing or not showing in Google Search results.
In most cases, this is not an error or rejection.
It is usually caused by caching and reprocessing delays across Google systems, browsers, and devices.
Google does not fetch favicons instantly after every update.
Instead, it periodically recrawls your homepage and refreshes cached assets, which means changes can take days or sometimes a few weeks to fully appear in search results.
Even after the favicon is updated on your site, different systems may still show older versions due to cached data stored at multiple levels (browser cache, CDN cache, and Google’s own indexing systems).
Technical requirements for a properly displayed favicon
- Use a square image: Favicons should always be 1:1 aspect ratio to ensure correct rendering across devices.
- Use reasonable dimensions: Common sizes include 48×48, 96×96, or 192×192 pixels for modern compatibility.
- Keep file size optimized: Blogger recommends keeping favicon files under 100 KB.
- Use standard formats: PNG and ICO are the most widely supported formats for favicons.
How to confirm your favicon has been updated correctly
- Perform a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5 or Cmd + Shift + R) to bypass browser cache.
- Test your site in an incognito/private window.
- Wait for Google Search to recrawl and update cached results.
- Ensure only one favicon source is defined to avoid conflicts in older templates.
In most cases, the issue resolves automatically once caches expire and Google completes its next crawl cycle.
Conclusion: Blogger favicon optimization and scaling guide
Implementing a proper Blogger favicon optimization strategy is a simple but high-impact improvement that strengthens your blog’s branding across browsers, bookmarks, and Google Search results.
Once your favicon is correctly set up, it becomes a largely maintenance-free element of your site that continues working in the background.
To ensure the best results, keep your image lightweight, maintain a perfect 1:1 aspect ratio, and use a properly optimized PNG or ICO file within Blogger’s 100 KB limit.
After uploading, allow time for browser caches to refresh and for Google to recrawl your homepage.
In most cases, the updated favicon will appear automatically once caching layers expire and indexing cycles complete.
👉 Check out: How to choose a specific Open Graph image in Blogger posts