Speeding up the update
Request indexing of your home page in URL Inspection once the favicon meets the rules. Google still decides when to refresh it.
Favicon not showing in Google
Google shows your favicon only if it is square, at least 8x8 pixels, crawlable, on a stable URL and declared with a link tag on your home page. After fixing it, a recrawl can take days to weeks.
Diagnose it
Symptoms, checks and fixes
Common symptoms
- A generic globe icon appears next to your site in results.
- An old logo still shows after a rebrand.
Checks to run
| Check | How to tell | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Is the favicon declared on the home page? | View the home page source and look for <link rel="icon">. | Add the link tag to the home page head.[1] |
| Is it square and large enough? | Check the image dimensions. | Use a square icon; Google recommends larger than 48x48 pixels.[1] |
| Can Google crawl it? | Make sure robots.txt does not block the icon file or the home page. | Allow crawling of both.[1][2] |
| Does the URL keep changing? | Check whether the icon path changes with each deploy. | Serve the favicon from a stable URL.[1] |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long until the new favicon shows?
Google says it can take several days to several weeks.[1]
How we work together
Two ways to get started
Website Subscription
Your website, fully managed — no big upfront cost.
We design, build, host, maintain and keep improving your site for one simple monthly fee.
- Custom-designed & built for your brand
- Hosting, security & maintenance included
- Ongoing edits & content updates
- Continuous SEO & performance improvements
- Scale up or down as you grow
Fixed Project
A one-off custom build you own outright.
A defined scope and a single fixed quote — delivered once, and yours to keep.
- Bespoke design & development
- Defined scope & timeline
- You own the website & code
- Optional care plan after launch
- Custom-quoted to your needs
Sources
- [1] Google Search Central: Define a favicon to show in search results. Checked 10 October 2026.
- [2] Google Search Central: Introduction to robots.txt. Checked 10 October 2026.
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