Favicons in Google Search Results
Google displays a favicon beside your site name in search results, mainly on mobile. It needs an icon that is a multiple of 48x48 pixels (so 48x48 or larger), in a supported format, referenced with a valid rel="icon" tag and reachable by Googlebot. Google fetches it when it recrawls the site, so changes can take days to weeks to show.
What Google asks for
Google's favicon slot has stricter rules than a browser tab. The icon must be square and a multiple of 48 pixels: 48x48 is the floor, and larger square sizes like 96x96 or 144x144 are downscaled cleanly. Anything smaller is ignored, which is a common reason a site that has a working tab favicon shows a generic globe in search.
It also has to be discoverable and stable: a valid rel="icon" link (or a file at /favicon.ico), a URL Googlebot isn't blocked from, and an icon that doesn't change constantly. Google picks the icon up on its own recrawl schedule, so edits are never instant.
Google's favicon requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | Square, a multiple of 48px: 48x48 minimum |
| Reference | A valid rel="icon" tag, or a file at /favicon.ico |
| Crawlable | The icon URL and page must not be blocked from Googlebot |
| Stable | A consistent icon Google can trust across recrawls |
Google favicon FAQ
Why isn't my favicon showing in Google search?
Usually the icon is smaller than 48x48, not reachable by Googlebot, or hasn't been recrawled yet. Serve a square icon of at least 48x48 with a valid rel=icon tag, make sure it isn't blocked, and wait for the next crawl.
What size does Google want for a favicon?
A square icon that's a multiple of 48px, so 48x48 or larger. Shipping a 96x96 or 144x144 alongside your smaller sizes gives Google clean pixels to work from.
How long until Google updates my favicon?
As long as it takes Google to recrawl the site: days to weeks. There's no way to force it beyond making sure the icon is valid and the page is crawlable.