favicon-generator
npx machina-cli add skill kostja94/marketing-skills/favicon --openclawComponents: Favicon
Guides favicon and app icon implementation for brand consistency across browser tabs, bookmarks, mobile home screens, and Google Search results. Favicons help users identify sites; missing or incorrect icons hurt trust.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Initial Assessment
Check for product marketing context first: If .claude/product-marketing-context.md or .cursor/product-marketing-context.md exists, read it for brand and visual identity.
Identify:
- Tech stack: Next.js, WordPress, static HTML, etc.
- PWA: Is the site a PWA or planning to be?
- Existing assets: Logo, icon files
Required Sizes (Best Practices 2025)
| Size | Use |
|---|---|
| 16x16 | Browser tabs, standard displays |
| 32x32 | Retina/HiDPI browser tabs |
| 180x180 | Apple Touch Icon (iOS home screen); no transparency |
| 192x192 | Android Chrome home screen, PWA launcher |
| 512x512 | PWA splash screens, adaptive icons |
Optional: 48x48, 96x96, 120x120, 152x152, 167x167, 256x256 for broader coverage.
Formats
| Format | Use |
|---|---|
| SVG | Modern browsers; scalable; supports dark mode via media queries; lightweight |
| PNG | High-DPI; explicit sizes; easy to generate; required for Apple Touch Icon |
| ICO | Legacy; bundles multiple sizes; fallback for older browsers |
Recommended: Provide SVG + PNG fallbacks. Never skip Apple Touch Icon (180x180); iOS shows a generic screenshot without it.
Google Search (SERP Display)
See serp-features for SERP feature types and optimization.
Favicons can appear in Google Search results next to your site's listings. Google Search Central requirements:
| Requirement | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Placement | Add <link rel="icon" href="/path/to/favicon.ico"> to homepage header |
| One per hostname | One favicon per hostname; example.com and code.example.com are separate; example.com/sub-site shares the same favicon |
| Crawlability | Googlebot-Image must crawl favicon; Googlebot must crawl homepage; do not block either in robots.txt |
| Shape | Square (1:1 aspect ratio); minimum 8x8px; preferably >48x48px for quality across platforms |
| Stable URL | Do not change favicon URL frequently |
| Appropriate | No inappropriate content (pornography, hate symbols); Google may replace with default icon |
| Timing | Crawling can take days to weeks; use Search Console URL Inspection to request indexing |
Supported rel values: icon, shortcut icon, apple-touch-icon, apple-touch-icon-precomposed. href can be relative (/favicon.ico) or absolute; favicon can be hosted on CDN.
Implementation
HTML Link Tags
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="any">
<link rel="icon" href="/icon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">
Next.js
Place in /app: favicon.ico, icon.png, apple-icon.png. Next.js auto-generates tags.
PWA Manifest
Include icons array in manifest.json with 192x192 and 512x512 for maskable icons.
Best Practices
- Simplicity: At 16x16, complex details are illegible; use simplified logo mark; design for brand recognition in SERPs
- Consistency: Favicon should match logo/brand (logo-generator, brand-visual-generator)
- Cache: Use long cache; version for updates (e.g.
/favicon.ico?v=2) - Tools: RealFaviconGenerator, favicon.io, or favicons npm package for automation
- Test: Check across browsers, dark mode, and Search Console (favicon may take days to weeks to appear)
Output Format
- Size checklist (16, 32, 180, 192, 512; >48x48 for Google Search)
- Format recommendations (SVG, PNG, ICO)
- Implementation notes per tech stack (homepage header placement)
- Google Search checklist (crawlability, stable URL, appropriate content)
- Manifest (if PWA)
Related Skills
- logo-generator: Favicon typically derived from logo; consistent branding
- media-kit-page-generator: Media kit should include favicon or link to brand assets
- brand-visual-generator: Visual identity; favicon aligns with brand colors and mark
- indexing: Favicon requires crawlable homepage; URL Inspection for indexing
Source
git clone https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills/blob/main/skills/components/favicon/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Guides favicon and app icon implementation for brand consistency across browser tabs, bookmarks, home screens, and Google Search results. It covers required sizes, formats, and integration with HTML tags and PWAs to ensure recognizable icons everywhere.
How This Skill Works
The skill starts with assessing brand context, tech stack, and asset availability (including PWA status). It then generates the right assets in SVG, PNG, and ICO formats for the recommended sizes, adds HTML link tags and a manifest.json with 192x192 and 512x512 icons, and finally audits SERP visibility and cross‑platform rendering.
When to Use It
- Launching a new site or redesign to ensure consistent icons across tabs and home screens
- Auditing an existing site to fix missing icons, incorrect sizes, or broken links
- Building or updating a PWA to include proper launcher and splash icons
- Bringing branding updates (logo/colors) to all favicon formats
- Improving or verifying favicon visibility in Google Search results and SERP previews
Quick Start
- Step 1: Assess brand context, tech stack, and existing assets (favicon, logo, and PWA status).
- Step 2: Create icons in required sizes (16x16, 32x32, 180x180, 192x192, 512x512) and add SVG/PNG/ICO as needed; ensure 180x180 has no transparency.
- Step 3: Add HTML link tags and manifest entries, then test in multiple browsers and monitor SERP presence.
Best Practices
- Provide SVG for scalable icons and PNG fallbacks; never skip Apple Touch Icon (180x180).
- Keep 16x16 and 32x32 simple for legibility in browser tabs; design for recognition in SERPs.
- Use a single, stable favicon URL per hostname and avoid frequent URL changes.
- Include appropriate rel values (icon, shortcut icon, apple-touch-icon) and update or add a PWA manifest with 192x192 and 512x512 icons.
- Test across devices and browsers (desktop, mobile, iOS, Android) and ensure Apple touch icon has no transparency.
Example Use Cases
- Tech SaaS site ships SVG + PNG favicons, an Apple Touch Icon, and a manifest.json for PWAs.
- News outlet uses a legacy ICO alongside PNG/SVG favicons to support older browsers.
- E-commerce site implements 32x32 and 192x192 icons for HiDPI devices and home screen shortcuts.
- Personal blog updates to include apple-touch-icon and ensures a stable favicon URL.
- Next.js app automatically generates favicon tags and includes 192x192/512x512 in the manifest.
