Quick answer
WordPress expects a square image at least 512×512 pixels. A PNG with a bold centered mark is the safest source because WordPress creates the smaller crops used around the admin interface and public site.
- Last verified
- July 31, 2026
- Evidence
- Primary documentation plus transparent editorial analysis
- Primary sources
- 1
Prepare WordPress Site Icon artwork
WordPress expects a square image at least 512×512 pixels. A PNG with a bold centered mark is the safest source because WordPress creates the smaller crops used around the admin interface and public site.
Keep the recognizable artwork away from the edge and inspect it at 16×16 before upload. A detailed full wordmark can satisfy the upload requirement yet remain unreadable in browser tabs.
Connected next stepWebflow Favicon Guide: Upload, Publish & Verify for the closest prerequisite or comparison.
Use the correct settings path
On WordPress 6.5 and newer, open Settings → General and choose the Site Icon. Select an existing Media Library image or upload the prepared square source, crop only if needed, and save the setting.
WordPress 4.3 through 6.4 used Appearance → Customize → Site Identity. If a current installation still exposes only that route, confirm its WordPress version and whether the active theme or hosting dashboard changes the settings experience.
Connected next stepShopify Favicon Guide: Upload, Publish & Fix the Icon for the next connected implementation decision.
Resolve theme and cache conflicts
Inspect the rendered document head after saving. A theme, SEO plugin, or manually edited header can emit another rel=icon candidate that competes with the Site Icon URL.
If the new URL and bytes are present publicly, purge full-page, object, hosting, and CDN caches before clearing the browser cache. If the HTML still names the old file, fix that server-side layer first before launch.
Connected next stepOpen the most relevant production tool and verify the decision with a working output.
Review the headings, sources, implementation artifact, and update record for this guide as structured JSON.
Download guide evidence ↓- Guide
- WordPress Favicon Guide: Add, Replace & Fix Site Icons
- Coverage
- Client behavior can change by browser, operating system, platform version, cache state and deployment configuration. Unperformed manual observations are not claimed.
Questions, answered
Why is Site Icon missing from Appearance?+
WordPress 6.5 moved the current control to Settings → General. Older releases commonly expose it through Appearance → Customize → Site Identity.
Does WordPress require an ICO file?+
No. Upload a square image at least 512×512; WordPress generates the site-icon derivatives it needs.