How to override favicon cropping or get WP development to align with Google?

  • Unknown's avatar
    jenjenjet · Member ·

    WordPress requires a favicon size of 512×512 pixels, however Google recommends favicon sizes that are multiples of 48×48 pixels (e.g., 48×48, 96×96, 144×144) to ensure compatibility with its search results and other services. As a result favicons often do not appear in search results and you’re stuck with the unprofessional, generic W.

    Until recently there was an option to “skip cropping” when selecting a favicon, but that choice has been removed. Why doesn’t WordPress align with the Google format, e.g. 528×528 or 480×480 or give us back the option to import our (large, square) favicons and leave them as they are? Are there any developers in this forum who can shed some light on this or maybe drop it in the suggestion box for the next WP update?

    If not, does anyone know a good way to override the forced favicon cropping, preferably without having to create a child theme?

  • staff-happychia · Staff ·

    Hi there,

    That can be definitely confusing!

    Firstly, can you share your website address, so we can check where it is hosted as well as how its fav icon is appearing in Google search results?

    I recommend treating those as guidelines rather than hard rules. You will see many sites that don’t follow exact dimensions for fav icons, and yet Google shows the fav icon in search results.

    For example, for this example WordPress.com blog on the internet, at https://www.google.com/search?q=site:chait.blog you will see Google displays the fav icon, but the actual site icon on that site is very large as you will see here.

    I’d suggest using Google’s recommendation of multiple of 48px square, and you can always adjust the size depending on how Google displays your site’s fav icon.

    If you don’t mind me asking, it looks like you design websites with WordPress. At WordPress.com, we are working to orient ourselves more toward developers and agencies, and I’d love to learn more about your needs so we can build a platform that drives growth for your businesses.

  • Unknown's avatar
    jenjenjet · Member ·

    Thanks for the fast reply Chai. The site I am working on is not published yet so I don’t know for sure that Google will not display the favicon in search results. However, I have had this problem with other sites in the past and the only way I was able to solve it was by uploading a new favicon in a multiple of 48px square. That is what you recommend, but WordPress no longer allows me do that and instead crops my 528px square site icon to 512px square. There is no more “skip this step” button. Do you have any advice as to how I can get WordPress to leave my favicon in its original size?

    As you surmised, I do indeed design website using WordPress. I don’t have any other issues at the moment, but in the future I will address them on this forum rather than stewing about them in private. ;-)

    Thanks
    Jen

  • Unknown's avatar
    helper-heroponriki · Member ·

    @jenjenjet just to note, these are the support forums for websites hosted here at WordPress.com, so if the sites you’re working on are not hosted here, we’re limited in what we can help with and advise.

    If you’re developing websites using the WordPress software but hosted on another hosting provider, your best bet to get help is to reach out to the WordPress community for guidance: https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting

    The community members in the open-source forum are well-versed in these matters and are in the best position to offer support.

    I hope this information helps guide you in the right direction!

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