How to Add a Site Icon to WordPress in 5 Easy Steps

What’s a Site Icon?

A Site Icon is a small image you see in your browser address bar in front of a website title. It helps users to visually identify websites in their browser tabs. Also, when a web page is bookmarked, the site icon displays beside the page title in the bookmark list.

A Site Icon is An Element of Your Branding

Think of your Site Icon as an element of your website’s branding – how people come to visually recognize your website. Use the same image for your site icon in your website and in your profiles in social media. You and your brand will be more recognizable online if you do.

Many people see and recognize site icons but they don’t really know what they are. Students have asked us:

• How do I add an avatar to my URL?
• How do I add a thumbnail image to the top of the site?
• How can I add a logo to my browser bar?

What they are asking about is the Site Icon.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Add Your Site Icon

Step 1: Prepare your image
Prepare an image that you want to use. WordPress recommends an image that is 512px in width and height. The image will be very tiny in the browser tab, so keep the design simple.

Step 2: Open Customize
You can access Customize either from the front-end toolbar or, in the WordPress admin area go to Appearance → Customize.

Step 3: Click Site Identity
The site identity section in WordPress Customizer allows you to edit your site title, description and upload a site icon.

Step 4: Click Select Image
Change the tab from your Media Library to Upload Files. Browse your computer for the image you’ve prepared and upload it to the media library. WordPress will allow you to crop the image. But if you prepared it to the recommended size exactly, then you won’t need to.

Step 5: Save & Publish
Before you move away from Customizer, click Save & then Publish.

What an easy way to add more branding to your site! Now you’ve read this post, are you going to create a site icon for your WordPress website? Leave a comment below with your URL!

Extend your Learning…

If you liked this post, you’ll love our WordPress Made Easy Online Course. Perfect for WordPress website owners and users who want the skills and knowledge to create and manage a WordPress website.