Favicon facts for kids
A favicon is a tiny picture, like a small icon, that helps you quickly spot a website or webpage. Think of it as a website's mini-logo!
This little icon (sometimes called a favorite icon or favorites icon) is usually very small, just 16 pixels wide and 16 pixels tall. When a website uses a favicon, you can see it in a few places: right next to your browser's address bar, inside a browser's tab, or in your browser's Favorites or Bookmarks list. It makes it much easier to find your favorite sites!
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What is a Favicon?
A favicon is a small image that helps you recognize a website at a glance. It's like a tiny brand symbol for each site you visit. These icons are often found in your web browser, making it simple to tell different tabs apart or to find a saved website in your bookmarks.
Where Do You See Favicons?
Favicons pop up in several places when you're browsing the internet:
- Browser Tabs: When you have many tabs open, each one usually shows a favicon. This helps you quickly switch to the right tab without reading the full page title.
- Address Bar: In some browsers, a favicon appears right next to the website's address (URL) at the top of your screen.
- Bookmarks and Favorites: If you save a website to your bookmarks or favorites, its favicon will often appear next to its name in the list. This makes your saved sites easy to spot.
- Browser History: When you look at your browsing history, favicons can help you quickly identify sites you've visited before.
Why Are Favicons Important?
Favicons might be tiny, but they are quite useful!
- Easy Recognition: They help you quickly identify websites, especially when you have many tabs open.
- Better User Experience: They make your browser look tidier and more organized.
- Branding: For website owners, favicons are a small but important part of their brand. They help make a website memorable and professional.
How Favicons Work
When a website is built, its creators can choose a special image file to be its favicon. This image is usually a `.ico` file, but modern browsers also support other formats like `.png` or even `.svg`. The website code tells your browser where to find this favicon image. When your browser loads the page, it looks for this instruction and displays the tiny icon.
Creating a Favicon
Making a favicon usually involves designing a small image and then saving it in the correct format. Many graphic design programs, like GIMP, can be used to create these icons. There are also special online tools that can help you turn any image into a favicon file.
Images for kids
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Cool Math Games
See also
In Spanish: Favicon para niños
