Favicon.im / Free Favicon API

Get any website favicon with a simple HTTP request

Favicon.im provides a free, reliable API to fetch favicons from any website. No API key required, lightning-fast responses powered by Cloudflare global edge network.

Powered by Cloudflare
30M+
Monthly Requests
99.9%
Uptime
<100ms
Avg Response

Quick Start

Getting a favicon is as simple as constructing a URL:

Basic Usage

https://favicon.im/{domain}

Example: https://favicon.im/github.com

Larger Size (up to 256px)

https://favicon.im/{domain}?larger=true

Example: https://favicon.im/github.com?larger=true

Try it now

Favicon preview Favicon preview large https://favicon.im/github.com

API Parameters

Parameter Type Description
{domain} string The website domain to fetch favicon from (without protocol)
larger boolean Set to "true" to get a larger icon (up to 256px)
default-avatar string (URL) URL to redirect when no favicon found (must be URL-encoded)
throw-error-on-404 boolean Return HTTP 404 when no favicon found (for custom fallback handling)

Code Examples

<img src="https://favicon.im/github.com" alt="GitHub favicon" loading="lazy" /> <!-- With larger size --> <img src="https://favicon.im/github.com?larger=true" alt="GitHub favicon" /> <!-- With fallback --> <img src="https://favicon.im/example.com" onerror="this.src='/fallback-icon.png'" alt="Website favicon" />

Features

No API Key Required

Start using immediately - no registration, no authentication, no hassle.

Global CDN

Favicons cached and served from edge locations worldwide for fast delivery.

Smart Fallback

Searches multiple sources: favicon.ico, HTML link tags, web manifest, Apple touch icons.

Automatic Optimization

Returns the best available favicon format and size for your request.

CORS Enabled

Use directly in browser-based applications without proxy.

High Availability

99.9% uptime with automatic failover and redundancy.

Use Cases

Link Previews

Display favicons alongside links in your app or website for better visual context.

Bookmark Managers

Show website icons in bookmark lists for quick visual identification.

Browser Extensions

Fetch favicons for tabs, history, or bookmarks in your browser extension.

Analytics Dashboards

Display client/website logos in analytics and reporting interfaces.

CRM Systems

Show company logos based on their website domain.

Social Media Tools

Enhance link sharing with visual website identification.

Technical Details

Response Format

Returns the favicon image directly with appropriate Content-Type header (image/png, image/x-icon, image/svg+xml, etc.)

Caching

Favicons are cached for 24 hours. You can hotlink directly without caching on your end.

Size Options

Default returns standard favicon (~32px). With larger=true, returns up to 256px when available.

Error Handling

Returns a default placeholder icon when favicon not found, or 404 if throw-error-on-404 is set.

Best Practices

  • Use loading="lazy" attribute on img tags to avoid loading too many favicons at once
  • Add proper alt text for accessibility (e.g., "GitHub favicon")
  • Consider using onerror handler for custom fallback images
  • For Next.js, add favicon.im to your trusted image domains configuration
  • Cache responses locally for frequently accessed domains in high-traffic applications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Favicon.im API really free?
Yes, completely free for reasonable usage. We serve 30+ million requests monthly at no cost. For extremely high-volume enterprise usage, please contact us.
Do I need an API key?
No API key required. Just construct the URL and make your request. It works immediately.
What happens if a website has no favicon?
We return a default placeholder icon. You can customize this with the default-avatar parameter or handle it with throw-error-on-404.
How often are favicons updated?
Favicons are cached for 24 hours. After that, we fetch a fresh version on the next request.
Can I use this in production?
Absolutely! We have 99.9% uptime and serve millions of requests daily. Many production applications rely on our API.
What sources do you check for favicons?
We check multiple sources in order: HTML link tags, web manifest files, Apple touch icons, /favicon.ico, and Google's favicon service as fallback.
Can I self-host this API?
The Favicon.im API is a hosted service. For self-hosting needs, check open-source alternatives on GitHub.

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