A lot of you are using Genesis as your WordPress theme, as am I.
I've noticed, though, that a lot of blogs still have the default Genesis favicon in place. Wouldn't it be great to have your own favicon? It's good for branding.
Here's what I'm talkin' about:
I've already written a post about favicons called How to Make and Install a Favicon if you need to know the basics. The process of installing a favicon is a bit different for Genesis since Genesis uses child themes.
So if you're still sportin' the Genesis favicon, here's a few extra things to do…
Installing a favicon in Genesis
In How to Make and Install a Favicon I instructed you to put your favicon.ico file into your root directory via FTP.
But in order to get your favicon to show up in Genesis, you should upload your favicon in your Genesis child theme images folder. And actually, I install it in my root directory (as explained in this post) as well as my Genesis images folder just for good measure.
Here, take a look:
Can't see the video? Watch it here.
Video Notes:
- Create your favicon as described in How to Make and Install a Favicon.
- Fire up FTP. (Here's how to use FTP.)
- Drag and replace your newly created favicon into your root directory. Simply click on the "public_html" folder.
- Install your favicon into Genesis: public_html –> wp-content –> themes –> genesis –> images
- Install your favicon into your Genesis child theme as well: public_html –> wp-content –> themes –> [your child theme] –> images.
Disclaimer: The links in this post are my affiliate links. My disclosure policy is here.
Hi Amy! I'm trying to do this in Dreamweaver, but every time I try to replace the Genesis Favicon with my own, it won't let me. The Genesis Favicon just stays… if I rename it, it turns into mine…weirdo. Do I just need to wait until I get my site loaded to my server and try it via FTP? or do you know if I'm doing something wrong on my local server? I don't have a Public Html file, so I just put it in the htdocs folder…maybe that's one of my problems…
I've never used Dreamweaver so I'm not sure if it's a DW thing or not. I'd try again once your site it up and running and see if that makes a difference.
Great tutorial, and awesome timing. I'm just finishing up a re-design on my site, and made the switch to Genesis. Was having trouble getting my custom favicon to render after the changes.
Thought I would add — if you know you have uploaded the favicon to the appropriate folder and still don't see it, try clearing your browser cache. And, even after doing all the steps correctly, sometimes it takes a bit of time to propagate through all the servers. In the past, I've seen it take up to 24 hours in Firefox! I'm going crazy, I go to bed, and POOF! in the morning it's there. Gotta love the internet.
Yes, sometimes it does take a while. Thanks for adding that, Jenny!
Trying it out ~ just did it, so I'll give it some time to see if I did it correctly!!
Amy,
I am having the hardest time with this. Whenever I log into my WP Dashboard, my favicon is there (and has been since I followed your old steps)…but if I just try going to the site itself, I still get the Genesis Favicon.
Any suggestions? I already tried emptying my cache.
Thanks,
Jenae
Did you replace the favicon in your theme folders? It takes a while to show up, but it should after a while. I know what you're talking about because the same thing has happened to me (see it in my Dashboard, but live site is different). I would change it in your root directory, Genesis theme images folder and child theme images folder too. Hope that helps, Jenae!
I can't seem to save my file as .ico?
Hmmm…not even in your Finder before uploading?
Upload it to a site like : favicon.cc and then you can download it back to your desktop (or wherever) as a .ico file. They are a great site that I use all the time!
Awesome! I did what you suggested Meredith and was able to upload. Now? I see nothing. But as I read above, I will give it time to update! Thanks ladies!
Thanks for the tip, Meredith!
I used the Genesis Favicon Uploader plugin the 2nd time around and it worked like a charm, and show up MUCH faster on the browser.
Ah, this was so much easier! Thanks.
I love these tips!!
Great tutorial. I found it easy to follow and understand. Your blog is totally awesome!! You cover a wide range of useful and helpful topics. I really like the design that you have chosen. I see that it is the Midnight theme from Genesis. Your customization really gives your blog a custom look and feel. You have a great eye for design. Look forward to reading your blog more often.
J-
p.s. Thanks for the juicy tip on "Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin.
Thanks, Juliet.
Hi Amy,
Nice post, can you advise any wordpress plugin which could do the same task.
Thanks.
You can try Genesis Favicon Uploader. Hope it helps!
Hi Amy,
If my favicon shows up when I am in my wp dashboard, but I still get the Genesis favicon when I go to the homepage, does that mean I did something wrong? or is that the part that you and Jenny were talking about that it might take some time before it shows up properly.
Yes, you have to make sure you replace the favicon.ico file in your theme files as well. And it can take a while to show up, but if it doesn't show up in a day or two, I'd try again.
Thank you!! This has been driving me nuts since I switched to Genesis!
You're welcome!
Thanks for this – I *think* I've got it, now I'm just waiting to see if the change shows up eventually.
Amy, I'm so glad I found this! Thx!
You're welcome, Bree. Thanks for stopping by!
Amy –
Thanks for posting your tutorial. Now I am going to waste the time your saved me by changing my site's favicon over and over and over……
Thank you!! Thanks especially for the video. I read someone's instructions and they advised me to put some code before the header which didnt work. Your instructions work with no codes, just replacing the favicon in my theme. thanks again.
Hi Amy,
Your article came up when I search for how to change genesis favicon in google. Thanks or the tutorials
I have tried about 8 times to replace the child theme favicon AND the Genesis theme favicon on my server and apparently, I am not allowed to change the themes? I was able to change an image in the folders but I cannot delete the child theme favicon and upload my own. Am I doing something wrong?
Instead of deleting the one that's there, simply give yours the same name as the one that's there and then upload it to the same folder. You should get a prompt asking if you want to replace the image that's already there and just say yes.
hey! hi amy!. I was looking for this! Thanks for the post
Woohoo! I have wanted to change my Favicon for ages from the generic Genesis "G". I found you via a Bing search, and Voila!-I have a Favicon now. Thank you!
I follow your instruction and it works flawlessly. I know there is few method to change genesis favicon, but I don't want install more wp plugin just to change the favico. so, replace old .ico with the new one is good idea ^^
Glad it worked for you, Andy. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Amy–
I have done this before, and it worked great, but I am having trouble with my new design.
I can make it 125 x 125, but then when I go to favicon.cc to make favicon, the image is all pixelated (really blurry and just a vague outline of where the image would be if it was readable–the colors are right, but no pic).
What could I be doing wrong? I am working with a .jpg.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Paula
Hi again!!
I think I was doing it right…I just couldn't see the 16×16, and I thought I still had to go to favicon.cc—but I see now that you go ahead and upload the small one.
Thanks so much for your tutorials–they are SO helpful!
Paula
thank you so much for the guide
I was going crazy trying to update the favicon, i cleared my cache like a 100 times and couldn't get it to update. as soon as i put it in the genesis theme, viola!
Woot!
I have devoted hours to this. HOURS. and I still have the bluehost favicon.
My favicons say shortcut to favicon(2).Ink and favicon.ico.jpeg (downloaded them from favicon.cc)
Is that wrong? Does it matter that I have put 2 different favicons in the directory? I wasn't sure which would work so I put in both!
As you can tell, this isn't really my bag…I marvel at what you put out there.
You have already helped me so much. Thank you!
You'll need to remove the double extension. The file should be only favicon.ico without anything else attached to it.
Oh! Great! I am moving to Genesis and this is really helpful. I couldn't find the way to change the favicon…
Thank you very much!
Hey,
Thanks a lot for this post. Its was really gr8 & helping. Like it….
Hope to visit your Blog again for more info
Thanks again
Cheers
Vineet Gupta
I did it! I did it! Thank you so much!
Way to go, Jackie!