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General discussion

Little icon. . .

by Coryphaeus May 27, 2007 1:26AM PDT

Ya'know how on some sites, in the address bar, there's a little picture/icon to the left of the address? How do I do that? I've created my web pages in Word, but I know how to edit in Notepad. It's gotta be a pointer to a picture, so how/where do I insert it?

Thanks,

Wayne

Discussion is locked

21 Posts
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Just a Thought
by on_safari May 27, 2007 1:39AM PDT

It's called a "favicon", and I believe it involves putting an image file of specific dimensions and format in the root directory of your website.

A Google search of "favicon" will be bound to turn up more information, like the specific format and dimensions.

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Favicons...
by John.Wilkinson May 27, 2007 1:51AM PDT

* Place the image in the root directory.
* Note that Internet Explorer requires it to be an ICO file.
* Insert the following line between the <head></head> tags.
<link rel="icon" href="http://www.yourwebsite.com/favicon.ico">

You can click here for the official guidelines from W3.

Hope this helps,
John

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(NT) Thanks!
by Coryphaeus May 27, 2007 2:03AM PDT
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Looks like. . .
by Coryphaeus May 27, 2007 2:17AM PDT
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I don't know anything about this stuff..
by Cursorcowboy May 27, 2007 11:19PM PDT

Coryphaeus

but from viewing your page source:

<link rel="icon" href="http://www.wayne2.net/7hlogo4.ico">

perhaps it would be to your advantage to list it as shown on the example given even though I think their explanation may show this way to simplify matters -- but I don't see the "type" line in the source:

<link rel="icon"
type="image/png"
href="http://example.com/myicon.png">
[?]

Just a thought and a hello.

Bill Gaston
Austin, TX

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Back to you Mr. Bill. . .
by Coryphaeus May 28, 2007 4:38AM PDT

It's working but only in FireFox. IE won't show any of the favicons in any site in the address bar. Don't know why.

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Wayne, for it to work properly...
by Edward ODaniel May 28, 2007 5:31AM PDT

it MUST be named favicon.ico (cannot be 7hlogo4.ico, or myownicon.ico, or anything else.

Rename it and it will work.

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(NT) Ah Ha!
by Coryphaeus May 28, 2007 9:10AM PDT
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Well, not ah ha. . .
by Coryphaeus May 28, 2007 9:17AM PDT

It works in FF as originally named but not in IE. Changing it to favicon.ico doesn't show in either. I'll keep the original name 7hlogo4.ico

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Well, hmmmmm. . .
by Coryphaeus May 28, 2007 9:37AM PDT

I renamed it to favicon.ico and changed the page. Still no work in IE.

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Wayne, change your link lines to the following...
by Edward ODaniel May 28, 2007 3:30PM PDT
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />

just copy and paste those lines right into your page(s) and be sure you have named it favicon.ico and it will work. (make sure your cache is deleted when you pull up the page)

you can validate the syntax at http://www.html-kit.com/favicon/validator/

just enter the full url to the page with the link tag:
http://www.wayne2.net/default.htm
or
http://www.wayne2.net/default.html

Right now that validator is saying:

Found the web page at:
http://www.wayne2.net/default.html (39.94 KB)

Found <link rel="icon" ...> tag that specify a favicon:
<link rel="icon" href="http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico">

Could not download favicon at:
http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico
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Thanks large. . .
by Coryphaeus May 29, 2007 8:46AM PDT

but no change. Works in FF but not OE. In the process of validating now, waiting for the site. Ok, here are the results:

Found the web page at:
http://www.wayne2.net (39.94 KB)

Found <link rel="icon" ...> tag that specify a favicon:
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />

Could not download favicon at:
http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico

Found <link rel="shortcut icon" ...> tag that specify a favicon:
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />

Could not download favicon at:
http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico

When I click the link above in FF, the icon image shows on a new page. Strange. The icon shows in the address line in FF but not OE. Oh well, now that I notice, no site I visit in IE shows the favicon, but most do in FF. Oh well, at least it shows in FF. Thanks for your time. I may play with it later on. Tired now, just finished the yard and in need of a cold one.

Wayne

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When I used. . .
by Cursorcowboy May 29, 2007 10:43PM PDT

the "Validator", I see it give the errors:

Found <link rel="icon" ...> tag that specify a favicon:
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />

Could not download favicon at:
http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico

Found <link rel="shortcut icon" ...> tag that specify a favicon:
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />

Could not download favicon at:
http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico

If I click either of the http: . . lines I'm asked whether I want to open or save the file. When I open the link for the icon file in my graphics program the file name opened is listed as FAVICON(1).ICO.

Just wondering if there is something overlooked?

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I have no idea where that came from. . .
by Coryphaeus May 30, 2007 4:55AM PDT

I just verified the only file in my directory is just the favicon.ico. I don't know where that (1) came from, it's not on my system. When I click on the link the picture shows in another window just like any image file. What browser did you use?

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PS - about the (1) ...
by Edward ODaniel May 30, 2007 8:22AM PDT
If I click either of the http: . . lines I'm asked whether I want to open or save the file. When I open the link for the icon file in my graphics program the file name opened is listed as FAVICON(1).ICO.

If you open the linked file as Bill did you too would have that FAVICON(1).ICO showing in the title bar of the app you open it with because it is already in yout Temp directory. It is a naming convention and has nothing to do with what you have on your web site.
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Well, no. . .
by Coryphaeus May 31, 2007 8:20AM PDT

When I click on either of Bill's links, this is the exact address in the address bar. . .

http://www.wayne2.net/favicon.ico

If I save either picture from either link it is saved as. . .

favicon.ico

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Well yes Wayne...
by Edward ODaniel May 31, 2007 9:23AM PDT

You can't just click the link you have to select to open the file from the web link. If you download it or if it opens in your browser it will not show the (1).

When you click this link do you get a file download message box? If not right click and select OPEN then you will and when you do select OPEN.

Also, regarding bandwidth, your check is only at your computer. Your check does not show how slow your server is serving to another node but the length of time it takes that other node to access and render info on your server (what the validator is doing) is representative of a pretty congested path and low speed.

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Strange. . .
by Cursorcowboy May 30, 2007 8:51AM PDT

to say the least.

I used the site verification link on your Web page and from its results I click on one of the http: links it didn't find.

My computer or IE6 then asks what I wanted to do with this file, open or save.

When I select open, the ICO file then opens in IfranView - the program I use almost always for graphics viewing and the file name of Favicon(1).ico is listed in the top line of the program as the file it just opened.

Bill

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Wayne, your bandwidth is...
by Edward ODaniel May 30, 2007 8:13AM PDT

slow enough it is affecting things (sometimes the favicon is found and other times it isn't.

As it stands right this minute (17:54:03 30 May, 2007) although your iicon failed to show up on the Internet Explorer address bar it does show up if you save the link as a "favorite". Clicking on that "favorite" to open your site then causes your favicon to be displayed in the address bar.

You can see it in a screenshot here:
http://www.oldsmokie2.com/graphics/hardy_favicon.jpg

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Bandwidth. . .
by Coryphaeus May 31, 2007 8:35AM PDT

Running a test before I replied I get this from here http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ and I choose the Dallas server.

My results. . .

Last Result:
Download Speed: 6959 kbps (869.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 491 kbps (61.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

Oh well. I'll guarantee it has something to do with mine or yours or Bill's browser settings. No big deal really, it was just something I thought I'd try.

And BTW, all of my IE bookmarks show the little IE icon on the list, most of the FF bookmarks show the site specific icon. Pictures here

http://www.wayne2.net/ie.jpg
http://www.wayne2.net/ff.jpg

Gremlins.

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I'd like to thank everyone that contrubuted to this thread
by danlashea Jan 26, 2008 9:16AM PST

And to my brother for asking the question in the first place. I wrote to him earlier and asked him how he got the icon up there in the first place and he said he couldn't remember and go check it out in the forums. Voila! Ask and ye shall receive.

Thanks a long time after the fact.

Dan

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