- Short answer
- A square PNG is the safe choice: Horizon and Dawn tag the favicon as PNG, and Google's favicon list includes PNG but not SVG.
- Shopify's favicon page
- Gives a size, 16 × 16 or 32 × 32 pixels, and no file format.
- Google Search
- Lists seven favicon formats and needs a square, 1:1 image.
- SVG
- Shopify can't resize it without a raster format; Google's favicon list leaves it out.
- In Google results
- A favicon isn't guaranteed to appear, even when every guideline is met.
Does Shopify name a favicon file format?
No. Shopify's favicon help page gives a size, 16 × 16 or 32 × 32 pixels, not a format. As of October 2026, none of the four Shopify pages we read (favicon, theme settings, theme images, Files) names a favicon format or says whether the slot accepts .ico or SVG.
The nearest answer is theme code: the layout files of Horizon and Dawn tag the favicon type="image/png" and request it at 32 × 32.
Which formats do Shopify and Google Search accept?
Shopify's theme images guide lists formats for theme images in general, not the favicon slot. Google Search supports seven favicon formats (BMP, GIF, ICO, PNG, JPEG, PPM, TIFF) and needs a square, 1:1 image.
Formats: Shopify's theme-image guide vs Google Search favicons
| Format | Shopify theme images | Google Search favicons |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Supported | Supported |
| JPEG | Supported | Supported |
| GIF | Supported | Supported |
| WebP | Supported | Not listed |
| SVG | Supported, with limits | Not listed |
| ICO | Not listed | Supported |
Shopify column covers theme images in general. Rows are the formats relevant to a favicon; Google also lists BMP, PPM and TIFF, and Shopify also lists HEIC and says it converts TIFF and BMP uploads to JPEG or PNG. Read October 23, 2026.
On SVG, the same Shopify guide says it “can't be transformed (resized, cropped etc.) without requesting a rasterized format”, and both themes request the favicon at 32 × 32.
Which favicon file should you upload to Shopify?
Upload a square PNG (for its size, see what size a Shopify favicon should be). That is our reading, not a Shopify rule:
- PNG is on both lists; SVG isn't on Google's.
- Both themes tag the favicon as PNG.
- Shopify's theme images guide (not the favicon slot) calls PNG “ideal for graphics and icons with flat colors and without gradients”.
- Google needs a square.
For Google Search, ICO isn't needed: Google's list includes PNG as well as ICO. Shopify also says it picks the format it delivers images in, and no Shopify help page we read says which format your favicon reaches a browser in.
A favicon still isn't guaranteed to appear in Google, even when every guideline is met; if yours is missing, see why Google shows an old favicon, or none.
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