Troubleshoot What a Favicon.ico Is and why a Browser Requests It

Available Languages

Download Options

  • PDF     (5.4 KB)
    View with Adobe Reader on a variety of devices
  • ePub     (82.1 KB)
    View in various apps on iPhone, iPad, Android, Sony Reader, or Windows Phone
  • Mobi (Kindle)     (66.9 KB)
    View on Kindle device or Kindle app on multiple devices
Updated:January 9, 2023
Document ID:117995

Bias-Free Language

The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.

    Introduction

    This document describes why a browser sends a request for 'favicon.ico'.

    Question:  Why Does my Browser Silently Send Requests for a 'favicon.ico' File for Multiple Domains?

    • Environment: Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA), all versions of AsyncOS

    Answer

    You notice that when you browse to different domains, your browser sends requests for http:// your domain /favicon.ico   in the background.


    Modern browsers show an icon to the left of the URL. This is known as the 'favicon.ico' and is typically fetched from the favicon.io website. Your browser automatically requests it when you browse to different sites. If your browser receives a valid favicon.ico file, it displays this icon. If it fails, it does not display a special icon.


    In either circumstance, neither your search nor your browser is affected.

    For more information on the favicon on Wikipediat see, Favicon.

    Related Information

    Revision History

    Revision Publish Date Comments
    2.0
    09-Jan-2023
    Revised format. Recertification.
    1.0
    17-Jul-2014
    Initial Release
    TAC Authored

    Contributed by Cisco Engineers

    • Josh Wolfer and Siddharth Rajpathak
      Cisco TAC Engineers.

    Was this Document Helpful?

    FeedbackFeedback

    Contact Cisco

    This Document Applies to These Products