Display an .ico within an image element <img>

Question

I'm trying to display an .ico within an image element <img> but in Internet Explorer it does not work/show. This is my code:

<img src="images.ico" >

Does anybody how to make it show up in all browsers?

Answer 1

Displaying an ico file in an img tag is not guarenteed to work in all browsers(and i wouldn't recommend it). Convert the ico files to another format if you want to display them on the web.

Answer 2

You can always put the base64 representation of an icon in the src attribute. It will look like this:

<img src="data:image/x-icon;base64,...">

where ... will be the base64 representation.

If you need a tool for conversion from icon to base64, you can use Base64.Guru encoder for example.

Here is the snippet with Google favicon encoded in the base64 representation:

<img src="data:image/x-icon;base64,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">

If you ever need to convert an image to base64 by yourself using JavaScript, here are some good examples how to do it: How to convert image into base64 string using javascript.