Convert WebP to ICO Online
Create Windows icons from your WebP images with our WebP to ICO converter. WebP's excellent quality and transparency support make it a great source format for icon creation. Our converter transforms your WebP files into properly formatted ICO files ready for Windows applications, favicons, and system icons.
WebP preserves crisp edges and smooth transparency—both essential qualities for professional-looking icons. The conversion maintains this quality in the resulting ICO file.
Why WebP for Icon Creation?
WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression with full alpha transparency, making it versatile for icon source files. Lossless WebP preserves every pixel detail for sharp icon edges, while the transparency support ensures icons display correctly against any background.
Many web designers now work with WebP as their primary format. This conversion lets you create Windows icons directly from your WebP assets without intermediate format changes.
Common Use Cases
- Website favicons — create ICO from your WebP site graphics
- Application icons — Windows executable and shortcut icons
- Desktop shortcuts — custom folder and file icons
- Brand assets — convert web graphics to Windows format
Icon Optimization
For best results, ensure your WebP image is square and includes a transparent background if needed. Icons work at multiple sizes (16x16 to 256x256), so keep designs simple with recognizable shapes. Use lossless WebP when possible for the sharpest icon output.
Test your icon design at 16x16 pixels before conversion—if it's not recognizable at that size, simplify it. Use bold shapes, high contrast, and avoid fine details that disappear when scaled down. Icons should be instantly recognizable in taskbar and Start menu contexts.
How the Conversion Works
Converting WebP to ICO involves decoding the WebP image, resizing it to standard icon dimensions (16x16, 32x32, 48x48, 256x256), and packaging all sizes into a single ICO container. Windows automatically selects the appropriate resolution based on display context and DPI settings.
WebP's alpha transparency is fully preserved in the ICO output. The converter maintains smooth edges and anti-aliasing, ensuring your icon displays cleanly against any Windows theme or background color. Starting with a high-resolution WebP (256x256 or larger) produces the best quality at all sizes.
ICO Format Technical Details
ICO files are container formats that can hold multiple images at different resolutions. Windows selects the appropriate resolution based on DPI settings and display context. High-DPI displays use larger icon sizes, while standard displays use 16x16 or 32x32 versions. Including all standard sizes ensures your icon looks sharp everywhere.
Modern ICO files support PNG compression for images larger than 48x48, reducing file size significantly. The 256x256 size uses PNG compression while smaller sizes use BMP encoding for maximum compatibility with older Windows versions.
Favicon Best Practices
For website favicons, place your ICO file in the root directory as favicon.ico. Modern browsers also support PNG and SVG favicons via link tags, but ICO provides maximum compatibility with older browsers. Consider providing multiple sizes (16x16, 32x32, 48x48) in your ICO for crisp display on various devices and contexts.
Related Tools
- ICO to WebP — extract icons to WebP
- PNG to ICO — create icons from PNG
- WebP to PNG — convert to universal format