Google has made updates to its favicon search developer documentation to clarify the requirements for indexing and displaying favicons in Google Search. The changes include the removal of the Favicon user agent section and the clarification that website owners must allow both Googlebot and Googlebot-Image user agents to crawl their websites in order for Google to index and display their favicons.

In the updated documentation, Google stated that both the favicon file and the home page of the site must be allowed for crawling by Googlebot-Image and Googlebot respectively. The previous documentation only mentioned that both the favicon file and the home page must be crawlable by Google. This clarification emphasizes the importance of allowing both user agents for successful favicon indexing in Google Search.

Google also mentioned that they have removed the information about the Google Favicon HTTP user-agent string from their documentation, as it is no longer used. However, this removal does not bring any changes for site owners, as the Googlebot-Image and Googlebot robots.txt user agent tokens, on which Google Favicon depended, are still supported.

This update is relevant for website owners who are experiencing issues with their favicons not being displayed in Google Search results. By reviewing the new developer documents on this topic, website owners can ensure that they are following the updated requirements for favicon indexing. Additionally, it is crucial to check the robots.txt directive to make sure that Googlebot and Googlebot-Image are not being disallowed from crawling the website.

In conclusion, Google has made updates to its favicon search developer documentation, removing the Favicon user agent section and providing clarification on the requirements for indexing and displaying favicons in Google Search. Website owners are advised to allow both Googlebot and Googlebot-Image user agents for successful favicon indexing and to review the new documentation for further guidance.