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infoWordPress Core•codePHPwebwordpresserrorerrorerrorwp_errorwarningvalidation•star_halfUncommon•warningModerate

WP_Error: Could not retrieve the site icon

WordPress throws WP_Error when get_site_icon_url fails to resolve a valid attachment ID. The function looks up the site_icon option, retrieves the attachment, and builds a URL. If the option is empty, the file is missing, or a filter interferes, the function returns a WP_Error object. The error appears in the admin UI and prevents the favicon from loading.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Missing favicon
Browser tabs show no icon and bookmark icons are blank.
[dashicons-admin-media]
Customizer preview broken
Site Identity panel displays a broken image placeholder.
[dashicons-admin-tools]
Admin notice
Dashboard shows WP_Error: Could not retrieve the site icon message.

Common Causes

Empty site_icon option
Option value in wp_options is 0 or empty, so get_site_icon_url cannot resolve an attachment.
Missing attachment file
Attachment ID exists but file is absent from wp-content/uploads or has wrong permissions.
Plugin filter returns null
A filter modifies the site icon output and returns null, causing the core function to fail.
Multisite context mismatch
Site icon set on one blog is requested from another without switch_to_blog, leading to lookup failure.
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