How to Change a SharePoint Site Logo Thumbnail

Quick answer: In a modern SharePoint site, open Settings > Change the look > Header. In the Display section, select Change beside Site logo thumbnail, choose a square image, and save. The thumbnail is separate from the larger logo shown in the site header.

Microsoft says the site logo thumbnail is used in search results, site cards, and other places that require a square logo. The steps below cover modern SharePoint, image preparation, permissions, group-connected sites, older experiences, troubleshooting, and verification.

1. Change the site logo thumbnail

1. Open the SharePoint site whose branding you want to update.
2. Select Settings, the gear icon in the upper-right area.
3. Select Change the look.
4. Select Header.
5. In Display, find Site logo thumbnail and select Change.
6. Choose the square image file for the thumbnail.
7. Save the header changes.

Use the Site logo thumbnail control for the square image. The separate Site logo control changes the larger logo displayed in the site header. Microsoft documents this workflow in Change the look of your SharePoint site.

2. Prepare the image before uploading

Asset	Recommended size	Purpose
Site logo thumbnail	64 × 64 pixels	Square logo used in search, site cards, and other square-logo contexts
Site logo	192 × 64 pixels	Larger logo displayed in the site header

Microsoft recommends a 64 × 64 pixel square thumbnail in PNG, JPEG, or SVG format. Microsoft says SVG is not allowed on group-connected sites. These are recommendations; other dimensions may not necessarily fail, but a square 64 × 64 image is the safest match for the thumbnail role. The larger header logo has a separate recommended size of 192 × 64 pixels. See Microsoft’s customization guidance.

Image checklist

• Use a square canvas for the thumbnail.
• Keep the mark centered with enough padding for small displays.
• Use PNG or JPEG when the site is group-connected and SVG is unavailable.
• Do not use the 192 × 64 header-logo asset as the thumbnail; it has a different aspect ratio and purpose.
• Keep an original copy so you can restore the previous branding.

3. Understand thumbnail versus header logo

SharePoint treats these as two branding elements:

• Site logo thumbnail: a square image for searches, site cards, and other square-logo locations.
• Site logo: the larger logo shown in the site header.

If you change only the thumbnail, the header logo can remain unchanged. If you want consistent branding across both contexts, update each setting with an appropriately sized asset.

4. Permissions and SharePoint versions

Changing the logo requires owner or designer permissions. If Change the look or the thumbnail option is missing, Microsoft identifies insufficient permissions and the classic experience as possible explanations. Ask the site owner or administrator to make the change, or confirm that you are working in a modern SharePoint experience.

Legacy SharePoint Server sites may expose older controls under Site Settings > Title, description, and logo. The menu names and available fields are not identical across SharePoint versions, so do not expect the modern Change the look > Header workflow to appear everywhere. Microsoft’s site title, description, logo, and information settings explains the related controls.

5. Group-connected team sites

On a Microsoft 365 group-connected team site, changing the site logo also changes the associated Microsoft 365 group logo. On communication sites and team sites that are not connected to a Microsoft 365 group, the change applies only to the SharePoint site logo.

Check the site connection before changing branding if the group’s logo is managed separately. Microsoft describes this behavior in its logo and site information guidance.

6. Verify the change

1. Return to the site header and confirm that the expected logo appears in the intended location.
2. Open a site card or search view where the square thumbnail is used.
3. Check that the image is not stretched, cropped unexpectedly, or difficult to read at small size.
4. On a group-connected team site, confirm whether the associated Microsoft 365 group logo changed as expected.
5. If the old image remains visible, refresh the page and check another square-logo context before changing the file again.

7. Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Change the look is missing	You lack owner or designer permissions, or the site uses a classic experience.	Ask the site owner or administrator, and confirm whether the site is modern SharePoint.
Site logo thumbnail is missing	You opened a different branding area, or the site version exposes older controls.	Use Settings > Change the look > Header > Display. For legacy sites, check Site Settings > Title, description, and logo.
The header logo changed but the thumbnail did not	The two settings are separate.	Change Site logo thumbnail directly; changing Site logo alone is not the same operation.
The image looks distorted	A rectangular header asset was used for a square thumbnail.	Upload a square image, preferably Microsoft’s recommended 64 × 64 pixel thumbnail.
SVG cannot be selected	The site is connected to a Microsoft 365 group, where Microsoft says SVG is not allowed.	Use a PNG or JPEG square image.
The old thumbnail still appears	The current page or site card has not refreshed.	Refresh the page, revisit the site card or search context, and allow the interface to update before troubleshooting the file.
The group logo changed unexpectedly	The site is connected to a Microsoft 365 group.	Review the group-connected behavior with the site owner before making another change.
The saved image is not visible anywhere	The save action may not have completed, or the selected control was not the thumbnail control.	Reopen Header > Display, confirm the selected file under Site logo thumbnail, save again, and verify in a square-logo context.

8. Practical reliability and maintenance notes

• Keep the thumbnail and header logo as separate source files so each has the correct aspect ratio.
• Record which site and, where relevant, which Microsoft 365 group was changed.
• Use a versioned filename for your source assets so an approved logo can be restored.
• When rolling out branding to several sites, verify permissions and whether each site is group-connected before changing logos.
• Recheck search and site-card contexts after a branding change because those contexts use the square thumbnail rather than the header logo.

9. Or skip the browser setup

If you need a visual record of the updated SharePoint page for documentation or review, ScreenshotNeo can capture the page through one API request. Its cookie and consent handling removes known consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. It also provides an MCP server so AI agents can take screenshots.

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all options. Replace the example URL with the SharePoint page you are allowed to capture.

cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" \
  -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY \
  --data-urlencode url=https://your-tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/your-site \
  -o sharepoint-logo.webp

Python

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={
        "access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "url": "https://your-tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/your-site",
    },
    timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("sharepoint-logo.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({
  access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
  url: 'https://your-tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/your-site'
});

const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot failed: ${res.status}`);
const image = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
await Bun.write('sharepoint-logo.webp', image);

ScreenshotNeo supports PNG, JPEG, WebP, and PDF output, plus full-page capture, custom headers and cookies, waiting for selectors or network idle, and signed links. The response includes X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers so you can see whether a clean page was captured and billed.

Free accounts include 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.

10. FAQ

Is the site logo thumbnail the same as the SharePoint header logo?

No. The thumbnail is square and used in search, site cards, and other square-logo contexts. The header logo is a separate, wider asset.

What size should a SharePoint logo thumbnail be?

Microsoft recommends 64 × 64 pixels for the thumbnail. It separately recommends 192 × 64 pixels for the larger site logo.

Can I use SVG for every SharePoint site?

No. Microsoft says SVG is not allowed on group-connected sites. Use PNG or JPEG there.

Why can’t I see the logo controls?

You may not have owner or designer permissions, or the site may use a classic SharePoint experience with different menus.

Will changing a team site logo change a Microsoft 365 group logo?

Yes, for a Microsoft 365 group-connected team site. Communication sites and non-group-connected team sites apply the change only to the site.

Do I need to change both logo settings?

Only if you want to update both the square thumbnail and the larger header logo. They are separate settings.

Sources

• Microsoft Support: Change the look of your SharePoint site
• Microsoft Support: Change a site’s title, description, logo, and site information settings
• Microsoft Support: Customize your SharePoint site