Content Delivery Networks (CDN) are used all over the Internet. In short they are Internet servers that deliver all sorts of stuff to browsers and mobile devices faster and with more reliability than just using your own server. If you want to geek out read what Wikipedia says about them.
CDNs can help with basic page and asset loading performance, which provides a more responsive and quick experience for your users. Two things are important when we talk about basic performance: the number of requests and the size of the response. There are basically three ways the CDN improve those biggest pain-points in content delivery.
You'll need to do just a few things in order to get started using Font Awesome via CDN on your project:
Get a unique embed code that's made just for you.
Once you have a code, place it in your project's HTML files. You'll want to add this within the <head> of each template or page that you want to use Font Awesome on.
Find and place the right icon for the job in your markup. Check out the Font Awesome icons and examples to learn how.
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
...
<!-- your embed code -->
<script src="https://use.fontawesome.com/your-embed-code.js"></script> <!-- TODO: Place your Font Awesome embed code -->
...
</head>
<body>
...
<!-- reference any icon you'd like -->
<i class="fa fa-flag"></i>
...
</body>
</html>Icons are symbols that can convey a ton of information and really help people comprehend directions, signs, and interfaces. Its important that we create and use them so that they can reach the largest amount of people possible. That means making sure our icons play well with technology that helps people navigate and use apps and sites.
According to this article, there are a potentially surprising number of folks with sight and hearing impairments: Blindness, low vision, and visual impairment represent 8.4% of the total world population and disabling hearing loss represents 5.3% of the total world population.
We've built-in ways to help technology that supports impairments, like screen readers, either ignore or better understand the Font Awesome icons you're using. In short, we try to help with the following cases:
If you're using an icon to add some extra decoration or branding, it does not need to be announced to users as they are navigating your site or app aurally. Additionally, if you're using an icon to visually re-emphasize or add styling to content already present in your HTML, it does not need to be repeated to an assistive technology-using user.
If you're using an icon to convey meaning, ensure that this meaning is also conveyed to users who may be interacting with your UI using different methods or tools by providing text-based alternatives. This goes for content you're abbreviating via icons (e.g. shopping cart status, number of unread messages, etc.) as well as interactive controls (e.g. buttons, form elements, toggles, etc.).
If enabled as a feature in your embed code, Font Awesome CDN will try to identify the scenarios above in your UI as well as provide the modern and proper syntax assistive technologies recognize. For icons that have semantic or interactive meaning, this means you'll need to provide a proper text alternative to be used. Here's how:
Font Awesome CDN's auto accessibility feature will make sure it is ignored by assistive technology. There's nothing extra you need to on top of how you would usually reference an icon.
Here's what your markup should be.
<button type="submit">
<i class="fa fa-envelope"></i> Email Us!
</button>
And Font Awesome CDN changes that to the following.
<button type="submit">
<i class="fa fa-envelope" aria-hidden=”true”></i> Email Us!
</button>Font Awesome CDN's auto accessibility feature will try to apply a fallback alternative for the icon based on any any alternatives and configuration you set on the icon.
Here's what your markup should be.
<button type="submit">
<i class="fa fa-arrow-right" title="Submit My Tax Return"></i>
</button>And Font Awesome CDN changes that to the following.
<button type="submit">
<i class="fa fa-arrow-right" title="Submit My Tax Return"></i>
<span class="sr-only">Submit My Tax Return</span>
</button>When a web page loads, there are often many requests for files needed to render the interface and content. This can create a line of assets and information waiting to be understood and then presented by the browser. Some of the requests, such as initial or very important content and basic layout styling, may be needed right away. Others, such as icons, typefaces, and images, may not be as critical to load for users first. To help speed up the loading of pages, its wise to delegate the latter to loading after the critical set.
If enabled as a feature in your embed code, Font Awesome CDN will move the loading of Font Awesome's icons and supporting styling from the critical request order and load them on a parallel track when the browser is available to.
If you have registered with Font Awesome CDN and are having trouble accessing your account, you can always try to recover your password. If that does not work, you can try contacting us for support.
If you'd like to delete your Font Awesome CDN account, we'll be sorry to see you go. But we'll be happy to help if you email us at cdn@fontawesome.com.
If you'd like to know about the ins and outs of your registered account, please see our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
We're not able to provide direct one-on-one support to all of our customers all of the time, but if you're having trouble, here are some places to start.
Double-check and follow the steps above to make sure the basics are covered.
If you're using another copy of Font Awesome, via download or Fort Awesome, in your site or app, this can cause conflicts. Make sure the CDN Embed code is the only way you're using Font Awesome.
Make sure that you've followed Font Awesome's conventions and examples properly.
Make sure that any CSS you are writing does not conflict or supersede the supporting CSS that Font Awesome is served with.
Font Awesome has a huge following and community. You can look at the open issues Check out the existing questions tagged as Font Awesome over on Stack Overflow. Other folks might have had the same question you've had. Can't find the answer to your question on Stack Overflow? Ask a new question.
If you still can't resolve things or thing its a bug on our end? You can report a new bug or issue.
Again, We're not able to provide direct one-on-one support to all of our customers all of the time, but if you're having trouble, here are some places to start.
Double-check and follow the steps above to make sure the basics are covered.
Seriously, make sure you that are referencing your embed code within your HTML's <head>
Font Awesome has a huge following and community. You can look at the open issues Check out the existing questions tagged as Font Awesome over on Stack Overflow. Other folks might have had the same question you've had. Can't find the answer to your question on Stack Overflow? Ask a new question.
If you still can't resolve things or thing its a bug on our end? You can report a new bug or issue.
Found a problem with Font Awesome CDN? Feel free to submit an issue on Font Awesome's GitHub project. But please keep the following in mind:
Font Awesome CDN is still really new. We're still squashing a few bugs and polishing things. If you notice something that seems off or is causing trouble, let us know by reporting a bug. Got a question, specific idea, or need something? Feel free to get in touch with the Font Awesome Team.
Contact us!