Placeholder Avatar Generator

What Is a Placeholder Avatar?

A placeholder avatar is a simple stand-in profile image generated from a person's initials. Designers and developers use them to fill user lists, comment threads, and account screens when real profile photos are not yet available — so a UI looks complete during design and testing.

How to Use This Generator

1. Enter the text to display — it is shown exactly as typed (e.g. initials like JD, or a single character such as 田).
2. Set the size and choose a circle or square shape.
3. Leave the background blank for an automatic color derived from the text, or set your own hex color.
4. Pick SVG or PNG, then copy the URL or download the file.

The background color is deterministic: the same text always produces the same color, so a person keeps a consistent avatar across your app. You can request avatars directly by URL — see the Help page for all parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What text appears on the avatar?

Exactly what you type, shown verbatim — usually one to three characters such as initials (JD) or a single kanji (田). Text is truncated to 12 characters, and you choose the characters yourself so middle names and multi-character names render the way you want.

Are the avatars free to use?

Yes. They are free for personal and commercial projects, with no attribution required and no sign-up.

Does the same text always look the same?

Yes. The automatic background color is derived from the text, so it is stable across requests.

Can I use my own colors?

Yes. Set the background and text color as hex values to override the automatic palette.