How to use the PWA Manifest Generator
- Enter the app name, a short name for the home screen (12 characters or fewer), a description and the start URL.
- Choose the display mode — standalone for an app-like window — and the theme and background colors used for the title bar and splash screen.
- Set where your icons live (192 and 512 px, plus a maskable one) and keep the offline service worker on, with the caching strategy that fits your site.
- Download the ZIP, put the files in your site root, add the
<head>tags and check Chrome DevTools → Application → Manifest.
What makes a site installable
- Served over HTTPS.
- A web app manifest with
nameorshort_name,start_url, adisplaymode other thanbrowser, and icons of at least 192 px and 512 px. - A linked manifest in the page’s
<head>. Chrome no longer requires a service worker to install, but you need one to work offline.
The service worker’s caching strategies
| Strategy | How it answers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Network first | Tries the network, falls back to the cache when offline | Pages (always used for HTML here) |
| Stale-while-revalidate | Answers from the cache instantly, updates the cache in the background | CSS, JS, images that change now and then |
| Cache first | Uses the cache and only goes to the network when missing | Files with a hash or version in the name |
Bump the cache version when you deploy, so the new service worker clears old caches on activation. When nothing is cached and the network is down, visitors see offline.html.
Also searched as: web app manifest generator, manifest.json generator, service worker generator, pwa generator, make website installable, offline service worker, webmanifest generator.
Tools that pair well with the PWA Manifest Generator
- App Icon Generator — Drop one square image and get every icon size your app needs — an Xcode-ready AppIcon.appiconset, Android mipmap folders with adaptive icons, the Play Store icon and web/PWA icons — in a single ZIP.
- Favicon Generator — Make a complete favicon package from a logo, a letter or an emoji: a multi-size favicon.ico, Apple touch icon, Android/PWA icons, a Webflow webclip, the web manifest and the HTML tags to paste.
- Meta Tag Generator — Fill in one form and get a complete, valid <head> — title, description, canonical, robots, Open Graph, X/Twitter cards, theme color and icons — with live previews and Webflow-specific output.
- Deep Link File Generator — Create the two files that let links to your website open your app — apple-app-site-association for iOS Universal Links and assetlinks.json for Android App Links — or paste existing files to check them.
Frequently asked questions
Is it manifest.json or manifest.webmanifest?
Both work. The spec’s recommended extension is .webmanifest (served as application/manifest+json); .json is fine too as long as the points to it.
What is a maskable icon?
An icon with extra padding (a safe zone in the middle 80%) that Android can crop into a circle, squircle or other shape without cutting off your logo.
Why does my PWA not show the install button?
Check Chrome DevTools → Application → Manifest for errors: usually a missing 192 or 512 px icon, a wrong start_url or scope, display set to browser, or the page not being served over HTTPS.
How do I update a PWA after a deploy?
Change the cache version in sw.js. The browser installs the new service worker, which deletes old caches and takes over (skipWaiting and clients.claim), so users get the new files on their next visit.
Can I install PWA Manifest Generator as a web app and use it offline?
Yes. PWA Manifest Generator is an installable web app (PWA) — installed from your browser, not downloaded from an app store. Click Install app at the top of this page in Chrome or Edge (Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS) or on Android, use Share → Add to Home Screen on iPhone and iPad, or File → Add to Dock in Safari 17+ on a Mac. It then opens in its own window with its own icon, and because it runs entirely in your browser it keeps working offline. Firefox on desktop can’t install web apps. How installing works.