/pwa-development

name: pwa-development
description: Progressive Web Apps - service workers, caching strategies, offline, Workbox
when-to-use: When building PWA features - service workers, caching, offline support
user-invocable: false
paths: ["**/sw.*", "**/service-worker.*", "**/workbox-config.*", "**/manifest.json"]
effort: medium

PWA Development Skill

**Purpose:** Build Progressive Web Apps that work offline, install like native apps, and deliver fast, reliable experiences across all devices.

---

Core PWA Requirements

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  THE THREE PILLARS OF PWA                                       │
│  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────  │
│                                                                 │
│  1. HTTPS                                                       │
│     Required for service workers and security.                  │
│     localhost allowed for development.                          │
│                                                                 │
│  2. SERVICE WORKER                                              │
│     JavaScript that runs in background.                         │
│     Enables offline, caching, push notifications.               │
│                                                                 │
│  3. WEB APP MANIFEST                                            │
│     JSON file describing app metadata.                          │
│     Enables installation and app-like experience.               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  INSTALLABILITY CRITERIA (Chrome)                               │
│  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────  │
│  • HTTPS (or localhost)                                         │
│  • Service worker with fetch handler                            │
│  • Web app manifest with: name, icons (192px + 512px),          │
│    start_url, display: standalone/fullscreen/minimal-ui         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

Web App Manifest

Required Fields

{
  "name": "My Progressive Web App",
  "short_name": "MyPWA",
  "description": "A description of what the app does",
  "start_url": "/",
  "display": "standalone",
  "background_color": "#ffffff",
  "theme_color": "#000000",
  "icons": [
    {
      "src": "/icons/icon-192.png",
      "sizes": "192x192",
      "type": "image/png"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icons/icon-512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icons/icon-512-maskable.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "maskable"
    }
  ]
}

Enhanced Manifest (Full Features)

{
  "name": "My Progressive Web App",
  "short_name": "MyPWA",
  "description": "A full-featured PWA",
  "start_url": "/?source=pwa",
  "scope": "/",
  "display": "standalone",
  "orientation": "portrait-primary",
  "background_color": "#ffffff",
  "theme_color": "#3367D6",
  "dir": "ltr",
  "lang": "en",
  "categories": ["productivity", "utilities"],

  "icons": [
    { "src": "/icons/icon-72.png", "sizes": "72x72", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-96.png", "sizes": "96x96", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-128.png", "sizes": "128x128", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-144.png", "sizes": "144x144", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-152.png", "sizes": "152x152", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-192.png", "sizes": "192x192", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-384.png", "sizes": "384x384", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-512.png", "sizes": "512x512", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/icons/icon-maskable.png", "sizes": "512x512", "type": "image/png", "purpose": "maskable" }
  ],

  "screenshots": [
    {
      "src": "/screenshots/desktop.png",
      "sizes": "1280x720",
      "type": "image/png",
      "form_factor": "wide"
    },
    {
      "src": "/screenshots/mobile.png",
      "sizes": "750x1334",
      "type": "image/png",
      "form_factor": "narrow"
    }
  ],

  "shortcuts": [
    {
      "name": "New Item",
      "short_name": "New",
      "description": "Create a new item",
      "url": "/new?source=shortcut",
      "icons": [{ "src": "/icons/shortcut-new.png", "sizes": "192x192" }]
    }
  ],

  "share_target": {
    "action": "/share",
    "method": "POST",
    "enctype": "multipart/form-data",
    "params": {
      "title": "title",
      "text": "text",
      "url": "url",
      "files": [{ "name": "files", "accept": ["image/*"] }]
    }
  },

  "protocol_handlers": [
    {
      "protocol": "web+myapp",
      "url": "/handle?url=%s"
    }
  ],

  "file_handlers": [
    {
      "action": "/open-file",
      "accept": {
        "text/plain": [".txt"]
      }
    }
  ]
}

Manifest Checklist

• [ ] `name` and `short_name` defined
• [ ] `start_url` set (use query param for analytics)
• [ ] `display` set to `standalone` or `fullscreen`
• [ ] Icons: 192x192 and 512x512 minimum
• [ ] Maskable icon included for Android adaptive icons
• [ ] `theme_color` matches app design
• [ ] `background_color` for splash screen
• [ ] Screenshots for richer install UI (optional)
• [ ] Shortcuts for quick actions (optional)

---

Service Worker Patterns

Basic Service Worker

// sw.js
const CACHE_NAME = 'app-cache-v1';
const STATIC_ASSETS = [
  '/',
  '/index.html',
  '/styles/main.css',
  '/scripts/app.js',
  '/offline.html'
];

// Install: Cache static assets
self.addEventListener('install', (event) => {
  event.waitUntil(
    caches.open(CACHE_NAME)
      .then((cache) => cache.addAll(STATIC_ASSETS))
      .then(() => self.skipWaiting())
  );
});

// Activate: Clean old caches
self.addEventListener('activate', (event) => {
  event.waitUntil(
    caches.keys()
      .then((keys) => Promise.all(
        keys