Everything you need for a working, installable, and performant Progressive Web App.
Check items as you go — progress is saved in the browser.
0% completato
🎉 Your PWA is ready!
You've completed all required and recommended items.
🔒HTTPS & Domain0/3
📋Web App Manifest0/7
⚙️Service Worker0/5
🔔Push Notifications (if needed)0/4
🔍SEO & Meta Tag0/5
⚡Performance0/4
Who this PWA checklist is for
This checklist gathers the technical requirements for turning a website into an installable Progressive Web App that works offline and is ready for push notifications, with your progress savable as you go.
When to use it
You're building or updating a site and want to make it installable on smartphones and desktops like an app, without going through app stores.
You need to systematically check requirements like manifest, service worker, HTTPS, and offline support before launch.
You want to understand which PWA features (push notifications, offline cache) make sense to implement for your specific use case.
When NOT to use it
You need a real native app with full access to OS APIs (advanced Bluetooth, specific sensors): a PWA still has limitations compared to native, especially on iOS.
Your site is purely informational with no need for installation or offline use: the checklist is most valuable for interactive web apps.
Alternatives
Native frameworks (Swift/Kotlin) or cross-platform ones (React Native, Flutter) when you need advanced hardware access or maximum performance.
Chrome DevTools' Lighthouse as an automated audit tool complementary to this manual checklist.
Common mistakes
Publishing a manifest.json without icons in the correct sizes: many browsers refuse to show the install prompt if the required icons are missing.
Forgetting that the service worker requires HTTPS (except on localhost): without a secure connection, the PWA won't register.
Implementing push notifications without handling the case where the user declines or later disables them.
Frequently asked questions about Progressive Web Apps
Three basic elements are needed: a manifest.json file with the app's name, icons, and colors, a registered service worker (even a minimal one), and the site served over HTTPS. Without these three requirements, browsers won't show the install prompt.
Yes, if the service worker implements a caching strategy for the main resources (HTML, CSS, JS, and critical assets). The level of offline support depends on how complete the caching strategy is.
Support varies: on Android and desktop, push notifications work well via the Web Push API, while on iOS support is more recent and comes with some limitations tied to Safari versions.
No, installation happens directly from the browser via the native prompt or the "Add to Home Screen" option. You can still also publish it on Google Play via TWA (Trusted Web Activity), if useful for distribution.