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What the upgrade involves and what it buys you.",{"root":8},{"children":9,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":365,"version":18},[10,21,25,53,59,63,88,100,104,108,143,147,151,155,196,200,204,212,220,224,228,240,244,248,300,304,308,314,320,324,329,333,337,341,345,349,353,357,361],{"children":11,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[12],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":16,"type":17,"version":18},0,"normal","","A progressive web app website is a normal website upgraded with three ingredients — HTTPS, a web app manifest, and a service worker — so browsers can install it to the home screen, run it full-screen like an app, and keep parts of it working offline. It stays a website: same URLs, same hosting, same search visibility.","text",1,null,"paragraph",{"children":22,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[23],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":24,"type":17,"version":18},"That definition sounds simple because it is. The confusion starts when \"PWA\" gets treated as a separate platform you must rebuild for.",{"children":26,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":18,"textStyle":15},[27,29,31,42,44,51],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":28,"type":17,"version":18},"What this guide covers, and what it does not.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":30,"type":17,"version":18}," This page takes the site-owner's view: you already run a website, and you want to know whether it qualifies as a PWA, how to check, what changes for visitors once it does, and what the upgrade actually involves. For the full technical picture of the PWA platform — the four required pieces in depth, deployment patterns, Web Push and Web Share Target, real-world case studies, and framework choices — read the ",{"children":32,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":37,"id":41},[33],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":34,"type":17,"version":18},"Progressive Web Application Guide","link",3,{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":40},"custom",false,"/resources/blog/progressive-web-application-guide/","6aa213385bd1e100c8d48758",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":43,"type":17,"version":18},", which covers that ground in far more detail than this page will. For the iOS-specific behavior that trips most teams up, see ",{"children":45,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":48,"id":50},[46],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":47,"type":17,"version":18},"Progressive Web Apps on iOS",{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":49},"/resources/blog/progressive-web-apps-on-ios/","6aa213385bd1e100c8d48759",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":52,"type":17,"version":18},".",{"children":54,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[55],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":56,"type":17,"version":18},"What Makes a Website a Progressive Web App","heading","h2",{"children":60,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[61],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":62,"type":17,"version":18},"Three technical ingredients, all additive to an existing site:",{"children":64,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":85,"version":18,"listType":86,"start":18,"tag":87},[65,72,79],{"children":66,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":18},[67,69],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":68,"type":17,"version":18},"HTTPS.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":70,"type":17,"version":18}," Non-negotiable; service workers only register on secure origins.","listitem",{"children":73,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":78},[74,76],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":75,"type":17,"version":18},"A web app manifest.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":77,"type":17,"version":18}," A small JSON file declaring name, icons, theme color, and display mode. This is what the browser reads when a user installs the site, and what makes the icon and full-screen launch look intentional rather than like a bookmarked tab.",2,{"children":80,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":36},[81,83],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":82,"type":17,"version":18},"A service worker.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":84,"type":17,"version":18}," A script the browser runs between your pages and the network. It caches assets, serves offline fallbacks, and (on supporting platforms) receives push notifications.","list","bullet","ul",{"children":89,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[90,92,98],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":91,"type":17,"version":18},"Nothing about the stack changes otherwise. If the site runs on Nuxt, WordPress, or hand-written HTML today, it can be a PWA tomorrow without replatforming. The ",{"children":93,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":96,"id":97},[94],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":95,"type":17,"version":18},"full guide",{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":40},"6aa213385bd1e100c8d4875a",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":99,"type":17,"version":18}," breaks each piece down at implementation depth.",{"children":101,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[102],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":103,"type":17,"version":18},"How to Tell If Your Website Is Already a Progressive Web App",{"children":105,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[106],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":107,"type":17,"version":18},"Plenty of sites have some of the ingredients already — a manifest added by a theme, HTTPS everywhere, a caching plugin that happens to register a worker. Three checks settle it, in rising order of rigor:",{"children":109,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":85,"version":18,"listType":141,"start":18,"tag":142},[110,116,135],{"children":111,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":18},[112,114],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":113,"type":17,"version":18},"Look for the install affordance.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":115,"type":17,"version":18}," Open the site in Chrome on Android or desktop. If an install icon appears in the address bar, or the browser menu offers \"Install app\" / \"Add to Home screen\" as an app rather than a shortcut, the manifest and worker are both live and valid.",{"children":117,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":78},[118,120,122,124,126,128,130,133],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":119,"type":17,"version":18},"Read the two files directly.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":121,"type":17,"version":18}," In Chrome DevTools, open ",{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":123,"type":17,"version":18},"Application → Manifest",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":125,"type":17,"version":18}," to see whether a manifest is parsed and which fields are missing, then ",{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":127,"type":17,"version":18},"Application → Service Workers",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":129,"type":17,"version":18}," to see whether a worker is registered and activated for the current scope. A manifest that loads but has no ",{"detail":13,"format":131,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":132,"type":17,"version":18},16,"display: standalone",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":134,"type":17,"version":18}," and no icons in the required sizes will not produce an app-like install.",{"children":136,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":36},[137,139],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":138,"type":17,"version":18},"Run an audit.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":140,"type":17,"version":18}," Lighthouse's installability checks report exactly which requirement fails — no manifest, no worker, worker not controlling the start URL, icons undersized — instead of leaving you to guess.","number","ol",{"children":144,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[145],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":146,"type":17,"version":18},"The common outcome is partial: HTTPS and a manifest present, no service worker, so nothing installs. That is a smaller gap to close than starting from zero.",{"children":148,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[149],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":150,"type":17,"version":18},"Progressive Web App Website vs. Regular Website",{"children":152,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[153],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":154,"type":17,"version":18},"The user-visible differences, condensed:",{"children":156,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":85,"version":18,"listType":86,"start":18,"tag":87},[157,163,169,175,182],{"children":158,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":18},[159,161],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":160,"type":17,"version":18},"Installability.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":162,"type":17,"version":18}," A regular website lives in tabs. A PWA can be added to the home screen with its own icon and identity — on Android via install prompts, on iPhone via Safari's Add to Home Screen.",{"children":164,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":78},[165,167],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":166,"type":17,"version":18},"Offline behavior.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":168,"type":17,"version":18}," A regular site is blank without a connection; a PWA can serve cached pages and a designed offline state.",{"children":170,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":36},[171,173],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":172,"type":17,"version":18},"Launch experience.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":174,"type":17,"version":18}," Installed PWAs open standalone — no address bar, no browser chrome — which reads as \"app\" to users.",{"children":176,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":181},[177,179],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":178,"type":17,"version":18},"Re-engagement.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":180,"type":17,"version":18}," Installed PWAs can receive push notifications on supporting platforms, giving the site a retention channel a plain website lacks.",4,{"children":183,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":195},[184,186,188,193],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":185,"type":17,"version":18},"Everything else stays equal.",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":187,"type":17,"version":18}," Same crawlability and rankings (the SEO question is answered in detail in the ",{"children":189,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":191,"id":192},[190],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":34,"type":17,"version":18},{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":40},"6aa213385bd1e100c8d4875b",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":194,"type":17,"version":18},"), same analytics, same deployment pipeline.",5,{"children":197,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[198],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":199,"type":17,"version":18},"Responsive Website vs. Progressive Web App",{"children":201,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[202],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":203,"type":17,"version":18},"These get conflated constantly, and they are not alternatives — they answer different questions.",{"children":205,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[206,208,210],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":207,"type":17,"version":18},"Responsive design governs ",{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":209,"type":17,"version":18},"how pages look",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":211,"type":17,"version":18},": layout, type, and images adapt to the viewport, so one codebase serves phones and desktops. It is a presentation concern, and it has been table stakes for years.",{"children":213,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[214,216,218],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":215,"type":17,"version":18},"PWA capabilities govern ",{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":217,"type":17,"version":18},"what the site can do",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":219,"type":17,"version":18},": install to the home screen, launch standalone, work offline, receive push. It is a capability layer, and it says nothing about layout.",{"children":221,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[222],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":223,"type":17,"version":18},"A site can be responsive and not installable — the overwhelmingly common case. It can also, in principle, be installable and not responsive, which produces an app-like launch into a desktop-width layout on a phone: technically a PWA, practically unusable. In practice the two belong together, and responsive design is the prerequisite you should already have before adding the PWA layer.",{"children":225,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[226],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":227,"type":17,"version":18},"PWA Website vs. Native App — the Short Version",{"children":229,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[230,232,239],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":231,"type":17,"version":18},"A PWA installs from the browser with zero store involvement; a native app ships through store review and updates on store timelines. The PWA trades away native-only APIs for instant distribution and instant updates. For content, commerce, and campaign landing experiences, that trade usually favors the PWA — which is precisely why advertisers use them as APK alternatives, a strategy covered in ",{"children":233,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":236,"id":238},[234],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":235,"type":17,"version":18},"Progressive Web Apps for Advertising",{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":237},"/resources/blog/progressive-web-apps-for-advertising/","6aa213385bd1e100c8d4875c",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":52,"type":17,"version":18},{"children":241,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[242],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":243,"type":17,"version":18},"Turning an Existing Website Into a PWA",{"children":245,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[246],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":247,"type":17,"version":18},"The upgrade path, in order of effort:",{"children":249,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":85,"version":18,"listType":86,"start":18,"tag":87},[250,256,264,270,285],{"children":251,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":18},[252,254],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":253,"type":17,"version":18},"Serve everything over HTTPS",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":255,"type":17,"version":18}," — usually already true.",{"children":257,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":78},[258,260,262,263],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":259,"type":17,"version":18},"Add the manifest",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":261,"type":17,"version":18}," — an afternoon of work: names, icons in required sizes, theme colors, ",{"detail":13,"format":131,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":132,"type":17,"version":18},{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":52,"type":17,"version":18},{"children":265,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":36},[266,268],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":267,"type":17,"version":18},"Register a minimal service worker",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":269,"type":17,"version":18}," — start with caching static assets and an offline fallback page; expand later.",{"children":271,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":181},[272,274,276,283],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":273,"type":17,"version":18},"Design the install moment",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":275,"type":17,"version":18}," — the technical ingredients make installation possible; an install-guidance UX makes it happen. This is the step teams skip, and it is where install rates are won, especially on iOS where no automatic prompt exists. ",{"children":277,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":280,"id":282},[278],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":279,"type":17,"version":18},"PWA on iPhone",{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":281},"/resources/blog/pwa-on-iphone/","6aa213385bd1e100c8d4875d",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":284,"type":17,"version":18}," walks through what that prompt-less flow has to look like.",{"children":286,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":71,"version":18,"value":195},[287,289,291,298],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":288,"type":17,"version":18},"Measure post-install behavior",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":290,"type":17,"version":18}," — home-screen launches, offline sessions, push opt-ins. Treat the funnel with the same rigor as any ",{"children":292,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":35,"version":36,"fields":295,"id":297},[293],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":294,"type":17,"version":18},"PWA install",{"linkType":38,"newTab":39,"url":296},"/product/pwa-install","6aa213385bd1e100c8d4875e",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":299,"type":17,"version":18}," program.",{"children":301,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[302],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":303,"type":17,"version":18},"What Changes for Your Existing Website — and What Does Not",{"children":305,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[306],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":307,"type":17,"version":18},"Worth stating plainly, because the fear of breaking a working site is what stalls most PWA projects:",{"children":309,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":18,"textStyle":15},[310,312],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":311,"type":17,"version":18},"Does not change:",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":313,"type":17,"version":18}," your URLs, your hosting, your CMS, your framework, your analytics, your crawlability, your existing rankings. The PWA layer is additive; visitors who never install anything see the site exactly as before.",{"children":315,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":18,"textStyle":15},[316,318],{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":317,"type":17,"version":18},"Does change:",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":319,"type":17,"version":18}," a subset of returning visitors now arrive from a home-screen icon instead of a browser tab, and their sessions look different in analytics — standalone launches, longer sessions, and on supporting platforms a push channel you did not previously have. Caching also becomes something you own: a badly scoped service worker can serve stale pages after a deploy, which is the one genuine new failure mode the upgrade introduces, and the reason cache-busting belongs in your release checklist from day one.",{"children":321,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":58},[322],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":323,"type":17,"version":18},"FAQ",{"children":325,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":328},[326],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":327,"type":17,"version":18},"Is a PWA a website or an app?","h3",{"children":330,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[331],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":332,"type":17,"version":18},"Both, literally: it is a website with app capabilities layered on. It lives at URLs and ranks in search like a site, and installs and launches like an app.",{"children":334,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":328},[335],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":336,"type":17,"version":18},"Do I need to rebuild my site to make it a PWA?",{"children":338,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[339],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":340,"type":17,"version":18},"No. The manifest and service worker are additions, not a rewrite. Most sites can ship a functional PWA layer without touching their framework or hosting.",{"children":342,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":328},[343],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":344,"type":17,"version":18},"Does making my website a PWA hurt SEO?",{"children":346,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[347],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":348,"type":17,"version":18},"No — the pages remain crawlable web pages with the same URLs. If anything changes, it is the engineering around rendering, not the PWA layer itself.",{"children":350,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":328},[351],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":352,"type":17,"version":18},"How is a PWA website different from a mobile-responsive website?",{"children":354,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[355],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":356,"type":17,"version":18},"Responsive design changes how pages look on small screens. PWA capabilities change what the site can do: install, run standalone, work offline, and send push notifications. A site can and should be both — see the comparison above.",{"children":358,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":57,"version":18,"tag":328},[359],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":360,"type":17,"version":18},"How can I check whether a website is a PWA?",{"children":362,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[363],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":364,"type":17,"version":18},"Open it in Chrome and look for an install option in the address bar or menu, then confirm in DevTools under Application → Manifest and Application → Service Workers. A Lighthouse audit will name the specific missing requirement if it does not install.","root",{"id":367,"alt":368,"updatedAt":369,"createdAt":369,"url":370,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":371,"mimeType":372,"filesize":373,"width":19,"height":19},982,"Isometric illustration of a website gaining app capabilities with manifest and service worker","2026-08-14T07:22:40.026Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/cover-website-5bee133661c9.jpg","cover-website-5bee133661c9.jpg","application/octet-stream",199890,{"title":375,"description":376,"image":377},"Progressive Web App Website: What It Is (2026)","What makes a website a progressive web app, how a PWA differs from a regular website and a native app, and the upgrade path from an existing site — without replatforming.",{"id":367,"alt":368,"updatedAt":369,"createdAt":369,"url":370,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":371,"mimeType":372,"filesize":373,"width":19,"height":19},{"id":18,"key":379,"name":380,"prodHost":381,"testHost":382,"blogPath":383,"docPath":384,"zhPrefix":385,"deployHookTest":386,"deployHookProd":387,"brandAuthor":388,"brandKit":392,"enabled":396,"updatedAt":397,"createdAt":398},"deepclick","DeepClick","https://deepclick.com","https://www-test-deepclick.qiliangjia.one","/resources/blog/{slug}","/docs/{slug}","/zh-CN","https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/pages/webhooks/deploy_hooks/60a9adef-153b-4c89-8d07-7118e91e9522","https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/pages/webhooks/deploy_hooks/05323321-f694-4ce8-a5af-173c507b8bae",{"id":78,"name":380,"avatar":389,"updatedAt":390,"createdAt":391},25,"2026-04-22T08:09:35.299Z","2026-04-22T06:42:49.116Z",{"logoLight":19,"logoDark":19,"primaryColor":393,"accentColor":394,"tagline":395,"wechatName":19,"xhsHandle":19,"wechatQr":19},"#1a73e8","#ff6600","一次点击，多重价值",true,"2026-08-25T06:40:57.663Z","2026-07-14T06:26:38.962Z","published","progressive-web-app-website",{"id":195,"name":402,"avatar":403,"updatedAt":410,"createdAt":410},"Mara Lindqvist",{"id":404,"alt":405,"updatedAt":406,"createdAt":406,"url":407,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":408,"mimeType":372,"filesize":409,"width":19,"height":19},923,"Mara Lindqvist — SEO & content strategist","2026-07-27T07:17:15.590Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/gpt_1785136338870_0-0c5adc97a65e.png","gpt_1785136338870_0-0c5adc97a65e.png",2203214,"2026-07-27T07:17:17.300Z",{"id":412,"site":413,"titleZh":415,"titleEn":416,"slug":417,"order":195,"updatedAt":418,"createdAt":419},7,{"id":18,"key":379,"name":380,"prodHost":381,"testHost":382,"blogPath":383,"docPath":384,"zhPrefix":385,"deployHookTest":386,"deployHookProd":387,"brandAuthor":78,"brandKit":414,"enabled":396,"updatedAt":397,"createdAt":398},{"logoLight":19,"logoDark":19,"primaryColor":393,"accentColor":394,"tagline":395,"wechatName":19,"xhsHandle":19,"wechatQr":19},"技术导航","Tech Guides","tech-guides","2026-04-27T08:37:10.576Z","2026-04-23T02:59:13.436Z","2026-08-14T07:22:59.101Z","2026-09-10T02:17:30.953Z","\u003Cdiv class=\"payload-richtext\">\u003Cp>A progressive web app website is a normal website upgraded with three ingredients — HTTPS, a web app manifest, and a service worker — so browsers can install it to the home screen, run it full-screen like an app, and keep parts of it working offline. It stays a website: same URLs, same hosting, same search visibility.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That definition sounds simple because it is. The confusion starts when "PWA" gets treated as a separate platform you must rebuild for.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What this guide covers, and what it does not.\u003C/strong> This page takes the site-owner's view: you already run a website, and you want to know whether it qualifies as a PWA, how to check, what changes for visitors once it does, and what the upgrade actually involves. For the full technical picture of the PWA platform — the four required pieces in depth, deployment patterns, Web Push and Web Share Target, real-world case studies, and framework choices — read the \u003Ca href=\"/resources/blog/progressive-web-application-guide/\">Progressive Web Application Guide\u003C/a>, which covers that ground in far more detail than this page will. For the iOS-specific behavior that trips most teams up, see \u003Ca href=\"/resources/blog/progressive-web-apps-on-ios/\">Progressive Web Apps on iOS\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>What Makes a Website a Progressive Web App\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Three technical ingredients, all additive to an existing site:\u003C/p>\u003Cul class=\"list-bullet\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>HTTPS.\u003C/strong> Non-negotiable; service workers only register on secure origins.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>A web app manifest.\u003C/strong> A small JSON file declaring name, icons, theme color, and display mode. This is what the browser reads when a user installs the site, and what makes the icon and full-screen launch look intentional rather than like a bookmarked tab.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>A service worker.\u003C/strong> A script the browser runs between your pages and the network. It caches assets, serves offline fallbacks, and (on supporting platforms) receives push notifications.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Nothing about the stack changes otherwise. If the site runs on Nuxt, WordPress, or hand-written HTML today, it can be a PWA tomorrow without replatforming. The \u003Ca href=\"/resources/blog/progressive-web-application-guide/\">full guide\u003C/a> breaks each piece down at implementation depth.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>How to Tell If Your Website Is Already a Progressive Web App\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Plenty of sites have some of the ingredients already — a manifest added by a theme, HTTPS everywhere, a caching plugin that happens to register a worker. Three checks settle it, in rising order of rigor:\u003C/p>\u003Col class=\"list-number\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Look for the install affordance.\u003C/strong> Open the site in Chrome on Android or desktop. If an install icon appears in the address bar, or the browser menu offers "Install app" / "Add to Home screen" as an app rather than a shortcut, the manifest and worker are both live and valid.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Read the two files directly.\u003C/strong> In Chrome DevTools, open \u003Cstrong>Application → Manifest\u003C/strong> to see whether a manifest is parsed and which fields are missing, then \u003Cstrong>Application → Service Workers\u003C/strong> to see whether a worker is registered and activated for the current scope. A manifest that loads but has no \u003Ccode>display: standalone\u003C/code> and no icons in the required sizes will not produce an app-like install.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Run an audit.\u003C/strong> Lighthouse's installability checks report exactly which requirement fails — no manifest, no worker, worker not controlling the start URL, icons undersized — instead of leaving you to guess.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The common outcome is partial: HTTPS and a manifest present, no service worker, so nothing installs. That is a smaller gap to close than starting from zero.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>Progressive Web App Website vs. Regular Website\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The user-visible differences, condensed:\u003C/p>\u003Cul class=\"list-bullet\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Installability.\u003C/strong> A regular website lives in tabs. A PWA can be added to the home screen with its own icon and identity — on Android via install prompts, on iPhone via Safari's Add to Home Screen.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Offline behavior.\u003C/strong> A regular site is blank without a connection; a PWA can serve cached pages and a designed offline state.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Launch experience.\u003C/strong> Installed PWAs open standalone — no address bar, no browser chrome — which reads as "app" to users.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"4\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Re-engagement.\u003C/strong> Installed PWAs can receive push notifications on supporting platforms, giving the site a retention channel a plain website lacks.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"5\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Everything else stays equal.\u003C/strong> Same crawlability and rankings (the SEO question is answered in detail in the \u003Ca href=\"/resources/blog/progressive-web-application-guide/\">Progressive Web Application Guide\u003C/a>), same analytics, same deployment pipeline.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2>Responsive Website vs. Progressive Web App\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>These get conflated constantly, and they are not alternatives — they answer different questions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Responsive design governs \u003Cstrong>how pages look\u003C/strong>: layout, type, and images adapt to the viewport, so one codebase serves phones and desktops. It is a presentation concern, and it has been table stakes for years.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>PWA capabilities govern \u003Cstrong>what the site can do\u003C/strong>: install to the home screen, launch standalone, work offline, receive push. It is a capability layer, and it says nothing about layout.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A site can be responsive and not installable — the overwhelmingly common case. It can also, in principle, be installable and not responsive, which produces an app-like launch into a desktop-width layout on a phone: technically a PWA, practically unusable. In practice the two belong together, and responsive design is the prerequisite you should already have before adding the PWA layer.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>PWA Website vs. Native App — the Short Version\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A PWA installs from the browser with zero store involvement; a native app ships through store review and updates on store timelines. The PWA trades away native-only APIs for instant distribution and instant updates. For content, commerce, and campaign landing experiences, that trade usually favors the PWA — which is precisely why advertisers use them as APK alternatives, a strategy covered in \u003Ca href=\"/resources/blog/progressive-web-apps-for-advertising/\">Progressive Web Apps for Advertising\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>Turning an Existing Website Into a PWA\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The upgrade path, in order of effort:\u003C/p>\u003Cul class=\"list-bullet\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Serve everything over HTTPS\u003C/strong> — usually already true.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Add the manifest\u003C/strong> — an afternoon of work: names, icons in required sizes, theme colors, \u003Ccode>display: standalone\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Register a minimal service worker\u003C/strong> — start with caching static assets and an offline fallback page; expand later.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"4\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Design the install moment\u003C/strong> — the technical ingredients make installation possible; an install-guidance UX makes it happen. This is the step teams skip, and it is where install rates are won, especially on iOS where no automatic prompt exists. \u003Ca href=\"/resources/blog/pwa-on-iphone/\">PWA on iPhone\u003C/a> walks through what that prompt-less flow has to look like.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"5\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Measure post-install behavior\u003C/strong> — home-screen launches, offline sessions, push opt-ins. Treat the funnel with the same rigor as any \u003Ca href=\"/product/pwa-install\">PWA install\u003C/a> program.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2>What Changes for Your Existing Website — and What Does Not\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Worth stating plainly, because the fear of breaking a working site is what stalls most PWA projects:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Does not change:\u003C/strong> your URLs, your hosting, your CMS, your framework, your analytics, your crawlability, your existing rankings. The PWA layer is additive; visitors who never install anything see the site exactly as before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Does change:\u003C/strong> a subset of returning visitors now arrive from a home-screen icon instead of a browser tab, and their sessions look different in analytics — standalone launches, longer sessions, and on supporting platforms a push channel you did not previously have. Caching also becomes something you own: a badly scoped service worker can serve stale pages after a deploy, which is the one genuine new failure mode the upgrade introduces, and the reason cache-busting belongs in your release checklist from day one.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>FAQ\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3>Is a PWA a website or an app?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Both, literally: it is a website with app capabilities layered on. It lives at URLs and ranks in search like a site, and installs and launches like an app.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3>Do I need to rebuild my site to make it a PWA?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>No. The manifest and service worker are additions, not a rewrite. Most sites can ship a functional PWA layer without touching their framework or hosting.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3>Does making my website a PWA hurt SEO?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>No — the pages remain crawlable web pages with the same URLs. If anything changes, it is the engineering around rendering, not the PWA layer itself.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3>How is a PWA website different from a mobile-responsive website?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Responsive design changes how pages look on small screens. PWA capabilities change what the site can do: install, run standalone, work offline, and send push notifications. A site can and should be both — see the comparison above.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3>How can I check whether a website is a PWA?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Open it in Chrome and look for an install option in the address bar or menu, then confirm in DevTools under Application → Manifest and Application → Service Workers. A Lighthouse audit will name the specific missing requirement if it does not install.\u003C/p>\u003C/div>","https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/progressive-web-app-website",{"en":400,"zh-CN":400},[426],{"id":36,"title":427,"site":428,"image":430,"mobileImage":440,"targetUrl":448,"enabled":396,"postDateFrom":449,"postDateTo":450,"updatedAt":451,"createdAt":452},"2026.10.20 Jakarta summit (deepclick)",{"id":18,"key":379,"name":380,"prodHost":381,"testHost":382,"blogPath":383,"docPath":384,"zhPrefix":385,"deployHookTest":386,"deployHookProd":387,"brandAuthor":78,"brandKit":429,"enabled":396,"updatedAt":397,"createdAt":398},{"logoLight":19,"logoDark":19,"primaryColor":393,"accentColor":394,"tagline":395,"wechatName":19,"xhsHandle":19,"wechatQr":19},{"id":431,"alt":432,"updatedAt":433,"createdAt":433,"url":434,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":435,"mimeType":436,"filesize":437,"width":438,"height":439},1068,"TrafficTalking Jakarta summit 2026.10.20 (en)","2026-09-04T10:44:12.868Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/traffictalking-jakarta-banner-en-9f7ee22f6562.png","traffictalking-jakarta-banner-en-9f7ee22f6562.png","image/png",1565832,2000,400,{"id":441,"alt":442,"updatedAt":443,"createdAt":443,"url":444,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":445,"mimeType":436,"filesize":446,"width":447,"height":439},1070,"TrafficTalking Jakarta summit 2026.10.20 (mobile-en)","2026-09-04T10:44:23.791Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/traffictalking-jakarta-banner-mobile-en-3ef8e652bbac.png","traffictalking-jakarta-banner-mobile-en-3ef8e652bbac.png",580158,1200,"https://t.me/rrrun_r","2026-09-03T00:00:00.000Z","2026-10-04T00:00:00.000Z","2026-09-04T10:45:05.578Z","2026-09-04T10:45:03.031Z",1789875705055]