How to Build a PWA: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to manifest.json, Service Workers, and Home Screen Setup
How to Build a PWA: A Step-by-Step Guide to manifest.json, Service Workers, and Home Screen Support Last updated: 2026/01/29 If you want to turn your website into an app-like experience or make it look cleaner when added to the Home Screen, you need to implement PWA functionality. Although PWAs may sound technical, the core requirements are surprisingly simple. You only need two things: manifest.json (app metadata) Service Worker (caching and behavior control) Set these up correctly, link them to your HTML, and your website can function as a PWA. 1. Create manifest.json The manifest file contains your app’s name, icon settings, theme color, and how the app should behave when launched from the Home Screen. { "name": "App Name", "short_name": "Short Name", "start_url": "/", "display": "standalone", "background_color": "#ffffff", "theme_color": "#ffffff", "icons": [ { "src": "/icons/icon-192.png", "sizes": "192x192", "type": "image/png" }, { "src": "/icons/icon-512.png", "sizes": "512x512", "type": "image/png" } ] } The most important part is the icons section— Home Screen icons come from here. Include the manifest in your HTML: <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json"> 2. Register a Service Worker The Service Worker (SW) gives a PWA its “app-like” feel by running in the background. Start with a minimal sw.js: self.addEventListener("install", () […]
