Make it installable

Outcome: an app that not only can be installed but invites it at the right moment, with a launch experience that feels native. Meeting the criteria is the floor; this guide covers the floor and then the experience on top of it.

If you have not yet reached the installable floor, start with Getting started and return here.

Steps

Confirm the criteria are met. A valid manifest, a secure origin, a registered service worker with a fetch handler, and the required icon sizes. The full bar is in the installation reference.
Choose a display mode deliberately. standalone hides browser chrome for an app-like frame; minimal-ui keeps a thin control strip; browser stays in a tab. Pick per the display reference and verify the mode you want is honoured on your targets in the manifest-display compatibility data.
Set scope and start URL. scope bounds which URLs open inside the installed app; start_url is where launch lands. Get these right so the app doesn’t leak into a browser tab — see the scope reference and scope compatibility.
Capture and defer the install prompt. On engines that fire beforeinstallprompt, store the event and present your own install affordance from a user gesture instead of letting the default surface alone drive it. The mechanics are in the install-prompt reference; engine coverage is in the install-prompt compatibility data.
Handle iOS explicitly. Safari does not fire beforeinstallprompt; users install via Share → Add to Home Screen. Detect iOS and show tailored instructions rather than a button that does nothing. See iOS / Safari platform notes.
Re-engage after install. Once installed, a badge can pull users back. Confirm support in the badging compatibility data before relying on it, and pair it with notifications where it fits.

Design the install moment

A prompt shown on first paint converts poorly. Earn the install:

Wait for signal — offer install after the user has done something that shows intent.
Explain the value — say what installing gives them (offline, a home-screen icon), not just install.
Respect dismissal — if they decline, don’t re-ask immediately.

Where to go next

Offline strategies — installed apps are judged on offline resilience.
Performance — the launch should feel instant.
Installation reference — the authoritative criteria.

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