Skip to content
OpenPWA

Manifest name and short_name

In one line: name is the full human-readable label shown in install prompts and splash screens; short_name is the abbreviated label used where space is tight — home-screen icons, app switchers, and taskbar entries. Keep short_name to 12 characters or fewer so it fits without truncation on most platforms.

What each member does

Section titled “What each member does”
Member Typical surfaces Length guidance
name Install dialog, about screen, splash screen 45 chars max before wrapping on most browsers
short_name Home-screen icon label, app switcher, taskbar 12 chars or fewer; 15 absolute max

The browser falls back to name when short_name is absent, then truncates or abbreviates it at the platform’s discretion. Always provide both.

Syntax

Section titled “Syntax”
{
  "name": "Acme Invoice Tracker",
  "short_name": "Acme"
}

Both values are plain strings. Avoid markup, emoji, or unprintable characters — OSes render them inconsistently.

W3C specification notes

Section titled “W3C specification notes”
  • name is a required member for the install criteria in most browser implementations, though the spec marks it optional.
  • short_name is optional in the spec but practically required for a good home-screen label.
  • Neither member accepts HTML; the browser displays the raw string.

Platform-specific behaviour

Section titled “Platform-specific behaviour”
  • Android (Chrome/Edge): Uses short_name for the home-screen icon label; name in the install bottom sheet.
  • iOS (Safari): Uses name on the Add-to-Home-Screen sheet; the icon label is the first word of short_name (or name if absent) up to ~10 visible characters.
  • Windows (Edge/PWABuilder): Uses name in the Start menu and taskbar tooltip; short_name on the taskbar button when pinned.
  • macOS (Chrome/Edge): Uses name in the Dock tooltip and Spotlight; short_name for the icon label in the Dock.
  • Linux: Behaviour varies by desktop environment; most use name in app menus.

Choosing good values

Section titled “Choosing good values”
  • Match name to your product’s public-facing brand name — the same string used in your app store listing.
  • Make short_name a recognisable abbreviation, not a generic word. “Tracker” is worse than “Acme” or “Invoice”.
  • Avoid including “PWA” or “App” in either field; those labels add noise without adding meaning to users.
  • Localise both members per-locale using the lang member and separate manifests or the shortcuts localisation pattern if your app serves multiple languages.

Practical checklist

Section titled “Practical checklist”
  • name is present and matches your brand.
  • short_name is 12 characters or fewer.
  • Both fields are plain text — no HTML tags or emoji.
  • You have tested the home-screen icon label on Android and iOS.
  • If the app is multi-lingual, you have a localisation strategy for name and short_name.