Manifest shortcuts

In one line: shortcuts is an array of quick-action links that appear in the OS context menu when a user long-presses (Android) or right-clicks (Windows, macOS) the installed PWA icon. Each shortcut opens a specific in-scope URL directly, bypassing start_url — ideal for jump to compose, jump to inbox, jump to dashboard, and similar high-frequency actions.

Syntax

{
  "shortcuts": [
    {
      "name": "New Invoice",
      "short_name": "New",
      "description": "Create a new invoice",
      "url": "/app/invoice/new",
      "icons": [
        {
          "src": "/icons/shortcut-new.png",
          "sizes": "96x96",
          "type": "image/png"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Dashboard",
      "url": "/app/dashboard"
    }
  ]
}

Each shortcut object:

Property	Required	Description
name	Yes	Label shown in the context menu.
short_name	No	Abbreviated label for space-constrained contexts.
description	No	Assistive-technology hint; not usually visible in the menu.
url	Yes	In-scope URL to open. Must be within scope.
icons	No	Array of icon objects (same format as manifest icons).

Scope constraint

Every url in shortcuts must be within the manifest scope. Out-of-scope URLs are silently ignored or cause the shortcut to be skipped by the browser. Always verify each shortcut URL against the scope.

Platform support and limits

Platform	Context	Max shortcuts shown
Android (Chrome)	Long-press home-screen icon	4
Windows (Edge)	Right-click taskbar / Start menu	Up to 10, browser may cap
macOS (Chrome/Edge)	Right-click Dock icon	Up to 10
iOS (Safari)	Not supported	—

Browsers silently truncate shortcuts arrays beyond the platform maximum. Put the most important shortcuts first.

Icons for shortcuts

Shortcut icons are optional but improve recognisability in the OS menu. Recommended size is 96 × 96 px PNG. The same maskable/any purpose rules apply as for manifest-level icons, but platforms typically show shortcuts at small sizes (16–32 px) so keep icons simple and clear.

Design guidelines

• Limit to 3–4 shortcuts even if the platform supports more — more choices dilute the benefit.
• Use action-oriented names: “New Invoice”, “Open Camera”, “Today’s Tasks”.
• Ensure each shortcut URL leads directly to the feature, not to a landing page that then redirects.
• Keep name short enough to display without truncation on the narrowest platform (roughly 30 characters).

Practical checklist

• Each shortcut url is within the manifest scope.
• The most important shortcuts appear first (platforms cap the list).
• Shortcut name strings are action-oriented and under 30 characters.
• If icons are provided, they are at least 96 × 96 px.
• You have tested the shortcut menu on Android (long press) and Windows/macOS (right-click).
• Each shortcut URL leads directly to the intended feature without redirects.