PWA Compatibility Checker to Audit Progressive Web App Features

A Progressive Web App promises an installable, app like experience from a website, but whether a given site actually qualifies depends on a checklist of technical features that are invisible from the surface. The PWA Compatibility Checker audits a website against those features for you: enter the address, run the audit, and see which PWA building blocks are present and which are missing.

What Makes a Website a Progressive Web App

A PWA is not a separate product; it is a website that meets a set of enhancement criteria. The core requirements most browsers check before offering installation include being served over HTTPS, having a valid web app manifest with names and icons, registering a service worker that can handle network requests, and offering a responsive design that works on mobile screens. Beyond that installability baseline sit qualities like fast loading, offline resilience and engaging touches such as a theme colour that matches the site's branding.

Each missing piece has a visible consequence. No manifest means no proper install prompt and no icon on the home screen. No service worker means no offline behaviour and, in most browsers, no installation at all. An audit exists to find these gaps before your users do.

Those criteria are not frozen, either. Browsers publish their own installability rules and revise them over time, tightening icon requirements or changing what a service worker must do. A site that qualified two years ago can quietly fall short today, which is why a periodic audit beats a one off check that was filed away and forgotten.

What the PWA Audit Checks

• Installability foundations: whether the site presents the manifest and service worker that browsers require before offering an install.
• Security basics: PWA features only work in secure contexts, so the audit looks at the site through that lens.
• Presentation details: icons, names and theme information that decide how the app appears once installed.
• A clear present or missing picture, turning a vague "is my site a PWA?" into a concrete list of fixes.

When the audit points at a missing manifest, the natural next step is the PWA Manifest Generator, which builds that file for you.

How to Audit Your Site's PWA Status

1. Enter the full address of the website you want to check, including the https:// part.
2. Click Audit PWA Status and wait while the check runs; the button shows an auditing state during the test.
3. Review the results feature by feature, noting which PWA requirements are satisfied.
4. Pay special attention to anything reported missing among the installability essentials: manifest, service worker and secure serving.
5. Fix the gaps in priority order, then re run the audit to confirm each fix registered.
6. Repeat the audit after major redesigns or hosting changes, which are the moments PWA features most often break silently.

Reading an Audit Report: A Practical Example

Consider a small online shop that added a manifest last year and assumed the job was done. The audit shows the manifest is valid and the site is on HTTPS, but no service worker is registered. The consequence: desktop Chrome never offers installation, and returning visitors get no offline fallback. The shop's developer adds a basic service worker that caches the shell of the site, re runs the audit, and now every core item passes. Without the audit, the missing worker could have stayed unnoticed for years, because the site looked perfectly healthy in ordinary browsing.

The same pattern applies to subtler findings, such as icons that exist but are below the sizes browsers want for install prompts and splash screens, something a Website Technologies Check would never tell you.

Fixing Gaps: Tips and Common Oversights

Fix in dependency order. HTTPS first, because nothing else counts on an insecure origin; then the manifest; then the service worker. Auditing again between steps shows exactly which change moved which result.

The commonest oversight is the stale manifest. Sites rebrand, change names or move start pages, and the manifest quietly points at old icons and URLs. Browsers may then refuse installation despite everything else being correct.

Do not confuse having files with meeting criteria. A manifest with errors, icons that return 404, or a service worker that never activates all count as missing. The audit's value is that it tests the working reality, not the file list.

Remember browsers differ. Installation rules vary slightly between Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, so treat a full pass as a strong baseline rather than a guarantee of identical behaviour everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions About PWA Compatibility

What does this checker actually test?

It audits a website for the features that define a Progressive Web App, centred on the installability requirements: secure serving, a valid web app manifest and a registered service worker, plus related presentation details.

Why will my site not offer an install prompt?

Usually because one core item is missing: no service worker, an invalid or unreachable manifest, icons below the required sizes, or the site not being served over HTTPS.

Do I need a PWA if my site is already mobile friendly?

A responsive site is necessary but not sufficient. PWA status adds installation, offline capability and an app like presentation on top of a mobile friendly layout.

Can I audit a website that is not mine?

Yes. The audit examines what a site publicly presents, so it works for benchmarking competitors or checking a client's site before starting work.

How often should I re run the audit?

After any redesign, hosting migration, certificate change or new feature launch, and periodically besides, since service workers and manifests tend to break silently.

Does passing the audit guarantee more users or sales?

No. It confirms the technical foundations are in place. Whether installation helps your audience still depends on your content, performance and whether an app like experience suits your use case.

Know Where Your Site Stands

Guessing whether a site qualifies as a PWA wastes effort in both directions: celebrating features that are not working, or rebuilding ones that are. The PWA Compatibility Checker replaces the guessing with a short, factual list of what is present and what to fix next.