PWA builder
Docs/Growth

PWA builder

The PWA builder turns a website into an app visitors can install on their home screen, from a store-style install page on your domain. You can also put the install offer in front of any short link. All plans

What you get

  • An install page at https://go.yourbrand.com/app/<slug>, in a Play Store, App Store, Hero or Minimal design.
  • A one-tap install where the browser supports it (Chrome, Edge and Samsung Internet on Android and desktop), and clear step-by-step instructions on iPhone.
  • After installing, the app opens your site full-screen, with your name, icon and colour.
  • An install funnel: prompts shown, accepted, dismissed and installs.

Create an app

Open PWA Builder under Link Tools and click + New PWA.

app.cloakingurl.comPWA Builder › New PWA
New PWA
go.yourbrand.com▾
shop
go.yourbrand.com/app/shop
YourBrand Shop
https://shop.yourbrand.com
https://shop.yourbrand.com/?source=pwa
Hosted by us — nothing to install on your site▾
Play Store▾
YourBrand Ltd
Shopping
Order in two taps, track deliveries and get members-only deals.
https://cdn.yourbrand.com/shot1.png …
One per line — portrait, 1080 × 1920
#06B6D4
go.yourbrand.com/sale▾
CancelCreate
FieldTips
NameShown under the icon on the home screen. Keep it short (12 characters or so).
Website URL / Start URLThe site the app opens. Use the Start URL to land on a specific page or add a tracking parameter.
IconUpload a square 512 × 512 PNG (max 512 KB) from the app list after creating it.
ScreenshotsUp to 8 portrait images, 1080 × 1920. They fill the store-style page.
Theme colorThe colour of the status bar and splash screen.

Hosted or on your own site

OptionHow it worksChoose it when
Hosted by usThe install page and app shell run on your short-link domain. Nothing to change on your website.You can't (or don't want to) touch the website.
On your own siteYou add two files, /manifest.webmanifest and /sw.js, at the root of your site, plus a snippet in the page <head>. Get them from Open/Files in the app list.You own the site and want the installed app to be the site itself.
Self-hosted: files at your site root
https://shop.yourbrand.com/manifest.webmanifest
https://shop.yourbrand.com/sw.js
<!-- plus the <head> snippet from Open/Files -->

Offer the install from a short link

Choose a link under Bind to a short link. People who click that link see the install page first, then continue to wherever the link would normally send them. Bots skip the install page.

Example: an installable shop

You run ads for go.yourbrand.com/sale and want repeat buyers to have your shop on their home screen.

  1. Create a hosted PWA with the Play Store design, pointing to shop.yourbrand.com.
  2. Upload the icon and 3 screenshots.
  3. Bind it to go.yourbrand.com/sale.
go.yourbrand.com/sale
YourBrand Shop
YourBrand Ltd · Shopping
Install
The Play Store design, before the visitor continues to the sale.

Install funnel

Click Stats on an app to see:

MetricMeaning
Prompt impressionsHow often the install prompt was shown.
Prompt accepted / dismissedWhat visitors did with it.
Unique installs (billed)First installs on a device. Each one uses a credit.
ReinstallsInstalls on a device that had the app before. Free.
Total installs, Install rateAll installs, and installs divided by prompts shown.

Install credits

  • The PWA builder is on every plan and is paid for separately from it, per install.
  • Each first install uses one prepaid credit. Packs: 1,000 for $29, 10,000 for $199, 50,000 for $790, 250,000 for $2,990. Credits never expire.
  • Prompts and reinstalls are free.
Good to knowWhen a project has no credits, the install page stops offering the install until you buy credits. Your links keep working.