Turn your WordPress site into a PWA
Learn how to upgrade your Wordpress sites with PWA installation, push notifications, and caching strategies.
Why choose WordPress and Progressier for your PWA?
Nearly half of the web runs on WordPress, so choosing WordPress to build anything is generally not a bad idea. That said, WordPress is much more suited to building websites than web apps. There's a fundamental difference between the two. While you can also still technically turn a website into a Progressive Web App, it's likely to be of very little value to your company and users. And using Progressier isn't free, so you might not find it worth the cost.
Should I turn my WordPress website into a PWA?
There are some categories of websites that make sense as PWAs: online stores, news websites, maybe blogs. Some others really aren't suited for that, like portfolio sites and landing pages. Basically, to decide if you should make your website a PWA, simply ask yourself if the user would benefit from having quick access to it on their home screens. If not, don't bother. Not everything on the Internet should be a PWA.
For example, besides Progressier, I own a few other domains: coronavirus.app is a PWA because it's an app that people use regularly. But I haven't bothered making my personal page a PWA. There's just no point adding the functionality there.
What's the best PWA plugin for WordPress?
No other PWA plugins for WordPress offer as much out-of-the-box functionality as Progressier. Most offer basic installation but very few offer universal installation. To the best of my knowledge, none of them provide you with a push service and a caching strategy builder. I'm obviously biased though. So you can see for yourself, here is a list of plugins to look into:
How long does it take to create a PWA with WordPress?
With Progressier, it's generally pretty quick, ~10 minutes or less. All you have to do is add a simple script to the header or footer of your site. Then download the service worker file we provide you in the Progressier dashboard, and upload it at the root of your domain. And... that's it! Your site is now installable on any Android device, iPhone, iPac, PC or Mac. We also provide you with a unique installation page that makes it easy for your users to install your app. Here is an example: install.page/covid
Under the hood
Progressier automatically outputs a service worker, an app manifest, app icons and custom splash screens for any iPhone and iPad screen size. Once you've added Progressier to your WordPress site, you also get access to our caching strategy builder, which lets you easily define rules to make your site work offline and load faster.
Which PWA features does WordPress support?
Android Installation
Get your PWA installed on any Android smartphone or tablet, just like a native app.
iOS Installation
Progressier walks users through the process of installing your app on their iPad or iPhone.
Windows Installation
Your WordPress PWA is installable from Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge and can be added to a Desktop or Taskbar.
macOS Installation
Progressier helps users add your WordPress PWA to their Docks for quick access.
Chrome OS Installation
Let users add your PWA to their Chrome OS laptop.
Installation Page
A unique page that helps users install your WordPress PWA on their devices with custom instructions for each compatible platform.
Original Domain Installation
Your WordPress PWA can be installed from your existing domain.
Web App Manifest
Progressier generates a web app manifest for you based on your preferences automatically.
Service Worker
A service worker is JS file that runs separately from the main browser thread. It can intercept network requests (allowing to put resources in the cache or retrieve them from there) and deliver push notifications to someone even when they're not actively using your app. With Progressier, you can define these rules without having to write any code at all.
Cache Static Resources
Progressier lets you build caching strategies without writing code so you can easily cache resources and make them accessible offline.
100% Offline-Ready
If you have full control over all the resources required for your website to work, you can make your site work 100% offline in Progressier without writing a single line of code.
Push Campaigns
Send push notifications to up to 1,000,000 users in one go within the Progressier dashboard or via the API.
Personalized Notifications
Send notifications to any particular user manually or programmatically. All your need is their email, their user ID or any other information that identifies them in your system.
Connect User Data
Link user data like emails, names, status to push subscriptions, so you can easily notify someone from your product directly or from our dashboard.
In-App PWA Promotion
Everything you need to encourage users to install your app on their devices.
Offline Alerts
Display an in-app alert when users go offline.
Request Notifications After Installation
Automatically prompt users to authorize notifications after they've installed your PWA on their device.
Install & Push Analytics
See in real-time and track over time how users install your PWA and allow push notifications.
Programmatic PWA Creation
Create new Progressive Web Apps dynamically with our API on different domains or subdirectories.
Google Play & App Store Upload
Easily upload your app to Google Play or the App Store with our PWABuilder integration.
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