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No PWA manifest file detected

A web app manifest is a small JSON file, linked from your page with <link rel="manifest">, that tells browsers your site name, icons, start page and theme colour. It is the file that lets a site be installed to a phone or desktop home screen as a Progressive Web App (PWA). No manifest link was found on the pages checked. Other audit tools often report this finding as "no manifest detected".

Why this matters

Without a manifest, browsers have no name, icon or colour to use when someone adds your site to their home screen, so the shortcut looks generic or the install option may not be offered. It does not affect Google rankings. It matters most for sites people return to often, such as booking, ordering or member sites. For a brochure site it is a nice-to-have.

How to fix it

1. Create site.webmanifest (or manifest.json) with at least name, short_name, start_url, display (for example "standalone"), theme_color, background_color and icons at 192x192 and 512x512 pixels. 2. Link it in the <head> of every page: <link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest">. Many website builders and favicon generators create this file for you. 3. Check it in Chrome DevTools > Application > Manifest, which lists any missing fields or broken icons.

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