To add web push to WordPress, use a push-notification plugin and its provider dashboard, connect the plugin with the credentials the provider supplies, then test a real browser subscription and message. This guide uses OneSignal’s current WordPress plugin workflow as an example. Your site must use HTTPS, and its URL—including whether it uses www—must match the URL entered in the provider dashboard.
What web push notifications do
Web push lets a site send messages to visitors who have opted in, even when the site is not open in the foreground. Underneath, the browser Push API works with a service worker: the browser creates a subscription with an endpoint and encryption key, and the worker can handle incoming push events. The subscription endpoint is a capability URL, so custom implementations should protect it. See MDN’s Push API documentation.
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A plugin is one way to manage this system; it is not what defines web push. A hosted provider adds a dashboard and tools for prompts, subscribers, targeting, and sending messages. A custom implementation gives a site more direct control but requires managing the browser APIs and service-worker setup. MDN explains that service workers run outside a page’s DOM and are available in secure contexts: HTTPS for ordinary deployment, with localhost treated as secure for development. See the Service Worker API documentation.
Before you install a plugin
- Enable HTTPS. OneSignal lists an HTTPS-enabled website as a requirement for its documented web-push workflow.
- Choose the canonical site URL. Decide whether the site uses a www or non-www hostname, and use that exact format in the provider setup. For example,
https://example.comandhttps://www.example.comare different URLs for this purpose. - Have WordPress administrator access. The setup requires access to install and configure the plugin.
- Plan the opt-in prompt and publishing rules. Decide when to ask visitors to subscribe and whether a notification should go out for new posts, updates, or only selected content.
OneSignal’s current setup guide lists HTTPS and administrator access among its prerequisites: OneSignal WordPress plugin setup.
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Add OneSignal web push to WordPress
- Install the official plugin. In WordPress, open Plugins > Add New Plugin, search for OneSignal, and install and activate the OneSignal web-push plugin. Check the current WordPress.org plugin listing for its latest requirements and compatibility information.
- Open OneSignal’s web setup. Sign in to or create a OneSignal account, then follow the dashboard’s web-push setup for WordPress.
- Enter the site details. Provide the site name and the exact HTTPS URL chosen for the canonical hostname. Add a default notification icon; OneSignal’s guide specifies a square 256 × 256 image.
- Set up the subscription prompt. Configure the default push slide prompt in the dashboard, including its text, appearance, timing, and any optional user-interest categories. A short delay can help during initial testing, but choose the live timing based on how it fits the visitor experience.
- Connect the WordPress plugin. Save the dashboard configuration, copy the App ID and API key, and paste them into the OneSignal plugin settings in WordPress. Copy both values exactly.
- Use one service-worker setup. In OneSignal’s v3-or-later WordPress plugin flow, the plugin hosts and registers its worker. Do not add a second
OneSignalSDKWorker.jsat the site root or set a custom worker path for this integration. Mixing manual worker instructions with the managed plugin flow can cause service-worker errors. - Test an opt-in and a message. Visit the site in a normal browser window, wait for the configured prompt, choose to subscribe, and approve the browser’s permission request. Confirm that the subscription appears in the provider dashboard, then send a test message to check delivery.
- Choose when posts trigger notifications. The plugin guide documents a post-editor checkbox and automatic-send settings for posts, pages, updates, and supported custom post types. Start with the option that matches your editorial process; do not enable automatic sends for every update unless that is what readers should receive.
These dashboard and plugin steps follow OneSignal’s WordPress setup guide. It describes a particular provider’s implementation, not the only way to add web push to WordPress.
Test subscriptions and diagnose common problems
The opt-in prompt does not appear
- Check that the URL configured in OneSignal matches the site’s actual hostname and format.
- Review the prompt configuration and timing in the dashboard.
- Try again in a normal browser window. A private or incognito session may not preserve subscriptions.
The service worker reports an error
For the v3-or-later OneSignal plugin integration, confirm that you have not also uploaded a root-level worker or set a custom worker path. Keep the plugin-managed setup consistent with the provider’s instructions.
No subscription appears in the dashboard
Confirm that the visitor selected the subscription prompt and accepted the browser’s native permission request. Then check the provider dashboard’s subscription list.
A subscription exists but the test message does not arrive
Send a test message from the provider dashboard and check that the test targets the browser and device where you subscribed. The setup guide recommends a test send, but does not establish a universal diagnostic procedure for every browser or device.
Browser support and current plugin details
The WordPress.org listing names Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Firefox on desktop and Android, and Safari on Mac. That listing also describes HTTP and HTTPS support, but OneSignal’s current v3-or-later setup explicitly requires HTTPS. For the workflow in this guide, use HTTPS and do not assume identical behavior across every browser, operating system, or private-browsing mode.
As listed on WordPress.org on September 30, 2026, the plugin was version 3.9.4, required WordPress 6.0 or later and PHP 7.4 or later, and was tested through WordPress 7.1.2. The listing also showed 60,000+ active installations. These directory details can change; check the live plugin listing before installing.
Hosted plugin or custom implementation?
A hosted plugin is a practical choice when you want a dashboard for subscriptions and messages and want the provider to manage the integration’s worker setup. A custom implementation may suit a team that needs greater control, but it must handle the Push API, service worker, subscription data, and message workflow itself.
Before choosing a provider or building your own system, compare the aspects that affect your site and audience:
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- Who manages the service worker and how much setup your team must maintain.
- Whether the workflow supports the browsers and devices your visitors use.
- How much control you have over prompt timing and user choice.
- Whether post publishing, targeting, and analytics fit your editorial needs.
- How subscriber data is managed, and what current service limits, pricing, and portability terms apply.
The OneSignal setup guide documents its own workflow, while the browser APIs describe the underlying mechanism; those sources do not establish a current, like-for-like comparison of alternative providers. Check each provider’s current terms for pricing, limits, and data handling before committing.
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