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A progressive web app (PWA) can save selected files and responses in a browser-managed cache so it can respond faster or work offline. That is separate from installing the site as an app: a service worker can be installed and start handling requests even when the visitor has not chosen to install the PWA.
How does a PWA cache resources?
A service worker is a script that runs separately from a page’s main JavaScript thread. For requests within its scope, it can listen for Fetch API events and decide what to return: a response from the Cache API, a response from the network, or a response generated by the app. The Cache API stores request-and-response pairs; it does not decide what should be stored or returned. The app’s service-worker code makes those choices. See MDN’s PWA caching guide and web.dev’s service-worker guide.
Resources can enter a cache at different points: during the service worker’s install event, when the worker handles a fetch, or after a user asks the app to save content for later. These are implementation choices, not automatic behavior. A site needs code that identifies the resources to save and specifies how requests should be answered.
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There is no single best strategy for every resource. The choice depends on how much the app values fast or offline access compared with up-to-date content, and on what should happen if the preferred source is unavailable. MDN’s guide to offline and background operation describes these trade-offs.
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| Strategy | How it responds | Best suited to | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache-first | Checks the cache first and can return a saved response without waiting for the network. | Stable resources where quick or offline access matters, such as an app shell. | A saved response may be stale. |
| Network-first | Checks the network first and can use a cached response if the network request fails. | Content that should generally be current but needs an offline fallback. | When online, the app depends on the network before it can use the cached fallback. |
In practice, assign policies by resource type. The app’s static interface and frequently changing data have different freshness needs. Also decide what to show when neither the cache nor the network has the requested resource; without a deliberate fallback, the request may fail rather than produce useful offline content.
What happens when a service worker is installed?
Here, “installed” refers to the browser’s service-worker lifecycle, not a user adding the PWA to a device. A site can register a service worker and have its install event run after a visit, even if the visitor never installs the site as an app. Code in that event may precache resources, but the event itself does not mean the PWA has been installed by the user.
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A service worker can handle only pages and requests within its scope; the script’s location affects that scope. On a first page load, requests happen before a newly registered worker controls the page. A worker can also stop while idle and start again for a later event. When a new version is ready, it may wait for pages controlled by the previous version to close before taking over. These lifecycle behaviors are why apps need to plan for first-load network access, offline fallbacks, and updates rather than assuming the worker runs continuously. MDN explains these details in its offline operation guide.
How is caching different from installing a PWA?
Caching is a developer-defined mechanism for storing and serving resources. PWA installation is a browser- or operating-system-supported flow that lets a person add a web app to their device for app-like access. A service worker does not, by itself, make a site installable, and installing a PWA does not guarantee that its resources have been cached for offline use.
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Installation support and interface differ by browser and platform. MDN’s installability guide describes Chromium desktop installation for manifest-backed PWAs, Safari’s Add to Dock support on macOS Sonoma (Safari 17) and later, and differing Android and iOS experiences. These are platform-specific details, not a universal installation procedure. Check current behavior for the browsers, devices, and operating systems your app supports. web.dev’s installation guide also notes that browser installation does not necessarily require developers to create a separate package or executable.
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What should developers test?
- First visit: confirm the page works before the new service worker controls it.
- Offline requests: test which resources are available without a network connection and what the app shows when a resource is missing from both cache and network.
- Freshness: verify that changing data is not served indefinitely from an old cache and that stable resources still load as intended.
- Scope: check that the worker controls the intended pages and requests.
- Updates: verify that users can move from an older worker version to a new one without unexpected stale content or broken pages.
- Installation: test the actual browser and operating-system flows you intend to support; do not treat service-worker registration as proof that the browser offers PWA installation.
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