# Description

The `description` member provides a human-readable explanation of what your web application does. This text appears in app stores, installation prompts, and is used by assistive technologies for accessibility.

## Purpose

The description serves multiple purposes:

* **Installation prompts**: Shown when users install your PWA
* **App stores**: Displayed in app listings and search results
* **Accessibility**: Read by screen readers to describe the application
* **SEO**: Helps search engines understand your application's purpose

## Configuration

{% code title="/config/packages/pwa.yaml" lineNumbers="true" %}

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        enabled: true
        description: "Track your fitness goals, log workouts, and monitor progress with detailed analytics and personalized recommendations."
```

{% endcode %}

## Best Practices

### Write Clear and Concise Descriptions

**Good examples**:

```yaml
description: "Manage your tasks efficiently with reminders, priorities, and team collaboration features."
description: "Browse and purchase eco-friendly products from local sustainable brands."
description: "Learn languages through interactive lessons, games, and conversation practice."
```

**Poor examples**:

```yaml
description: "App"  # Too vague
description: "The best, most amazing, revolutionary application you've ever used!"  # Too promotional
description: "This is an application that helps users to manage their daily tasks and organize their work efficiently while providing advanced features for productivity enhancement and team collaboration capabilities."  # Too long
```

### Length Guidelines

* **Minimum**: 20-30 characters (meaningful description)
* **Recommended**: 80-200 characters (sweet spot for most contexts)
* **Maximum**: 300 characters (avoid longer descriptions)

**Why these limits?**:

* Short descriptions may not provide enough context
* Very long descriptions get truncated in UI
* 80-200 characters displays well across all platforms

### Focus on Value

Describe **what** the app does and **why** users should care:

```yaml
# ✓ Good - explains value
description: "Find and book local services instantly, with secure payments and verified reviews."

# ✗ Poor - generic
description: "A platform for services."
```

### Use Action-Oriented Language

Start with verbs that describe user actions:

```yaml
description: "Track expenses, create budgets, and achieve your financial goals."
description: "Browse recipes, save favorites, and generate shopping lists automatically."
description: "Monitor your home security, control devices, and receive instant alerts."
```

### Avoid Technical Jargon

Use language your target audience understands:

```yaml
# ✓ Good - accessible
description: "Share photos with friends and family in private groups with easy organization."

# ✗ Poor - jargon-heavy
description: "Leverage our distributed cloud-based photo storage infrastructure with advanced metadata indexing."
```

## Practical Examples

### E-commerce Application

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        description: "Shop for handcrafted items from independent artisans with fast shipping and buyer protection."
```

### Productivity Tool

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        description: "Organize projects, assign tasks, track deadlines, and collaborate with your team in real-time."
```

### Health & Fitness

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        description: "Log meals, count calories, track nutrients, and reach your health goals with personalized meal plans."
```

### News/Content

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        description: "Stay informed with breaking news, in-depth articles, and personalized content from trusted sources."
```

### Social Platform

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        description: "Connect with people who share your interests, join communities, and discover engaging content daily."
```

## Multilingual Descriptions

For applications supporting multiple languages, use translatable objects:

{% code title="/config/packages/pwa.yaml" lineNumbers="true" %}

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        description:
            translatable: true
            translations:
                en: "Manage your finances with budgeting tools and expense tracking."
                fr: "Gérez vos finances avec des outils de budgétisation et de suivi des dépenses."
                es: "Administra tus finanzas con herramientas de presupuesto y seguimiento de gastos."
                de: "Verwalten Sie Ihre Finanzen mit Budgetierungs- und Ausgabenverfolgungstools."
```

{% endcode %}

See [Direction and Language](/1.4.x/the-manifest/application-information/direction-and-language.md) for more details on translations.

## Where Descriptions Appear

### Installation Dialog

When users add your PWA to their home screen:

```
Add "My App" to Home Screen?

[Your description appears here]

[Cancel] [Add]
```

### App Info Screen

After installation, in the app details view:

```
My App
[Icon]
Description: [Your description]
Version: 1.0
Size: 2.5 MB
```

### Search Results

When users search for PWAs in browsers or app stores.

## Testing Your Description

### 1. Check Length

Count characters including spaces:

```javascript
const description = "Track expenses, create budgets, and achieve goals.";
console.log(description.length); // Should be 80-200
```

### 2. Read Aloud

Your description should sound natural when spoken:

* Use a screen reader
* Read it to someone unfamiliar with your app
* Ask if they understand what the app does

### 3. Test on Different Devices

View your PWA's install prompt on:

* Mobile devices (small screens truncate text)
* Tablets (medium-length descriptions)
* Desktops (full description visible)

### 4. Validate Accessibility

Ensure your description is meaningful for screen reader users:

* Avoid starting with "This app..." (redundant)
* Don't use special characters unnecessarily
* Be specific about functionality

## Common Mistakes

### 1. Missing Description

```yaml
pwa:
    manifest:
        # description not set - uses defaults or appears blank
```

**Impact**: Users may not understand what your app does

### 2. Using Company Name Only

```yaml
description: "Acme Corporation"  # ✗ Doesn't describe functionality
```

**Instead**:

```yaml
description: "Acme Corporation's task management platform for remote teams."  # ✓ Descriptive
```

### 3. Duplicating the App Name

```yaml
name: "TaskMaster Pro"
description: "TaskMaster Pro - The Task Management Application"  # ✗ Redundant
```

**Instead**:

```yaml
name: "TaskMaster Pro"
description: "Organize tasks, set priorities, and collaborate with your team."  # ✓ Adds value
```

### 4. Marketing Speak

```yaml
description: "Revolutionary, game-changing, next-generation productivity suite!"  # ✗ Hyperbole
```

**Instead**:

```yaml
description: "Manage tasks, track time, and collaborate with team members."  # ✓ Factual
```

## SEO Considerations

While the manifest description isn't directly used for web search ranking, it can impact:

* **App discovery**: In PWA directories and app stores
* **User intent matching**: Helps users find relevant apps
* **Click-through rates**: Compelling descriptions increase installations

## Related Properties

* [Name and Short Name](/1.4.x/the-manifest/application-information.md#name-and-short-name) - How your app is titled
* [Direction and Language](/1.4.x/the-manifest/application-information/direction-and-language.md) - Localization
* [Categories](/1.4.x/the-manifest/application-information/categories.md) - App classification for discovery

## Summary

A well-crafted description:

* ✓ Clearly explains what the app does (80-200 characters)
* ✓ Uses action-oriented, accessible language
* ✓ Focuses on user benefits
* ✓ Avoids marketing jargon and hyperbole
* ✓ Reads naturally when spoken aloud
* ✓ Provides value beyond the app name


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://pwa.spomky-labs.com/1.4.x/the-manifest/application-information/description.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.