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

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

Best Practices

Write Clear and Concise Descriptions

Good examples:

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:

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:

# ✓ 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:

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:

# ✓ 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

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

Productivity Tool

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

Health & Fitness

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

News/Content

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

Social Platform

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:

/config/packages/pwa.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."

See Direction and Language 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:

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

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

Impact: Users may not understand what your app does

2. Using Company Name Only

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

Instead:

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

3. Duplicating the App Name

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

Instead:

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

4. Marketing Speak

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

Instead:

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

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

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