SvelteKit PWA Setup

Setting up @vite-pwa/sveltekit

The @vite-pwa/sveltekit package wraps Workbox inside a Vite plugin that hooks into the SvelteKit build pipeline. It generates the service worker, injects the precache manifest, and creates the web app manifest — all from a single plugin call.

Installation

npm install -D @vite-pwa/sveltekit

Adding the plugin to vite.config.ts

Open (or create) vite.config.ts at the project root and add SvelteKitPWA after sveltekit():

import { sveltekit } from '@sveltejs/kit/vite';
import { SvelteKitPWA } from '@vite-pwa/sveltekit';
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    sveltekit(),
    SvelteKitPWA({
      registerType: 'autoUpdate',
      manifest: {
        name: 'My SvelteKit App',
        short_name: 'SK App',
        description: 'An offline-capable SvelteKit PWA',
        theme_color: '#ff3e00',
        background_color: '#ffffff',
        display: 'standalone',
        start_url: '/',
        icons: [
          {
            src: '/pwa-192x192.png',
            sizes: '192x192',
            type: 'image/png',
          },
          {
            src: '/pwa-512x512.png',
            sizes: '512x512',
            type: 'image/png',
          },
        ],
      },
    }),
  ],
});

Key options

registerType

Controls how the service worker handles updates:

Value	Behaviour
'autoUpdate'	New SW activates immediately on install — no user prompt
'prompt'	New SW waits; your UI code decides when to apply the update

For most production apps, 'prompt' is safer — it prevents a mid-session asset mismatch while the user still has the old page loaded.

manifest

The plugin injects a manifest.webmanifest into the build output and adds the <link rel="manifest"> tag to every page. The name, icons, and theme_color fields are required for Chrome’s installability criteria.

strategies

The default strategy is 'generateSW' — the plugin generates a complete Workbox-powered service worker for you. Switch to 'injectManifest' when you need to write your own SW logic and only want Workbox to inject the precache list:

SvelteKitPWA({
  strategies: 'injectManifest',
  srcDir: './src',
  filename: 'my-sw.ts',
  injectManifest: {
    injectionPoint: 'self.__WB_MANIFEST',
    globPatterns: ['client/**/*.{js,css,ico,png,svg,webp}'],
  },
})

Your custom SW file must contain the self.__WB_MANIFEST injection point — Workbox replaces it with the generated precache list at build time.

Static manifest file

If you prefer a static file over the generated one, place manifest.webmanifest in the static/ directory and skip the manifest option in the plugin. SvelteKit copies everything in static/ to the build output verbatim.

{
  "name": "My SvelteKit App",
  "short_name": "SK App",
  "start_url": "/",
  "display": "standalone",
  "theme_color": "#ff3e00",
  "background_color": "#ffffff",
  "icons": [
    { "src": "/pwa-192x192.png", "sizes": "192x192", "type": "image/png" },
    { "src": "/pwa-512x512.png", "sizes": "512x512", "type": "image/png" }
  ]
}

📲 Key point

Add SvelteKitPWA() to your Vite plugins — it generates the service worker and manifest for the SvelteKit build. Use registerType: 'prompt' in production to give users control over when updates apply.

Trade-offs

Option	Benefit	Cost
Use @vite-pwa/sveltekit	Sets up manifest + service worker in one call, works with SvelteKit’s adapters	Tied to a specific ecosystem, you keep the plugin updated separately from SvelteKit itself
Write your own setup directly with the $service-worker module	Full control over every detail without a plugin	You handle integration with the adapter (static/node/vercel) entirely yourself, adding edge cases

Common mistakes

• Configuring the plugin without checking whether the adapter in use (adapter-static, adapter-node, etc.) supports the kind of service worker you want.
• Forgetting to turn on devOptions.enabled: true and being confused about why the service worker does not register in dev.
• Not testing against a production build (vite build && vite preview), missing bugs that only show up in the real build.

@vite-pwa/sveltekit is part of the same Vite PWA ecosystem that Elk, the open-source Mastodon client, ports the same ideas to on SvelteKit, and many SvelteKit community starter templates use this plugin as their standard starting point for a SvelteKit PWA.

Where do you add SvelteKitPWA() in a SvelteKit project?

svelte.config.js plugins array vite.config.ts plugins array src/app.html head tag src/hooks.server.ts

Which registerType value makes the new service worker activate immediately without a user prompt?

prompt manual autoUpdate skipWaiting

What does the injectManifest strategy require in your custom service worker file?

import { manifest } from "workbox-core" A self.__WB_MANIFEST injection point that Workbox replaces at build time An explicit call to workbox.precacheAndRoute() A CACHE_VERSION constant

What is the default strategies value when you do not set it explicitly?

injectManifest networkFirst generateSW staleWhileRevalidate

Submit

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