Test Progressive Web App (PWA) protocol handling

This article assumes that you have already defined protocol handlers in your PWA web app manifest and are debugging your app by using DevTools. To learn about how to define and register protocols in your PWA, see Handle protocols in a PWA.

Use the Application tool to verify and test that Microsoft Edge has successfully registered your app as a handler for protocols defined in your web app manifest.

See also:

• Test URL protocol handler registration in Debug a Progressive Web App (PWA).

Verify that protocol handlers are defined correctly

If you haven't already defined handlers for protocols in your PWA web app manifest, the Application tool will note that protocols haven't been defined and will provide additional information on how to update your web app manifest.

If you have defined protocols correctly in your web app manifest, the Application tool will report that Microsoft Edge has found valid protocol handler registrations and that you can test these protocol handlers with your installed PWA.

To verify that you have correctly defined protocol handlers:

1. In Microsoft Edge, go to your PWA. You can use the PWAmp demo application.

2. Open DevTools (F12).

3. In the Activity Bar, select the Application tool.

4. In the tree on the left, expand Manifest, and then select Protocol Handlers.

   The Manifest page scrolls down to the Protocol Handlers section.

   • If protocol handlers have not been defined in the web app manifest, or have been defined incorrectly, the following message is displayed: "Define protocol handlers in the manifest to register your app as a handler for custom protocols when your app is installed."

     

   • If protocol handlers have been defined successfully in the web app manifest, the following message is displayed: "Found valid protocol handler registration in the manifest. With the app installed, test the registered protocols."

     

Test protocols from the Application tool

To test protocol handlers that you've defined, use the Application tool > Manifest page > Protocol Handlers section.

To test your protocol handlers from the Application tool, you must first install your PWA; see Installing a PWA in Use Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in Microsoft Edge.

The Application tool detects all the protocol handlers from your web app manifest.

To test a protocol handler:

1. Open a PWA in Microsoft Edge. You can use the PWAmp demo application.

2. Install the PWA; see Installing a PWA in Use Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in Microsoft Edge.

3. Open DevTools (F12).

4. In the Activity Bar, select the Application tool.

5. In the tree on the left, expand Manifest, and then select Protocol Handlers.

   The Manifest page scrolls down to the Protocol Handlers section.

6. In the dropdown list, select the protocol to test.

7. Enter the rest of the URI in the text box, and then click the Test protocol button:

   

   In the above example, the following URI is being tested:

   web+amp://files.freemusicarchive.org/storage-freemusicarchive-org/music/no_curator/Kevin_MacLeod/Jazz_Sampler/Kevin_MacLeod_-_AcidJazz.mp3

   Your PWA is launched. Depending on your operating system (OS), you might need to allow Microsoft Edge to open your PWA and accept any OS-level permissions for registering your app as a handler for your protocol.

See also

• Test URL protocol handler registration in Debug a Progressive Web App (PWA).
• Handle protocols in a PWA

Windows blog:

• Getting started with Protocol Handlers for your web app

MDN:

• protocol_handlers at MDN > PWA manifest.
• Navigator: registerProtocolHandler() method at MDN.