What Create React App ships by default

Create React App (CRA) generates a web app manifest as part of every new project. The manifest is a JSON file that controls how your application presents itself when a user installs it to their desktop or mobile device.

The default manifest is written to /public/manifest.json and the HTML entry point public/index.html already contains a <link> element that references it, so installation is functional out of the box.

What you can control with the manifest

The web app manifest lets you define several presentation details for the installed experience, including:

  • Application name
  • Description
  • App icon
  • Theme color

The MDN documentation provides a complete reference for every supported property.

Adjusting the manifest

To change the default settings, edit the properties in /public/manifest.json to match your branding and design requirements. The HTML file, public/index.html, includes a <link> element that loads the manifest into the page.

Verifying the manifest

To confirm that your manifest properties are being applied correctly:

  1. Open DevTools with Control+Shift+J (or Command+Option+J on Mac).
  2. Navigate to the Application tab.
  3. Within the Application panel, click the Manifest tab.

Deployment decisions

  • If your site does not need to be installable on devices, remove the manifest file and the <link> element in the HTML file that points to it.
  • If you want users to install the application, modify the manifest file (or create one if you are not using CRA) with the properties you need. The MDN documentation explains all required and optional attributes.