Bring your PWA closer to users with App Actions on Windows

[TWF Bot]

We're excited to announce that App Actions on Windows are now available for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Starting with Edge version 137, you can now publish your PWA to the Microsoft Store to enable App Actions on Windows.

Integrating your app smoothly with user workflows​

Many everyday workflows—like editing text, processing images, or managing files—involve switching between multiple apps, creating friction and lost focus. App Actions reduce that overhead by letting users invoke high-value features of your app directly from within their current context. For example, Goodnotes, a popular note-taking app that's built as a PWA, has enabled App Actions, so that users can select text in an article, and send it directly to the app as a quick note without manually switching windows. App Actions help users get more done—while driving engagement and discovery for your app.

Enable App Actions in your Microsoft Store PWA​

To start using the App Actions framework in your Store PWA now, check out the documentation at Enable App Actions on Windows for a PWA. In short, you'll need to:

1. Define an Action manifest. The manifest describes each action in a simple JSON file.
2. Setup a custom protocol handler. So that the App Actions runtime can launch your PWA through a protocol URI.
3. Setup your app as a share target. So that the App Actions runtime can pass input data to your PWA.
4. Package your app for Microsoft Store with PWABuilder.

That's it. Optionally, you can also define a PWA launch handler to define exactly how your PWA gets launched by the framework and test your actions by using the App Actions Testing Playground. We can't wait to see the creative ways you'll use App Actions to delight your users!

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[hacxx]

App Actions for PWAs on Windows is a game-changer! It makes switching between apps seamless by letting users access key features directly from their workflow. This can boost engagement and improve user experience significantly. If you’re developing a PWA, integrating App Actions via the Microsoft Store is definitely worth exploring.