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Workbox

JavaScript libraries for adding offline caching and service workers to web apps.

GitHub Download v7.4.1
Stars
13k
Forks
892
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
8 days ago
Type
Library

What it is

Workbox is a collection of JavaScript libraries for Progressive Web Apps, which are websites that can work offline and load quickly. It provides tools and strategies for caching and serving web assets, and for managing service workers that handle offline scenarios. Developers use it to avoid writing that caching logic from scratch.

  • Cache static assets so a site loads when the network is unavailable
  • Apply caching strategies to API or image requests in a web app
  • Manage service worker updates and precaching for a web app

Great for

  • Web developers building Progressive Web Apps
  • Teams that want offline support for an existing website
  • Developers who want prebuilt caching strategies instead of custom service worker code

Not ideal for

  • People who only need a simple static website with no offline needs, since the setup adds complexity
  • Non-developers, because the project is a code library rather than an end-user app
Step-by-step guide: how to use WorkboxInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/GoogleChrome/workbox
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Read the Get started guide at developer.chrome.com/docs/workbox/what-is-workbox
    • Add Workbox to your web project following the documentation
    • Register a service worker that uses Workbox caching strategies
    • Test offline behavior in your browser's developer tools
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Follow the official overview docs at developer.chrome.com/docs/workbox/ for full API usage
    • Combine caching strategies for different types of requests in one service worker
    • Review the contributing guide if you want to modify the libraries

Downloads

Source code (.zip)v7 branch · straight from GitHubRelease v7.4.1Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docsdevelopers.google.com/web/tools/workbox/

Strengths

  • MIT licensed and open source
  • Backed by a large GitHub community with about 13,000 stars
  • Covers common caching patterns in one toolkit

Trade-offs

  • Requires understanding of service workers and browser caching, which is not beginner-friendly
  • The README is short and mostly points to external documentation
  • The README notes a change in ownership to Chrome's Aurora team, so project direction may shift

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
workbox (this)13kLibraryintermediate8 days agoWeb developers building Progressive Web Apps
msw18.3kLibraryintermediate20 days agoFrontend developers who need to work before a backend API is ready
react-boilerplate29.4kFrameworkadvanced3.6 years agoExperienced React developers starting a new production web app
automerge-classic14.7kLibraryintermediate3.7 years agoJavaScript developers who want to maintain or study the original Automerge code
LEANN13.8kLibraryintermediate5 days agoDevelopers building a private RAG prototype on a personal machine

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.