Cache manifest in HTML5

This article is about obsolete technology for making web pages accessible offline. For regular HTTP cache, see Web cache. For modern technology for creating offline apps, see Progressive web application.
Filename extension
.appcache
Internet media type
text/cache-manifest
Developed byWorld Wide Web Consortium
StandardHTML5
Open format?Yes
Websitehtml.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/browsers.html#offline

The cache manifest in HTML5 was a software storage feature which provided the ability to access a web application even without a network connection. It became part of the W3C Recommendation on 28 October 2014.[1]

Since 2021, this technology is no longer widely available. It was removed from Firefox 85,[2] and disabled by default in Chrome 84 and removed in Chrome 95.[3] Using any of the offline Web application features at this time is highly discouraged and use of service workers is recommended instead.[4] Cache manifests are distinct from web application manifests, a JSON-based file format which is part of the progressive web app technology, and as of 2023 is currently active and going through the standardization process at the W3C.[5]

  1. ^ "Application cache as part of the W3C Recommendation". 28 October 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Using the application cache - HTML: HyperText Markup Language | MDN". developer.mozilla.org. Archived from the original on 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  3. ^ "Preparing for AppCache removal". web.dev. Archived from the original on 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  4. ^ "Window.applicationCache". MDN Web Docs. Mozilla. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  5. ^ "Web Application Manifest". www.w3.org. Retrieved 2023-04-09.