The Problem: Claude Artifacts are Stuck in the Chat
We've all been there. You prompt Claude to build a neat little todo list, a habit tracker, or a dashboard. It spits out a beautiful React/HTML artifact. You play with it, think "This is actually useful", and then... you close the tab.
It's gone.
If you do save the HTML, turning it into a proper installable mobile app is a nightmare:
- Wrestle with Webpack/Vite configs just to get a
manifest.json. - Write a Service Worker from scratch.
- Pray your
localStoragedoesn't get randomly wiped by the OS when the PWA updates.
I built @baaqar/artifact-to-pwa to fix all of that in one command.
The Solution: npx artifact-to-pwa
No build step. No Android Studio. No Xcode. Just point it at your file or URL.
# From a local React/HTML file
npx artifact-to-pwa ./my-app.jsx
# From a published Claude artifact URL
npx artifact-to-pwa https://claude.site/artifacts/abc123
# Customize it
npx artifact-to-pwa ./app.html --name "My Tool" --color "#ff6b6b" --out ./dist
That's it. It generates a fully production-ready PWA folder:
my-app-pwa/
├── index.html ← Your app, PWA-ready
├── manifest.json ← Icons, colors, display mode
├── sw.js ← Service worker (offline support)
├── icon.svg ← Auto-generated icon
└── README.md ← One-click deploy instructions
The Killer Feature: Persistent Storage (localStorage → IndexedDB)
Here is where this package actually shines and differs from every other "PWA wrapper" out there.
If your artifact uses localStorage (think: todo lists, streak trackers, user settings, heatmaps), the browser will eventually delete that data. Worse, when a user updates the PWA, the cache clears, and poof—their entire history is gone.
artifact-to-pwa automatically detects localStorage usage and injects a transparent IndexedDB shim behind the scenes.
- Your artifact keeps using the exact same
localStorageAPI (no code changes needed). - All data is actually stored in IndexedDB, which survives PWA updates and OS cleanups.
- It pre-populates an in-memory cache on load so reads stay lightning-fast.
- It briefly hides the page on startup until saved data is ready—preventing that ugly "empty state" flash.
You'll see this magic happen in your terminal:
⚡ localStorage detected → auto-migrating to IndexedDB
How to Install It on Your Phone
Once you run the command, deploying it is drag-and-drop simple:
| Host | Command / Action |
|---|---|
| Netlify | Drag the folder to netlify.com/drop |
| Vercel | npx vercel my-app-pwa |
| GitHub Pages | Push folder contents, enable Pages in settings |
Desktop / Android: npx serve my-app-pwa → Open URL → Click the Install icon in the address bar.
iPhone / iPad: Deploy anywhere → Open in Safari → Share → Add to Home Screen.
Why Bother with a PWA instead of an APK?
- Cross-platform: Installs on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux simultaneously.
- Always up-to-date: Users get the latest version automatically—no app store review delays.
- Offline-first: The built-in Service Worker caches all assets.
Supported Formats
This tool is smart enough to detect exactly what you throw at it:
-
Full HTML documents (
<!DOCTYPE html>) - HTML fragments (partial markup)
- React / JSX (uses Babel standalone + CDN React—no bundler needed!)
- Public URLs (embeds them as a full-screen iframe)
Give it a Spin
If you build with Claude, or if you just hate configuring Webpack manifests, give this a try:
👉 Check it out on GitHub
👉 Install from NPM
Drop a star ⭐ if it saves you time, and let me know what you build with it!
Made with ❤️ to keep Claude artifacts alive outside the chat.
