Set Up Your Web App or Website
Prepare your website, PWA, or local HTML files for your iOS app: use a remote URL, bundle files offline in the app, or combine both with an offline fallback.
Option A) Use a URL for accessing your web application (= store files online)
Create a mobile-optimized website or web app and upload it to your webserver/webspace. WebViewGold for iOS is compatible with classic HTML, PHP, WordPress, Progressive Web Apps, HTML5 games, Wix, apprat.io, Bubble, jQuery Mobile, and modern AI/no-code builders such as Lovable, Base44, and Bolt. In a typical workflow, you build the product UI in jQuery, Lovable, Base44, Bolt, React, Vue, Angular, or your preferred stack, then use WebViewGold as the native iOS app shell that adds App Store packaging, push notifications, device APIs, URL handling, and other native capabilities.
For the best App Store review results, design your web experience to feel intentional on iPhone and iPad: responsive layouts, large tap targets, fast first paint, clear loading/empty/error states, and app-like navigation. By default, WebViewGold for iOS permits both HTTPS content and HTTP content. For a more production-grade security profile, restrict traffic to HTTPS by modifying the iOS transport security setting and consider the blockfaultyandselfsignedhttpscerts option. Please consider a professional User Experience/UX Review on UXreviewer.io or similar services to improve store approval readiness and long-term user retention.
Option B) Use a local HTML folder for accessing your web application (= store files within the app)
WebViewGold supports web apps based on local HTML folders, too: Set uselocalhtmlfolder to true (see next step) and copy your HTML/CSS/JavaScript files (including subdirectories) to the "local-www" folder in your Xcode project. To do this, make sure to:
- Delete the default files in the "local-www" folder by selecting them in the Xcode file hierarchy, then right-click to press "Delete", then press "Move to Trash".
- Select all the files for your local website, then drag and drop them into the Xcode file hierarchy under the "local-www" folder. Make sure "Create folder references" is checked and press "Finish".
Option C) Use an HTML folder if the user is offline, and use a remote URL if the user is online (= store files online + store backup/fallback files within the app)
Copy your HTML/CSS/JavaScript files (including subdirectories) to the "local-www" folder in your Xcode project. To do this, make sure to:
- Delete the default files in the "local-www" folder by selecting them in the Xcode file hierarchy, then right-click to press "Delete", then press "Move to Trash".
- Select all the files for your local website, then drag and drop them into the Xcode file hierarchy under the "local-www" folder. Make sure "Create folder references" is checked and press "Finish".
SDK-style implementation notes
Treat this feature as a native capability exposed to your web layer: keep your production website or PWA as the source of truth, then use the documented WebViewGold configuration flags, URL commands, and JavaScript bridge calls to opt in to native iOS behavior only where it adds value. This approach keeps your codebase maintainable because the same web application can serve browsers, WebViewGold for iOS, and the other WebViewGold platforms with minimal conditional logic.
For reliable results, prefer HTTPS endpoints, stable route names, explicit success/error states in your UI, and small JavaScript helper functions that wrap native calls. For example, a web app built with jQuery Mobile, Lovable, Base44, Bolt, WordPress, Bubble, a custom React/Vue/Angular stack, or static HTML can expose a single button or event handler that triggers the native WebViewGold API while still showing a graceful browser fallback.
- Recommended integration pattern: detect the app context, call the WebViewGold API, then update your web UI after the native callback or route change.
- Testing checklist: validate the feature on a real device or packaged build, verify permissions and store review text, and confirm that browser-only users still receive a useful fallback.
- SEO benefit: keep feature pages, route titles, and structured content indexable on your website while WebViewGold delivers the native app shell for iOS users.