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Apple Web Clip Policy

Overview

The Apple Web Clip Policy allows administrators to create and manage Web Clip shortcuts on managed iOS and iPadOS devices. Web Clips are bookmarks that appear as icons on the device's Home Screen, giving users one-tap access to specific web pages or web applications.

Supported Platforms

Platform

Minimum Version

iOS

4.0+

iPadOS

4.0+

Policy Description

This policy is used to manage Web Clip shortcuts on the device. When deployed, a Web Clip icon is added to the user's Home Screen that opens a specified URL. Administrators can customize the icon appearance, control whether users can remove the shortcut, and configure how the web content is displayed.

Configuration Fields

URL (required)

The URL that the Web Clip opens when the user taps it. The URL must begin with http:// or https:// — otherwise the Web Clip will not function.

  • Type: URL

  • Minimum OS: iOS 4+, iPadOS 4+

Label (required)

The name of the Web Clip as displayed on the Home Screen. Keep it short so it doesn't get truncated beneath the icon.

  • Type: String

  • Minimum OS: iOS 4+, iPadOS 4+

Icon (optional)

A custom PNG icon to display on the Home Screen. The image should be square, ideally 400×400 pixels, and must be provided as a Base64-encoded PNG. Maximum file size is 1 MB.

  • Type: Image (Base64-encoded PNG)

  • Minimum OS: iOS 4+, iPadOS 4+

Is Removable (optional)

Controls whether the user can delete the Web Clip from their Home Screen.

  • Type: Boolean

  • Default: true

  • Minimum OS: iOS 4+, iPadOS 4+

Set to false to prevent users from removing the Web Clip.

Full Screen (optional)

When enabled, the Web Clip opens as a full-screen web application without the standard browser UI (address bar, navigation controls, etc.).

  • Type: Boolean

  • Default: false

  • Minimum OS: iOS 4+, iPadOS 4+

Ignore Manifest Scope (optional)

When enabled, the Web Clip can navigate to URLs outside the web app manifest's defined scope. This is useful when the target web application links to external domains.

  • Type: Boolean

  • Default: false

  • Minimum OS: iOS 14+, iPadOS 14+

Precomposed (optional)

When enabled, the system does not add any visual effects (such as rounded corners, drop shadow, or reflective shine) to the icon. Use this if your icon already includes these effects.

  • Type: Boolean

  • Default: false

  • Minimum OS: iOS 4+, iPadOS 4+

Target Application Bundle Identifier (optional)

The bundle identifier of a specific application that should open the URL instead of the default browser. For example, you could direct the Web Clip to open in a managed browser or a custom in-house app.

  • Type: String

  • Minimum OS: iOS 14+, iPadOS 14+

If not specified, the URL opens in the device's default browser.

Example Use Cases

  1. Company intranet shortcut — Deploy a Web Clip pointing to your organization's intranet portal so employees can access it with a single tap. Set isRemovable to false to ensure it stays on every managed device.

  2. Full-screen web app — If your organization uses a progressive web app (e.g., a time-tracking tool), enable fullScreen so it launches without browser chrome, providing a native app-like experience.

  3. Managed browser routing — Use targetApplicationBundleIdentifier to force the Web Clip to open in a managed browser (e.g., a corporate browser with content filtering) rather than Safari.

Notes

  • If no custom icon is provided, the device will attempt to use the website's favicon or a screenshot of the page.

  • The ignoreManifestScope and targetApplicationBundleIdentifier fields require iOS/iPadOS 14 or later. Devices on earlier versions will ignore these settings.

  • Web Clips are delivered via MDM configuration profiles and can be removed by removing the profile — even if isRemovable is set to false.

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