angular/angular-cli · error · SchematicsException

PWA requires a project type of "application".

Error message

PWA requires a project type of "application".

What it means

The PWA schematic only supports application-type projects. After locating the project, it checks project.extensions['projectType'] and throws if it is not 'application' (e.g. a library project).

Source

Thrown at packages/angular/pwa/pwa/index.ts:83

export default function (options: PwaOptions): Rule {
  return async (host) => {
    if (!options.title) {
      options.title = options.project;
    }

    const workspace = await readWorkspace(host);

    if (!options.project) {
      throw new SchematicsException('Option "project" is required.');
    }

    const project = workspace.projects.get(options.project);
    if (!project) {
      throw new SchematicsException(`Project is not defined in this workspace.`);
    }

    if (project.extensions['projectType'] !== 'application') {
      throw new SchematicsException(`PWA requires a project type of "application".`);
    }

    // Find all the relevant targets for the project
    if (project.targets.size === 0) {
      throw new SchematicsException(`Targets are not defined for this project.`);
    }

    const buildTargets = [];
    const testTargets = [];
    for (const target of project.targets.values()) {
      if (
        target.builder === '@angular-devkit/build-angular:browser' ||
        target.builder === '@angular-devkit/build-angular:application' ||
        target.builder === '@angular/build:application'
      ) {
        buildTargets.push(target);
      } else if (
        target.builder === '@angular-devkit/build-angular:karma' ||

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

1. Target the application project instead: ng add @angular/pwa --project my-app
2. If the wrong projectType was set, fix angular.json: set extensions.projectType to 'application' for that project
3. Create a new application project and apply PWA to it rather than the library

Example fix

// before (angular.json)
"my-lib": { "projectType": "library", ... }
// after (use the app project instead)
ng add @angular/pwa --project my-app

const p = angularJson.projects[name];
if (p?.extensions?.projectType !== 'application') {
  throw new Error(`${name} is not an application project`);
}

function isApplicationProject(p: { extensions?: { projectType?: string } } | undefined): boolean {
  return p?.extensions?.projectType === 'application';
}

try {
  await runPwaSchematic(projectName);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).includes('project type of "application"')) {
    console.error(`${projectName} is a library; target the application project instead`);
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running ng add @angular/pwa --project <name> where <name> is a library (projectType: 'library') in angular.json.

Common situations: Targeting an ng generate library project, monorepo setups where the chosen project is a shared lib instead of the app.

Related errors

• No "production" configuration found for build target. The "s
• No project name provided and no default project found in wor
• Option "project" is required.
• Project is not defined in this workspace.
• Targets are not defined for this project.

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7ece1b816cd2f0d5. Report an issue: GitHub.