diff --git a/src/lib/sw/cache-strategy.ts b/src/lib/sw/cache-strategy.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1de20a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/sw/cache-strategy.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+export type CacheStrategy = 'shell' | 'swr' | 'images' | 'network-only';
+
+export type RequestShape = { url: string; method: string };
+
+// Pure function — sole decision-maker for "which strategy for this request?".
+// Called by the service worker for every fetch event.
+export function resolveStrategy(req: RequestShape): CacheStrategy {
+  // All write methods: never cache.
+  if (req.method !== 'GET' && req.method !== 'HEAD') return 'network-only';
+
+  // Reduce URL to pathname — query string not needed for matching
+  // except that online-only endpoints need no special handling here.
+  const path = req.url.startsWith('http') ? new URL(req.url).pathname : req.url.split('?')[0];
+
+  // Explicitly online-only GETs
+  if (
+    path === '/api/recipes/import' ||
+    path === '/api/recipes/preview' ||
+    path.startsWith('/api/recipes/search/web')
+  ) {
+    return 'network-only';
+  }
+
+  // Images
+  if (path.startsWith('/images/')) return 'images';
+
+  // App-shell: build assets and known static files
+  if (
+    path.startsWith('/_app/') ||
+    path === '/manifest.webmanifest' ||
+    path === '/icon.svg' ||
+    path === '/icon-192.png' ||
+    path === '/icon-512.png' ||
+    path === '/favicon.ico' ||
+    path === '/robots.txt'
+  ) {
+    return 'shell';
+  }
+
+  // Everything else: recipe pages, API reads, lists — all SWR.
+  return 'swr';
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/cache-strategy.test.ts b/tests/unit/cache-strategy.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a96d22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/cache-strategy.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { resolveStrategy } from '../../src/lib/sw/cache-strategy';
+
+describe('resolveStrategy', () => {
+  it('images bucket for /images/*', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/images/favicon-abc.png', method: 'GET' })).toBe('images');
+  });
+
+  it('swr for recipe HTML pages', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/recipes/42', method: 'GET' })).toBe('swr');
+  });
+
+  it('swr for recipe API reads', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/42', method: 'GET' })).toBe('swr');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/all?sort=name', method: 'GET' })).toBe('swr');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/wishlist', method: 'GET' })).toBe('swr');
+  });
+
+  it('network-only for write methods', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/42', method: 'PATCH' })).toBe('network-only');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/42/favorite', method: 'PUT' })).toBe('network-only');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/wishlist', method: 'POST' })).toBe('network-only');
+  });
+
+  it('network-only for online-only endpoints even on GET', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/import', method: 'GET' })).toBe('network-only');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/preview?url=x', method: 'GET' })).toBe('network-only');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/api/recipes/search/web?q=x', method: 'GET' })).toBe('network-only');
+  });
+
+  it('shell bucket for build/static assets', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/_app/immutable/chunks/x.js', method: 'GET' })).toBe('shell');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/icon-192.png', method: 'GET' })).toBe('shell');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/manifest.webmanifest', method: 'GET' })).toBe('shell');
+  });
+
+  it('falls through to swr for other same-origin GETs (e.g. root page)', () => {
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/', method: 'GET' })).toBe('swr');
+    expect(resolveStrategy({ url: '/wishlist', method: 'GET' })).toBe('swr');
+  });
+});