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CSS Animation Generator

Create CSS keyframe animations visually with timing controls, easing presets, and live preview.

Animation Settings

Preview

Keyframes

%
0px
0px
0deg
1x
1
8px
#3b82f6
%
0px
0px
0deg
1x
1
8px
#3b82f6

Generated CSS

@keyframes myAnimation {
  0% {
    background-color: #3b82f6;
  }
  100% {
    background-color: #3b82f6;
  }
}

.animated-element {
  animation: myAnimation 1s ease 0s infinite normal both;
}
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CSS keyframe animation?
CSS keyframe animations use the @keyframes rule to define how an element should look at various points during an animation sequence. You specify styles at percentage markers (0%, 50%, 100%, etc.) and the browser smoothly interpolates between them. This allows you to create complex multi-step animations purely with CSS, without JavaScript.
What CSS properties can I animate?
This tool supports the most commonly animated CSS properties: transform (translate, rotate, scale), opacity, background-color, border-radius, box-shadow, and width/height. These properties are chosen because they can be hardware-accelerated by the browser for smooth 60fps animations.
What animation timing functions are available?
The tool supports all standard CSS timing functions: ease (default, slow start and end), linear (constant speed), ease-in (slow start), ease-out (slow end), ease-in-out (slow start and end), and step-start/step-end for discrete transitions. Each creates a different feel for your animation.
Can I preview my animation in real-time?
Yes, the preview area shows your animation running in real-time as you adjust keyframe properties. You can see exactly how the animation will look before copying the code. The preview updates instantly when you modify any property, timing, or duration setting.
How do I add more keyframes?
Click the "Add Keyframe" button and specify the percentage (0-100) where you want the new keyframe. You can add as many keyframes as needed for complex animations. Each keyframe can have its own set of CSS property values that the browser will smoothly animate between.
Can I use the generated CSS in any framework?
Yes, the generated @keyframes CSS is standard and works in all modern browsers. You can use it in plain HTML/CSS, React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, or any other framework. Simply copy the CSS code and paste it into your stylesheet. The animation class can be applied to any HTML element.

How to Use the CSS Animation Generator

Creating CSS animations from scratch can be tedious, requiring you to manually write @keyframes rules and guess at intermediate values. Our visual CSS Animation Generator lets you build keyframe animations interactively, with real-time preview and instant code generation. Design professional animations without writing a single line of CSS by hand.

Step 1: Configure animation settings. Set the animation name, duration, timing function, iteration count, and direction. These properties control the overall behavior of your animation, from how fast it runs to whether it loops or alternates direction.

Step 2: Define keyframes. Add keyframes at specific percentage points (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) and set CSS property values at each point. The browser will smoothly interpolate between these values. You can control transform properties like translate, rotate, and scale, as well as opacity, colors, and more.

Step 3: Preview and export. Watch your animation in the live preview area. When you are satisfied, copy the generated CSS code which includes both the @keyframes rule and the animation shorthand property. Paste it directly into your stylesheet.

Understanding CSS Animations

CSS animations consist of two parts: the @keyframes rule that defines the animation sequence, and the animation property that applies it to an element. The @keyframes rule uses percentage-based stops to define what styles should be applied at each point during the animation timeline. The browser calculates all intermediate frames automatically.

The animation shorthand property controls how the animation plays: animation-duration sets the length, animation-timing-function controls the acceleration curve, animation-delay adds a start delay, animation-iteration-count sets how many times it repeats, and animation-direction determines whether it plays forward, backward, or alternating.

For optimal performance, animate transform and opacity properties whenever possible. These properties can be composited on the GPU without triggering layout recalculation, resulting in smooth 60fps animations even on mobile devices. Avoid animating properties that cause layout changes like width, height, margin, or padding, as they force the browser to recalculate the layout on every frame.

CSS Animation Best Practices

Use transform for movement. Instead of animating left, top, or margin properties, use transform: translate() for moving elements. This leverages GPU acceleration and avoids costly layout recalculations. Similarly, use transform: scale() instead of animating width and height.

Respect user preferences. Use the prefers-reduced-motion media query to disable or reduce animations for users who have indicated they prefer less motion. This is an important accessibility consideration that prevents motion sickness and discomfort for some users.

Keep animations purposeful. Every animation should serve a purpose, whether it is guiding attention, providing feedback, or indicating state changes. Gratuitous animations can distract users and slow down their workflow. Aim for animations that last 200-500ms for interface transitions, as this feels responsive without being too fast or too slow.

Test on multiple devices. Animations that run smoothly on a powerful desktop may stutter on mobile devices. Always test your animations on various devices and consider reducing complexity for lower-powered hardware. The will-change CSS property can hint to the browser to prepare for animations, but use it sparingly as it consumes additional memory.

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