Skip to main content

CSS Animations

CSS animations make it possible to animate transitions from one CSS style configuration to another. They consist of two components: a style describing the CSS animation and a set of keyframes that indicate the start and end states of the animation's style, as well as possible intermediate waypoints.

Understanding CSS Animations​

CSS animations are a powerful tool to enhance the user experience on your website. They can be used to create a variety of effects such as hover effects, loading spinners, and more intricate animations to guide users through your site.

Basic Syntax​

The CSS animation property is a shorthand property for the various animation properties:

animation: name duration timing-function delay iteration-count direction fill-mode play-state;
  • animation-name: Specifies the name of the keyframe.
  • animation-duration: Specifies how many seconds or milliseconds an animation takes to complete one cycle.
  • animation-timing-function: Specifies the speed curve of the animation.
  • animation-delay: Specifies a delay for the start of an animation.
  • animation-iteration-count: Specifies how many times an animation should be played.
  • animation-direction: Specifies whether an animation should be played forwards, backwards or in alternate cycles.
  • animation-fill-mode: Specifies a style for the element when the animation is not playing.
  • animation-play-state: Specifies whether the animation is running or paused.

Creating Keyframes​

To create a CSS animation, you must first specify some keyframes for the animation. Keyframes hold the styles that the element will have at certain times. Here is an example:

@keyframes example {
  0%   {background-color: red;}
  25%  {background-color: yellow;}
  50%  {background-color: blue;}
  100% {background-color: green;}
}

In the example above, the animation will gradually change from "red" to "yellow", then from "yellow" to "blue", and finally from "blue" to "green".

Using CSS Animations​

To use the animation, you simply apply it to an element:

div {
  animation-name: example;
  animation-duration: 4s;
}

In the example above, the <div> element will gradually change its background color over a period of 4 seconds.

Conclusion​

CSS animations provide a powerful way to enhance the user experience on your website. By understanding the basic syntax and how to create keyframes, you can start creating your own CSS animations.

Keep practicing and experimenting with different properties to get a deeper understanding of CSS animations. Happy coding!