CSS Animation Generator: Build Keyframe Animations Visually

CSS animations are powerful but writing @keyframes by hand is slow. You define percentages, tweak properties, adjust easing, preview, tweak again. A visual animation generator lets you define keyframes on a timeline, adjust easing curves by dragging, and see results immediately.

What Is Animation Generator?

An animation generator provides a visual timeline where you define keyframe states (0%, 25%, 50%, 100%), set CSS properties at each keyframe (transform, opacity, color, scale), choose easing functions (linear, ease-in-out, cubic-bezier), and preview the animation in real time. Export the complete @keyframes CSS.

How to Use Animation Generator on DevToolHub

1. Open the Animation Generator tool on DevToolHub — no signup required.
2. Choose an animation preset or start from scratch.
3. Add keyframe points on the timeline (0%, 50%, 100%).
4. Set CSS properties at each keyframe (transform, opacity, scale, etc.).
5. Adjust the easing curve by dragging control points or selecting presets.
6. Set duration, delay, iteration count, and direction.
7. Preview the animation and copy the generated CSS.

Fade-In Slide-Up Entrance

The most popular entrance animation:

@keyframes fadeInUp {
  0% {
    opacity: 0;
    transform: translateY(30px);
  }
  100% {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: translateY(0);
  }
}

.animate-fade-in-up {
  animation: fadeInUp 0.6s ease-out forwards;
}

Combine opacity and translation for a smooth entrance that draws the eye without being distracting.

Pulse Attention Indicator

A subtle pulse for notification badges:

@keyframes pulse {
  0%, 100% {
    transform: scale(1);
    opacity: 1;
  }
  50% {
    transform: scale(1.15);
    opacity: 0.8;
  }
}

.badge-pulse {
  animation: pulse 2s ease-in-out infinite;
}

The infinite iteration and ease-in-out timing create a breathing effect that's noticeable but not annoying.

Skeleton Loading Shimmer

The loading placeholder animation used by Facebook and GitHub:

@keyframes shimmer {
  0% {
    background-position: -200% 0;
  }
  100% {
    background-position: 200% 0;
  }
}

.skeleton {
  background: linear-gradient(
    90deg,
    #f0f0f0 25%,
    #e0e0e0 50%,
    #f0f0f0 75%
  );
  background-size: 200% 100%;
  animation: shimmer 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

The gradient moves across the element, creating the illusion of light reflecting off a loading surface.

Pro Tips

• Less is more — subtle animations (opacity, small transforms) are more professional than bouncing or spinning.
• Respect prefers-reduced-motion — always provide a @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) fallback.
• Use transform and opacity only — these properties are GPU-accelerated; animating width, height, or top causes layout thrashing.
• Set will-change sparingly — will-change: transform hints the browser to optimize, but overuse wastes memory.

When You Need This

• Building entrance animations for page elements
• Creating loading indicators and skeleton screens
• Adding hover and interaction feedback to UI components
• Designing attention-drawing effects for CTAs and notifications