Loading Variants

Six CSS-only loading animations — spinner, dots, bar, pulse, bounce, and ring — in multiple sizes.

css

Targets: HTML

Code

*,
*::before,
*::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

body {
  font-family: Inter, system-ui, sans-serif;
  background: #050910;
  color: #f2f6ff;
  min-height: 100vh;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  padding: 2rem;
}

.demo {
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 680px;
  text-align: center;
}
.demo-title {
  font-size: 1.5rem;
  font-weight: 800;
  margin-bottom: 0.375rem;
}
.demo-sub {
  color: #475569;
  font-size: 0.875rem;
  margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
}

/* ── Layout ── */
.loader-grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(180px, 1fr));
  gap: 1rem;
}
.loader-group {
  background: #0d1320;
  border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08);
  border-radius: 1.125rem;
  padding: 1.5rem 1rem 1.25rem;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 1.25rem;
}
.group-label {
  font-size: 0.6875rem;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: 0.1em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  color: #334155;
}
.row {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  gap: 1.25rem;
}
.col {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: stretch;
  gap: 0.625rem;
  width: 100%;
}

/* ── Accent color ── */
:root {
  --accent: #38bdf8;
}

/* ========================================
   SPINNER
   ======================================== */
.spinner {
  border-radius: 50%;
  border-style: solid;
  border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.2);
  border-top-color: var(--accent);
  animation: spin 0.75s linear infinite;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}
.spinner.sm {
  width: 16px;
  height: 16px;
  border-width: 2px;
}
.spinner.md {
  width: 26px;
  height: 26px;
  border-width: 3px;
}
.spinner.lg {
  width: 42px;
  height: 42px;
  border-width: 4px;
}

@keyframes spin {
  to {
    transform: rotate(360deg);
  }
}

/* ========================================
   DOTS
   ======================================== */
.dots {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 5px;
}
.dots span {
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: var(--accent);
  animation: dotFade 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}
.dots span:nth-child(2) {
  animation-delay: 0.2s;
}
.dots span:nth-child(3) {
  animation-delay: 0.4s;
}

.dots.sm span {
  width: 5px;
  height: 5px;
}
.dots.md span {
  width: 8px;
  height: 8px;
}
.dots.lg span {
  width: 13px;
  height: 13px;
}

@keyframes dotFade {
  0%,
  80%,
  100% {
    opacity: 0.2;
    transform: scale(0.8);
  }
  40% {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: scale(1);
  }
}

/* ========================================
   BAR
   ======================================== */
.bar-loader {
  background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.12);
  border-radius: 999px;
  overflow: hidden;
  width: 100%;
}
.bar-loader.sm {
  height: 4px;
}
.bar-loader.md {
  height: 6px;
}
.bar-loader.lg {
  height: 10px;
}

.bar-fill {
  height: 100%;
  width: 40%;
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, transparent, var(--accent), transparent);
  border-radius: 999px;
  animation: barSlide 1.4s ease-in-out infinite;
}
@keyframes barSlide {
  0% {
    transform: translateX(-150%);
  }
  100% {
    transform: translateX(350%);
  }
}

/* ========================================
   PULSE
   ======================================== */
.pulse {
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: var(--accent);
  position: relative;
  flex-shrink: 0;
  animation: pulseScale 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
}
.pulse.sm {
  width: 14px;
  height: 14px;
}
.pulse.md {
  width: 22px;
  height: 22px;
}
.pulse.lg {
  width: 36px;
  height: 36px;
}

.pulse::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: var(--accent);
  animation: pulseRing 1.5s ease-out infinite;
}
@keyframes pulseScale {
  0%,
  100% {
    transform: scale(0.9);
    opacity: 0.8;
  }
  50% {
    transform: scale(1);
    opacity: 1;
  }
}
@keyframes pulseRing {
  0% {
    transform: scale(1);
    opacity: 0.6;
  }
  100% {
    transform: scale(2.4);
    opacity: 0;
  }
}

/* ========================================
   BOUNCE
   ======================================== */
.bounce {
  display: flex;
  align-items: flex-end;
  gap: 4px;
  height: auto;
}
.bounce span {
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: var(--accent);
  animation: bounceUp 0.9s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}
.bounce span:nth-child(2) {
  animation-delay: 0.15s;
}
.bounce span:nth-child(3) {
  animation-delay: 0.3s;
}

.bounce.sm span {
  width: 5px;
  height: 5px;
}
.bounce.md span {
  width: 8px;
  height: 8px;
}
.bounce.lg span {
  width: 13px;
  height: 13px;
}

@keyframes bounceUp {
  from {
    transform: translateY(0);
    opacity: 0.5;
  }
  to {
    transform: translateY(-10px);
    opacity: 1;
  }
}

/* ========================================
   RING
   ======================================== */
.ring {
  border-radius: 50%;
  border-style: solid;
  border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.25);
  position: relative;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}
.ring.sm {
  width: 16px;
  height: 16px;
  border-width: 2px;
}
.ring.md {
  width: 26px;
  height: 26px;
  border-width: 3px;
}
.ring.lg {
  width: 42px;
  height: 42px;
  border-width: 4px;
}

.ring::before,
.ring::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: -1px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  border: inherit;
  border-color: transparent;
}
.ring::before {
  border-top-color: var(--accent);
  animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
}
.ring::after {
  border-bottom-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.5);
  animation: spin 1s linear infinite reverse;
  animation-delay: -0.25s;
}

/* ========================================
   Reduced motion
   ======================================== */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .spinner,
  .dots span,
  .bar-fill,
  .pulse,
  .pulse::after,
  .bounce span,
  .ring::before,
  .ring::after {
    animation: none;
  }
  .pulse {
    opacity: 1;
  }
  .bar-fill {
    width: 100%;
  }
}

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
  <title>Loading Variants</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
</head>
<body>
  <div class="demo">
    <h1 class="demo-title">Loading Variants</h1>
    <p class="demo-sub">Six CSS-only animations — three sizes each. Zero JavaScript.</p>

    <div class="loader-grid">

      <!-- Spinner -->
      <div class="loader-group">
        <span class="group-label">Spinner</span>
        <div class="row" role="status" aria-label="Loading">
          <div class="spinner sm"></div>
          <div class="spinner md"></div>
          <div class="spinner lg"></div>
        </div>
      </div>

      <!-- Dots -->
      <div class="loader-group">
        <span class="group-label">Dots</span>
        <div class="row" role="status" aria-label="Loading">
          <div class="dots sm"><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
          <div class="dots md"><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
          <div class="dots lg"><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
        </div>
      </div>

      <!-- Bar -->
      <div class="loader-group">
        <span class="group-label">Bar</span>
        <div class="col" role="status" aria-label="Loading">
          <div class="bar-loader sm"><div class="bar-fill"></div></div>
          <div class="bar-loader md"><div class="bar-fill"></div></div>
          <div class="bar-loader lg"><div class="bar-fill"></div></div>
        </div>
      </div>

      <!-- Pulse -->
      <div class="loader-group">
        <span class="group-label">Pulse</span>
        <div class="row" role="status" aria-label="Loading">
          <div class="pulse sm"></div>
          <div class="pulse md"></div>
          <div class="pulse lg"></div>
        </div>
      </div>

      <!-- Bounce -->
      <div class="loader-group">
        <span class="group-label">Bounce</span>
        <div class="row" role="status" aria-label="Loading">
          <div class="bounce sm"><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
          <div class="bounce md"><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
          <div class="bounce lg"><span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
        </div>
      </div>

      <!-- Ring -->
      <div class="loader-group">
        <span class="group-label">Ring</span>
        <div class="row" role="status" aria-label="Loading">
          <div class="ring sm"></div>
          <div class="ring md"></div>
          <div class="ring lg"></div>
        </div>
      </div>

    </div>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

Loading Variants

Six distinct CSS-only loading animations, each available in three sizes (sm, md, lg). Use them as drop-in replacements for any loading state — buttons, overlays, skeletons, or full pages.

Variants

Name	Animation
Spinner	Rotating circle with a colored arc
Dots	Three dots fading in and out in sequence
Bar	Horizontal progress bar with infinite fill
Pulse	Expanding ring pulse from a filled circle
Bounce	Three balls bouncing with stagger delay
Ring	Dual-ring counter-rotation

Sizes

Each variant accepts a --size modifier class:

.sm — 16 px (or equivalent)
.md — 24 px (default)
.lg — 40 px

Accessibility

Wrap each loader in a container with role="status" and an aria-label describing the loading action
Loaders use @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) to pause animations for users who prefer less motion