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// LOADING STATES

Loading State Guide

Animations that keep users engaged during waits. From skeleton screens to spinners, each state serves a purpose.

Loading Animations

28 types
Classic Spinner
// TRADITIONAL

The timeless circular loader. Best for short waits under 3 seconds. Simple, recognizable, and universally understood.

⏱️ 0-3s waits 📱 Mobile-friendly
simple classic
Pulse Effect
// BREATHING

A gentle pulsing circle that mimics a heartbeat. Creates a calming effect for wellness apps or meditation tools.

💚 Calming 🌊 Smooth
calm wellness
Bouncing Dots
// PLAYFUL

Three dots bouncing in sequence. Adds a touch of playfulness while indicating ongoing activity.

🎵 Musical feel 😊 Friendly
playful friendly
Progress Bar
// INDETERMINATE

Fills and empties to show ongoing activity. Works well for file uploads or data processing tasks.

📊 Shows progress 📁 File operations
uploads processing
Skeleton Screen
// CONTENT PREVIEW

Mimics the actual content layout with shimmering blocks. Reduces perceived wait time by showing structure.

📰 Content-heavy Perceived speed
content feeds
Audio Wave
// RHYTHMIC

Bars that grow and shrink like audio visualization. Perfect for music apps or audio-heavy interfaces.

🎵 Music apps 🎙️ Audio content
audio music
Circular Progress
// MODERN

A modern circular loader with smooth rotation. Great for dashboards and data-heavy applications.

📊 Dashboards 🔄 Updates
modern data
Elastic Bars
// DYNAMIC

Bars that stretch and compress elastically. Adds energy and movement to the loading experience.

💪 Energetic 🎪 Dynamic
energetic dynamic
Double Spinner
// DUAL LAYER

Two concentric spinners rotating in opposite directions with different colors. Creates depth and visual interest.

🔄 Dual rotation 🎨 Two-tone
modern depth
Square Pulse
// GEOMETRIC

A square that pulses and rotates simultaneously. Clean and geometric, perfect for tech-focused interfaces.

📐 Geometric 🔄 Rotating
tech geometric
Triangle Wave
// WAVE FORM

Triangles moving in a wave pattern. Creates a rhythmic, flowing effect that feels organic and natural.

🌊 Wave motion 📐 Triangular
organic rhythmic
Orbiting Dots
// CIRCULAR

One dot orbiting around another. Suggests motion, travel, or exploration. Perfect for mapping or navigation apps.

🪐 Orbital 🚀 Exploration
navigation travel
Flipping Box
// 3D

A box flipping in 3D space. Creates a sense of dimensionality and depth. Great for creative or interactive apps.

📦 3D effect 🔄 Flipping
3D creative
ZigZag Bars
// DIAGONAL

Bars moving in a zigzag pattern. Adds a playful, dynamic twist to the traditional loading animation.

↗️ Diagonal 🎮 Playful
playful dynamic
Heartbeat
// LIFE

A heart shape pulsing like a heartbeat. Perfect for health, fitness, or social apps that emphasize connection.

❤️ Heart 💓 Pulse
health social
Infinity
// CONTINUOUS

Two dots moving in an infinity pattern. Suggests endlessness, continuity, or unlimited possibilities.

♾️ Infinite 🔄 Loop
infinite loop
Spin Dots
// ROTATING

Dots that spin and scale. Combines rotation with size variation for a dynamic visual effect.

🔄 Rotating 📏 Scaling
dynamic modern
Blink
// FLASHING

A circle that blinks on and off. Simple yet effective, with a gentle pulsing effect.

Blinking 💡 Simple
simple gentle
Rotate Box
// 3D ROTATION

A box rotating in 3D space. Creates a sense of dimensionality and movement.

📦 3D 🔄 Rotating
3D rotating
Water Drop
// FLUID

A water drop shape that bounces. Creates a fluid, organic motion effect.

💧 Water 🌊 Fluid
fluid organic
Swinging Ball
// PENDULUM

A ball swinging like a pendulum. Creates a rhythmic, hypnotic effect.

🔄 Pendulum 🎵 Rhythmic
pendulum rhythmic
Morphing Shape
// TRANSFORMATION

A shape that continuously morphs between different forms. Creates a dynamic, ever-changing effect.

🔄 Morphing Dynamic
morphing dynamic
Rolling Dots
// ROLLING

Dots rolling in sequence. Creates a sense of movement and progress.

🎲 Rolling ⏱️ Progress
rolling progress
Spring Ball
// BOUNCY

A ball with a springy motion. Creates a playful, energetic effect.

Spring 🎪 Energetic
spring energetic
Fan Blades
// ROTATING

Two blades rotating like a fan. Creates a sense of air movement or cooling.

💨 Fan 🔄 Rotating
fan rotating
Pulse Ring
// RIPPLE

A ring pulsing outward in concentric circles. Creates a ripple effect like water.

🌊 Ripple 🔄 Pulsing
ripple pulsing
Sliding Dot
// CIRCULAR

A dot sliding along the circumference of a circle. Creates a smooth, continuous motion.

🚶 Sliding 🔄 Circular
sliding circular
Glowing Orb
// LUMINOUS

A glowing orb with varying light intensity. Creates a magical, ethereal effect.

Glowing 🔮 Ethereal
glowing ethereal
Bouncing Ball
// BOUNCY

A simple bouncing ball animation. Playful and universally recognizable.

🎾 Bouncing 😊 Playful
bouncing playful
📋

Best Practices

4 practices
⏱️

Duration Matters

Under 100ms: No loader needed. 100ms-1s: Instant feel, minimal animation. 1-10s: Skeleton or progress indicator. Over 10s: Show progress percentage and estimated time.

🎯

Match the Brand

Use loading animations that align with your brand personality. Tech apps might prefer clean geometric loaders, while creative brands can use more playful animations.

Accessibility First

Respect reduced motion preferences using prefers-reduced-motion media query. Provide text alternatives for screen readers where meaningful.

Performance Optimized

Use CSS animations over JavaScript animations where possible. Avoid animating large areas or expensive properties like layout or paint triggers.