CSS text animations aren’t just about adding flair; they’re a key way to create engaging user experiences. With animations at the core, enhancing web design with dynamic text can set your page apart. From subtle fade-in effects to pulsating headlines, CSS offers endless possibilities. Understanding the basics of CSS keyframes and transitions allows designers to bring any webpage to life.

This article dives into a collection of CSS text animation examples, each illustrating unique techniques to captivate website visitors. Whether it’s scrolling text or animated typography, these examples will not only elevate your style but also demonstrate the power of CSS3 and its keyframe capabilities.

By the end, you’ll have a toolkit of examples and ideas—covering topics like hover effectsresponsive animations, and using tools like CodePen and GSAP. Learn how to integrate these into your front-end development projects effectively. Prepare to transform ordinary text into interactive pieces that grab and keep attention.

CSS text animation examples

Animated highlight text reveal

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Untitled
by Bogdan (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Cooking Letters

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Cooking Letters 👨‍🍳
by Jhey (@jh3y)
on CodePen.

Up and Down We Go!

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ScrollTrigger Text Reveal
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.


Ever thought of a text that dances with your scrolling moves? Yup, scroll up or down and watch that CSS text animation groove.

Mistakes are Cool

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Typewriter Effect
by Aryan Patel (@aryanpatel170504)
on CodePen.

Imagine typing something and going “Oops, not that!”? This CSS animation does just that. It’s like watching someone type and erase their little errors.

Get Dizzy with Rotating Texts

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Rotating text with CSS animations
by Keenan Payne (@keenanpayne)
on CodePen.

Keenan Payne cooked up this fun rotating CSS text animation. Looking for texts that spin and win attention? Check this out!

Play with Colors, Will Ya?

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text-color-animation
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Ever felt your brand needs a splash of color? Dive in, and tweak those hex codes to get the hue that fits you.

Typing Carousel: Spin Those Words

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Simple Typing Carousel
by SS (@CheeseTurtle)
on CodePen.

Texts that type out as if someone’s actually there typing ’em. A blend of CSS and JavaScript makes this magic happen.

Ride the Text Wave

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scss text animation wave
by Hagan (@Hagan)
on CodePen.

Hagan brings a wave that’s hard to miss. Make your message playful, engaging, and riding the CSS animation wave.

Keep it Lowkey

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Change the colors of each word – CSS Animation
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Some days you just want it quiet. For those days, here’s a subtle CSS text effect that doesn’t scream for attention but is a silent charmer.

Type. Delete. Repeat.

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Multiline Typewriter Effect
by David Carr’s Pens (@daviddcarr)
on CodePen.

For the ones who love drama. Type multiline texts and watch them vanish, just like that!

Dress Up Your Text’s Background

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Background of Text Animation
by Abbos Nurgulshanov (@bbosmedia)
on CodePen.

Abbos Nurgulshanov crafts a powerful backdrop animation for texts. Makes words pop out like never before.

Shape Shifting Texts!

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Dark Text Animation
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

A step up in the game. This one’s made with pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Watch the text morph and surprise you.

Center Stage Typing

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Typewriter Text Animation
by Aakhya Singh (@aakhya)
on CodePen.

The spotlight’s on the text. And the magic? Horizontally center-aligned paragraphs. Simplicity wins.

Parallax Magic for Texts

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Parallax – Text Animation – letter(CSS)
by hagon (@hagoni)
on CodePen.

Hagon sprinkles some parallax magic on the text. A surreal effect every online store owner would want to grab!

Bouncy Words with Their Shadows

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Text Animation
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Last but not the least, a bouncy text animation with a cute reflection below. No fuss, just CSS and HTML doing their thing.

Typing? More Like Magic!

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Smooth Typewriter Text Animation
by Aakhya Singh (@aakhya)
on CodePen.

Ever watched a show and wished your text typed itself? Here you go, magic step by step, each character appearing as if someone’s whispering them to life.

Beauty, the Text Way!

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Beautiful Text Animation in css 3
by Adil (@Online-web-ustaad)
on CodePen.

Adil (our online web guru) pulled out this trick. It’s not just text; it’s like text doing a samba dance. Pure amusement in each animation step.

Ride the Text Waves

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water wave text animation effect
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Dive deep! But, no swimming skills needed. Just HTML and CSS making those waves. Splashy, right?

Text Gone Wild!

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Squiggly Text
by Lucas Bebber (@lbebber)
on CodePen.

This ain’t just squiggly, it’s text with a vibe. Smooth, clean, and fresh out of a CSS script-based animation oven.

When Texts Fly High!

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Flying text animation when scrolling
by Jascha Goltermann (@jascha)
on CodePen.

Lift-off! Jascha Goltermann’s masterpiece. Texts don’t just stay; they soar and dance when you scroll.

Cross It, Don’t Stop It

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Crossing on scroll
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Scroll and watch letters cross the street. Light, breezy, and ultra-smooth. Bet you’d wanna scroll more, huh?

Wave It with Liquid Love

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Liquid Type
by Callum Martin (@Callum-Martin)
on CodePen.

Surf’s up, dude! Dive into the wavey “liquid” vibe. Got an SVG mask rocking the boat here.

Tipsy, but Make It Fashion

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Impossibly Tipsy
by James Mellers (@jamesmellers)
on CodePen.

James Mellers threw a party, and the text got a bit tipsy. It’s power-packed, stylish, and sure to turn some heads.

Rainbow, Is That You?

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AUYK 2
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Got colors? Swap ’em out. Easy peasy in the CSS codepen. Make your text dance in colors you love.

When Text Lights Up the Room

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glowing text
by amber (@ambercheydesigns)
on CodePen.

You know the vibes when music hits right? That’s this! Glowing texts jamming with CSS keyframes.

Stunner Alert!

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Text Animation: Montserrat
by Claire Larsen (@ClaireLarsen)
on CodePen.

Claire Larsen wasn’t playing. She brought the “wow” with this. Texts that make you go, “I need that!”

Text Flipping Pancakes

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Flip text animation
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Whoosh! Left to right, flipping smooth. Breakfast inspiration, but for web designs.

Cool Beans Text Moves

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(cool) text effect
by Hakkam Abdullah (@hkmDesigner)
on CodePen.

Not just cool, but icy cool. This animation is like that unexpected wink from your crush.

Outlined, Defined, Beautiful

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Outline text animations
by Ana Travas (@anatravas)
on CodePen.

Ana Travas didn’t just create; she crafted! Highlight your message, make it pop, and let the world pause and stare.

When Texts Whisper Hello

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Fade in text animation
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Dude, it’s like the text just sneaks in, gives a lil’ wink, and there it is. Soft blur on entry? So rad. Trust me, all of this is just HTML and CSS play. No tricks.

Undercover Text Moves

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CSS TEXT REVEALING ANIMATION
by Nooray Yemon (@yemon)
on CodePen.

Alright, picture this: the text walks into the room, all sleek, minimalist vibes. It’s so clean, you’d think it took a shower.

Text’s Secret Playground

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Text animation playground
by Ivan Buljovcic (@Py89)
on CodePen.

Ivan Buljovcic is the dude behind this. Got a message? Wanna make it pop? Slide into this playground and let your words swing.

Bouncing in 3D Land

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“HEY” – CSS 3D Text Animation [ANIMATION]
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Whoa! Feels like the text got some bouncy shoes. Up and down in 3D. If texts had a party, this would be their jam.

Slide with Me

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Sliding text effect
by ChenXin_nth (@chenxinnn)
on CodePen.

Turn on your mouse, and the text grooves with it. It’s like you’re the DJ and the text? It’s dancing away.

Ink It Like You Mean It

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Handwriting Animation (SVG + CSS)
by Marina (@marinamcpeak)
on CodePen.

Marina’s got this! The text scribbles itself as if it’s penning a love letter. SVG + CSS = Mind. Blown.

Blobby Text Party

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Animated Blobs Text – Multiple Colors
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Jelly blobs in text? Hell yeah! And the coolest part? Mix ‘n match colors, fonts. Brand it your way, all day.

Letter by Letter Magic

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Letter Animation
by Florin Pop (@FlorinPop17)
on CodePen.

Get in, tweak, see the magic unfold – right there in the editor. Because who likes waiting?

Masks On, Text!

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Masking Path Animation
by Envato Tuts+ (@tutsplus)
on CodePen.

Envato Tuts+ nailed this one! It’s like text hide ‘n seek. Only CSS, and yet so power-packed.

Keepin’ It Basic, Yet Slick

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Pure CSS text basic animations
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

For those times when you just want the classic moves. Simple, quick, no fuss. But trust, it’s all kinds of cool.

Text Like a Hacker

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Terminal Text Effect
by Tobias (@Tbgse)
on CodePen.

Ever seen those hacker movies where codes go brrr on the screen? Yeah, this gives those vibes. The best part? Folks can scan the whole shebang in a jiffy. It’s that attention-grabbing!

Bringin’ SVG into Play

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svg text animate
by Glynn Alexander (@saltedm8)
on CodePen.

Shoutout to Glynn Alexander! Dude made SVG dance with text. If texts had a rock concert, this would be the headliner.

Winter in Textland

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CSS only Frozen text
by Mandy Michael (@mandymichael)
on CodePen.

Feels like Elsa played with this text. Frozen vibes, gradient texts, and a lil’ mix-blend mode jazz. Wanna tweak? Go ahead, it’s all yours to play with.

Video Meets Text

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SVG video mask on text
by Simon Evans (@SimonEvans)
on CodePen.

Simon Evans went full-on artist mode here. Imagine videos wrapping around text like a warm blanket. Colorful. Majestic. Mind-boggling.

Words on the Move

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Text typing animation effect HTML, CSS & JS
by Álvaro (@alvarotrigo)
on CodePen.

Words? Nah. Call these words on wheels. They roll in, make a statement, and the screen’s their stage.

Painting with Rainbows

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Rainbow and Trail Effect
by Mateus Generoso (@mtsgeneroso)
on CodePen.

Mateus Generoso’s brainchild. Ever seen a text bathed in rainbows? Dive into this spectrum of awesomeness.

Shadows Got Groove

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Text-Shadow Animate
by Wyatt Nolen (@wyattnolen)
on CodePen.

Wyatt Nolen’s masterpiece. Text steps out with shadows dancing behind. It’s like texts having a mini rave party. Turn up the volume!

FAQ On CSS Text Animation

What is CSS text animation?

CSS text animation is a method used to animate text elements on a webpage using CSS styles. It involves keyframestransitions, and transform functions to create effects like fading, bouncing, or sliding text. These animations enhance the web design and improve user engagement through dynamic visual effects.

How do you animate text using CSS?

You animate text using CSS by defining keyframe animations or transitions. Use properties like @keyframes for defining animation steps, and apply them through animation-name and animation-duration in your CSS. This can create effects such as fade-inslide, or bounce to animate text smoothly.

What are keyframes in CSS?

Keyframes in CSS define the steps or points in an animation sequence. Using @keyframes, you can specify CSS properties at certain percentage intervals. For example, a text element can transition from opacity 0% to 100%, creating a fade-in effect. It’s crucial in building custom animations.

Can CSS animations run automatically?

Yes, CSS animations can run automatically as soon as the page loads. By setting an animation to start immediately using CSS properties like animation-delay set to 0s or by omitting it, you can control when an animation begins. This automatic activation adds life to static elements.

Are CSS animations supported on all browsers?

CSS animations are widely supported on modern browsers like ChromeFirefox, and Safari. However, older versions of browsers may require vendor prefixes like -webkit--moz-, or -ms- for compatibility. Always check for compatibility and use polyfills or fallbacks if necessary.

How do I make text hover animations with CSS?

Text hover animations in CSS are achieved using the :hover pseudo-class with transition properties. Adjust style properties like colortransform, or position when the user hovers over an element. This triggers a responsive, interactive effect, enhancing user interaction on the site.

Popular CSS animation libraries include GSAPAnimate.css, and Hover.css. These libraries provide pre-built animations and tools for creating complex animations without writing extensive code. They simplify adding engaging animation effects to your projects, saving time while offering flexibility.

How does animation timing function in CSS?

Animation timing in CSS controls the speed of an animation’s progression through the animation-timing-function property. Options like linearease-inease-out, and custom cubic-bezier values adjust the pace of animations, offering smoother transitions, quick starts, slow ends, or uniform speed.

Are there any performance concerns with CSS animations?

Yes, performance can be a concern, especially with complex animations. Overloading animations can slow down page load times, especially on older devices. Use hardware-accelerated properties like transform and opacity. Minimizing repaints and reflows can maintain smooth performance without lag.

How can I practice creating CSS text animations?

Practice creating CSS text animations by using platforms like CodePen or GitHub repositories where you can find examples and templates. Experiment with customizing animations by altering keyframes, durations, and easing functions. This hands-on approach helps in understanding styles and improving skills.

Conclusion

CSS text animation examples have shown us the potential to add flair and create interest. They shine a light on the small details that enhance user experience. From pulsating headlines to smooth fade-in text, these techniques put creativity at your fingertips.

Here’s what we covered:

  • Keyframes and transitions: Fundamental to creating animations.
  • Hover effects: Great for adding interactive elements.
  • Using tools like CodePen to test ideas quickly.
  • Ensuring cross-browser support for broad accessibility.

These elements work well in crafting engaging web spaces. It’s about making text do more than just appear; it’s about creating an interaction, a response, a connection. Understanding these basics, you’re equipped to implement creative designs in your projects, making your site not only look good but also feel good to users. So, experiment boldly and see how these can transform the look of your web pages.

If you liked this article about CSS text animations, you should check out this article about CSS login forms.

There are also similar articles discussing CSS tablesCSS hover effectsCSS logos, and CSS checkboxes.

And let’s not forget about articles on CSS dropdown menusslide menusCSS footers, and HTML calendars.

Author

Bogdan Sandu is the principal designer and editor of this website. He specializes in web and graphic design, focusing on creating user-friendly websites, innovative UI kits, and unique fonts.Many of his resources are available on various design marketplaces. Over the years, he's worked with a range of clients and contributed to design publications like Designmodo, WebDesignerDepot, and Speckyboy among others.