Rotating Gradient Border
The classic animated border: a multi-color conic gradient turns around a rounded box. A registered @property angle drives it, and padding-box plus border-box backgrounds keep the radius clean.
Also known as: rotating border css, spinning gradient border, conic gradient border animation.
Rotating border
HTML
<div class="bdr-rotating-gradient-border">Rotating border</div>
CSS
@property --bdr-rotating-gradient-border-a {
syntax: "<angle>";
inherits: false;
initial-value: 0deg;
}
.bdr-rotating-gradient-border {
--c: var(--bdr-color, #3b82f6);
font-size: var(--bdr-size, 16px);
position: relative;
display: grid;
place-items: center;
width: 15em;
height: 8.5em;
border-radius: 1em;
font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
--fill: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 10%, #0b0f19);
box-sizing: border-box;
border: 0.2em solid transparent;
background:
linear-gradient(var(--fill), var(--fill)) padding-box,
conic-gradient(from var(--bdr-rotating-gradient-border-a), var(--c), color-mix(in oklch, var(--c), #d946ef 70%), color-mix(in oklch, var(--c), #f97316 70%), color-mix(in oklch, var(--c), #22d3ee 70%), var(--c)) border-box;
color: #f1f5f9;
animation: bdr-rotating-gradient-border-spin 4s linear infinite;
}
@keyframes bdr-rotating-gradient-border-spin {
to { --bdr-rotating-gradient-border-a: 360deg; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.bdr-rotating-gradient-border, .bdr-rotating-gradient-border *, .bdr-rotating-gradient-border::before, .bdr-rotating-gradient-border::after, .bdr-rotating-gradient-border *::before, .bdr-rotating-gradient-border *::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}Tailwind CSS version
The same effect using Tailwind utility classes. No custom CSS or config needed.
<div class="relative grid h-[8.5em] w-[15em] place-items-center overflow-hidden rounded-2xl p-[3px]"> <div class="absolute inset-[-100%] animate-spin bg-[conic-gradient(#3b82f6,#d946ef,#f97316,#22d3ee,#3b82f6)] [animation-duration:4s]"></div> <div class="relative grid h-full w-full place-items-center rounded-[13px] bg-slate-950 font-semibold text-slate-100">Rotating border</div> </div>
Customizing this snippet
- Color: set
--bdr-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Base size: set
--bdr-size. Every other dimension is inem, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing16px. - Speed: change the duration on the
transitionoranimationshorthand. Staggered delays are relative, so they keep their rhythm. - Reduced motion: the rule at the end of the CSS turns the motion off for people who asked their OS for less of it. Keep it.