Gradient Outline Button
A ghost button whose outline and label share one gradient. On hover the colors flow through both and a faint tint fills in. The outline is a masked pseudo-element, so the inside stays see-through.
Also known as: gradient text button, gradient border button css, gradient ghost button.
HTML
<button class="btn-gradient-outline"><span class="btn-gradient-outline-label">Read the docs</span></button>
CSS
.btn-gradient-outline {
--c: var(--btn-color, #3b82f6);
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
gap: 0.5em;
font: 600 var(--btn-size, 18px)/1.2 system-ui, sans-serif;
cursor: pointer;
--g: linear-gradient(90deg, var(--c), color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 45%, #d946ef), color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #f43f5e), color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 45%, #d946ef), var(--c));
position: relative;
padding: 0.8em 1.8em;
border: 0;
border-radius: 0.6em;
background-color: transparent;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease;}
.btn-gradient-outline::before {
content: "";
position: absolute;
inset: 0;
padding: 2px;
border-radius: inherit;
background: var(--g) 0 0 / 200% 100%;
-webkit-mask: linear-gradient(#000 0 0) content-box, linear-gradient(#000 0 0);
-webkit-mask-composite: xor;
mask: linear-gradient(#000 0 0) content-box, linear-gradient(#000 0 0);
mask-composite: exclude;
pointer-events: none;
}
.btn-gradient-outline-label {
background: var(--g) 0 0 / 200% 100%;
-webkit-background-clip: text;
background-clip: text;
color: transparent;
}
.btn-gradient-outline:is(:hover, :focus-visible) { background-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 8%, transparent); }
.btn-gradient-outline:is(:hover, :focus-visible)::before,
.btn-gradient-outline:is(:hover, :focus-visible) .btn-gradient-outline-label {
animation: btn-gradient-outline-flow 2.4s linear infinite;
}
@keyframes btn-gradient-outline-flow {
to { background-position: 200% 0; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.btn-gradient-outline, .btn-gradient-outline *, .btn-gradient-outline::before, .btn-gradient-outline::after, .btn-gradient-outline *::before, .btn-gradient-outline *::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}Customizing this snippet
- Color: set
--btn-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Base size: set
--btn-size. Every other dimension is inem, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing18px. - 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.