ASCII Line Spinner
One rounded bar ticks through | / - \ in eight hard steps, the command line spinner every terminal user knows. A plain rotation with steps(8) does it, so the Tailwind version is one class.
Also known as: terminal spinner, cli spinner css, pipe slash spinner.
HTML
<div class="ldr-ascii-spinner" role="status" aria-label="Loading"></div>
CSS
.ldr-ascii-spinner {
--s: var(--ldr-size, 48px);
--c: var(--ldr-color, #3b82f6);
width: calc(var(--s) / 8);
height: calc(var(--s) * 0.8);
border-radius: var(--s);
background: var(--c);
animation: ldr-ascii-spinner-tick 1s steps(8) infinite;
}
@keyframes ldr-ascii-spinner-tick {
to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.ldr-ascii-spinner, .ldr-ascii-spinner *, .ldr-ascii-spinner::before, .ldr-ascii-spinner::after, .ldr-ascii-spinner *::before, .ldr-ascii-spinner *::after {
animation-duration: 3s;
}
}Tailwind CSS version
The same loader using only Tailwind's built-in animation utilities. No custom keyframes or config needed.
<div class="h-10 w-1.5 animate-[spin_1s_steps(8)_infinite] rounded-full bg-blue-500" role="status" aria-label="Loading"></div>
Customizing this loader
- Color: set
--ldr-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Size: set
--ldr-size. Every dimension in the snippet is derived from it. Currently previewing64px. - Speed: change the duration on the
animationshorthand. Delays on the children are relative, so they keep their rhythm. - Accessibility: the root carries
role="status"and anaria-labelso screen readers announce the wait. The reduced-motion rule at the end slows the animation for users who asked for less motion.