Pulse Loader
A solid dot that throbs while a soft halo expands away from it. The 'ping' pattern from status indicators, turned into a loader.
Also known as: ping animation, radar dot.
HTML
<div class="ldr-pulse" role="status" aria-label="Loading"></div>
CSS
.ldr-pulse {
--s: var(--ldr-size, 48px);
--c: var(--ldr-color, #3b82f6);
width: calc(var(--s) / 2);
height: calc(var(--s) / 2);
margin: calc(var(--s) / 4);
border-radius: 50%;
background: var(--c);
animation: ldr-pulse-throb 1.4s ease-out infinite;
}
@keyframes ldr-pulse-throb {
0% { transform: scale(0.85); box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--ldr-color, #3b82f6) 55%, transparent); }
70% { transform: scale(1); box-shadow: 0 0 0 calc(var(--s) / 3) transparent; }
100% { transform: scale(0.85); box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 transparent; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.ldr-pulse, .ldr-pulse *, .ldr-pulse::before, .ldr-pulse::after {
animation-duration: 3s;
}
}Tailwind CSS version
The same loader using only Tailwind's built-in animation utilities. No custom keyframes or config needed.
<span class="relative flex h-6 w-6" role="status" aria-label="Loading"> <span class="absolute inline-flex h-full w-full animate-ping rounded-full bg-blue-500 opacity-60"></span> <span class="relative inline-flex h-6 w-6 rounded-full bg-blue-500"></span> </span>
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.