Pulsing Dots Loader
Three dots grow and shrink in sequence. Calmer than bouncing dots because nothing changes position, only scale.
HTML
<div class="ldr-pulsing-dots" role="status" aria-label="Loading"> <span></span><span></span><span></span> </div>
CSS
.ldr-pulsing-dots {
--s: var(--ldr-size, 48px);
--c: var(--ldr-color, #3b82f6);
display: flex;
gap: calc(var(--s) / 8);
}
.ldr-pulsing-dots span {
width: calc(var(--s) / 3.5);
height: calc(var(--s) / 3.5);
border-radius: 50%;
background: var(--c);
animation: ldr-pulsing-dots-scale 1.4s ease-in-out infinite both;
}
.ldr-pulsing-dots span:nth-child(1) { animation-delay: -0.32s; }
.ldr-pulsing-dots span:nth-child(2) { animation-delay: -0.16s; }
@keyframes ldr-pulsing-dots-scale {
0%, 80%, 100% { transform: scale(0); }
40% { transform: scale(1); }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.ldr-pulsing-dots, .ldr-pulsing-dots *, .ldr-pulsing-dots::before, .ldr-pulsing-dots::after {
animation-duration: 3s;
}
}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.