Terminal Typing Effect: CSS Text Animation

Terminal Typing Effect

A small terminal window types a command, prints two lines of output, then drops to a fresh prompt with a blinking block cursor. The command types with steps() in ch units.

Also known as: terminal text animation css, command line typing animation, fake terminal window.

npm create app

Scaffolding ./app ...

✓ Done in 1.2s

Color Font size 40px Dark background

HTML

<div class="txt-terminal-typing-effect">
  <div class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-bar" aria-hidden="true"><i></i><i></i><i></i></div>
  <div class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-body">
    <p class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-cmd"><span class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-typed">npm create app</span><span class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-caret" aria-hidden="true"></span></p>
    <p class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-out" style="--t: 2.1s">Scaffolding ./app ...</p>
    <p class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-out" style="--t: 2.6s"><b>✓</b> Done in 1.2s</p>
    <p class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-cmd txt-terminal-typing-effect-out" style="--t: 3s"><span class="txt-terminal-typing-effect-caret" aria-hidden="true"></span></p>
  </div>
</div>

CSS

.txt-terminal-typing-effect {
  --c: var(--txt-color, #3b82f6);
  font-size: var(--txt-size, 32px);
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
  font-weight: 700;
  line-height: 1.2;
  display: inline-block;
  width: 11em;
  overflow: hidden;
  border-radius: 0.35em;
  background: #0d1117;
  color: #e6edf3;
  font-family: ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Consolas, monospace;
  font-weight: 500;
  text-align: left;
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 35%, #30363d), 0 0.3em 0.8em -0.3em rgb(0 0 0 / 0.4);}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-bar {
  display: flex;
  gap: 0.16em;
  padding: 0.28em 0.32em;
  background: #161b22;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-bar i {
  width: 0.2em;
  height: 0.2em;
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: #ff5f57;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-bar i:nth-child(2) { background: #febc2e; }
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-bar i:nth-child(3) { background: #28c840; }
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-body {
  padding: 0.7em 0.9em 0.9em;
  font-size: 0.5em;
  line-height: 1.6;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-body p {
  margin: 0;
  white-space: nowrap;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-cmd::before {
  content: "$ ";
  color: var(--c);
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-typed {
  display: inline-block;
  vertical-align: top;
  overflow: hidden;
  width: 0;
  /* 14 = characters in the command */
  animation: txt-terminal-typing-effect-type 1.3s steps(14) 0.5s forwards;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-caret {
  display: inline-block;
  vertical-align: top;
  width: 1ch;
  height: 1.25em;
  margin-top: 0.18em;
  background: var(--c);
  /* blinks, stays solid while typing, then hands over to the next prompt */
  animation: txt-terminal-typing-effect-hold 2.1s step-end forwards;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-out {
  opacity: 0;
  color: #8b949e;
  animation: txt-terminal-typing-effect-print 0s var(--t) forwards;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-out b {
  color: var(--c);
  font-weight: inherit;
}
.txt-terminal-typing-effect-out .txt-terminal-typing-effect-caret {
  animation: txt-terminal-typing-effect-blink 1s step-end infinite;
}
/* 99.9% as well as 100%: a stepped animation squeezed to near-zero length
   (reduced motion) can stop one step short of 100% */
@keyframes txt-terminal-typing-effect-type {
  99.9%, to { width: 14ch; }
}
@keyframes txt-terminal-typing-effect-hold {
  0%, 24% { opacity: 1; }
  12%, 90%, 100% { opacity: 0; }
}
@keyframes txt-terminal-typing-effect-print {
  to { opacity: 1; }
}
@keyframes txt-terminal-typing-effect-blink {
  50% { opacity: 0; }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .txt-terminal-typing-effect, .txt-terminal-typing-effect *, .txt-terminal-typing-effect::before, .txt-terminal-typing-effect::after, .txt-terminal-typing-effect *::before, .txt-terminal-typing-effect *::after {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

Customizing this snippet

Color: set --txt-color on the element or a parent. Currently previewing #3b82f6.
Font size: set --txt-size. Every other dimension is in em, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing 40px.
Speed: change the duration on the transition or animation shorthand. 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.

Terminal Typing Effect

HTML

CSS

Customizing this snippet

Similar text animations