CSS Transitions

CSS Transitions

CSS transitions allows you to change property values smoothly (from one value to another), over a given duration.

Example: Mouse over the element below to see a CSS transition effect:

Browser Support for Transitions

The numbers in the table specify the first browser version that fully supports the property.

Numbers followed by -webkit-, -moz-, or -o- specify the first version that worked with a prefix.

How to Use CSS Transitions?

To create a transition effect, you must specify two things:

• the CSS property you want to add an effect to


• the duration of the effect

Note: If the duration part is not specified, the transition will have no effect, because the default value is 0.

The following example shows a 100px * 100px red <div> element. The <div>
element has also specified a transition effect for the width property, with a duration of 2 seconds:

The transition effect will start when the specified CSS property (width) changes value.

Now, let us specify a new value for the width property when a user mouses over the <div> element:

Notice that when the cursor mouses out of the element, it will gradually change back to its original style.

Change Several Property Values

The following example adds a transition effect for both the width and height property, with a duration
of 2 seconds for the width and 4 seconds for the height:

Specify the Speed Curve of the Transition

The transition-timing-function property specifies the speed curve of the transition effect.

The transition-timing-function property can have the following values:

• 
  ease - specifies a transition effect with a slow start, then fast, then end slowly (this is default)


• 
  linear - specifies a transition effect with the same speed from start to end


• 
  ease-in - specifies a transition effect with a slow start


• 
  ease-out - specifies a transition effect with a slow end


• 
  ease-in-out - specifies a transition effect with a slow start and end


• 
  cubic-bezier(n,n,n,n) - lets you define your own values in a cubic-bezier function

The following example shows the some of the different speed curves that can be used:

Delay the Transition Effect

The transition-delay property specifies a delay (in seconds) for the transition effect.

The following example has a 1 second delay before starting:

Transition + Transformation

The following example also adds a transformation to the transition effect:

More Transition Examples

The CSS transition properties can be specified one by one, like this:

or by using the shorthand property transition:

Test Yourself with Exercises!

Exercise 1 » 
Exercise 2 » 
Exercise 3 » 
Exercise 4 » 
Exercise 5 »

CSS Transition Properties

The following table lists all the CSS transition properties: