CSS Spinner Generator
Create production-ready, lightweight CSS and SVG loading spinners. Features a "Single-Div" architecture, advanced easing controls, and live dark-mode testing.
About
The CSS Spinner Generator is an advanced development tool designed to replace heavy GIF loaders and complex JavaScript animations with lightweight, hardware-accelerated CSS.
Unlike standard generators that rely on DOM-heavy structures (multiple nested divs), this tool prioritizes the Single Element Pattern. By leveraging ::before, ::after, and complex box-shadow mathematics, we generate loaders that are easy to maintain and performant on mobile devices.
css loader
spinner generator
loading animation
svg loader
css keyframes
web performance
Formulas
For circular dot distributions (used in the "Dot Ring" preset), we utilize trigonometric distribution on a 2D plane:
x = R ยท cos(ฮธ)
y = R ยท sin(ฮธ)
This allows us to generate a single box-shadow rule with multiple coordinates, avoiding the need for multiple DOM nodes.
Reference Data
| Feature | CSS Spinners | SVG Spinners | GIF/Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | High (GPU Accelerated) | High (Vector) | Low (Raster Decoding) |
| Scalability | Infinite (Vector) | Infinite (Vector) | Pixelated on zoom |
| File Size | < 1KB | < 2KB | 10KB - 500KB+ |
| Customization | Full Control (CSS Vars) | Full Control (Attributes) | None (Static) |
| DOM Impact | 1 Element | 1 Element | 1 Element |
| Animation Smoothness | 60 FPS | 60 FPS | Fixed Frame Rate |
Frequently Asked Questions
CSS spinners are vector-based, meaning they look crisp on any screen density (Retina displays). They are significantly smaller in file size (often bytes vs kilobytes) and allow for runtime customization (changing color/speed) via CSS variables without re-exporting an image.
To keep your HTML code clean, this tool strives to generate spinners that require only one HTML tag (e.g., ``). We achieve complex visuals by animating pseudo-elements (`::before`, `::after`) and using `box-shadow` or gradients.
Copy the CSS into your stylesheet (or `` block) and paste the HTML snippet where you want the loader to appear. The code is scoped with unique classes to prevent conflicts.
Yes. The generated CSS often uses variables (custom properties) or standard time definitions (e.g., `1s`). You can modify the `animation-duration` property in the CSS to speed up or slow down the loader.