Performance Boost: Ditching Heavy JS Libraries for Native CSS `@keyframes`

"Stop bloating your bundles! If your animation task is purely visual (like a simple hover, pulse, or loader), native CSS @keyframes and the animation property are your fastest, most performant solution. Here’s a quick breakdown and a practical example."

As frontend developers, we strive for smooth, 60fps experiences. While JS libraries like GSAP are incredible for complex sequences, they carry a payload and run on the main thread. For basic visual cues, we must leverage the browser's hardware acceleration via CSS.

The Power of @keyframes

The @keyframes rule defines the style state at specific points during the animation sequence. The browser handles all the interpolations between these states.

Key Animation Properties:

Property	Description	Example
animation-name	Links the class to your @keyframes block.	pulse
animation-duration	Specifies how long one cycle of the animation takes.	2s
animation-iteration-count	Specifies how many times the animation should run (or infinite).	infinite
animation-timing-function	Controls the acceleration/deceleration curve.	ease-in-out

The Subtle Button Pulse Example

This animation subtly scales a button up and down infinitely—a common marketing trick—with minimal overhead.

/* 1. Define the states */
@keyframes pulse-btn {
  0%, 100% { 
    transform: scale(1); 
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(255, 100, 0, 0); 
  }
  50% { 
    transform: scale(1.03); 
    box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(255, 100, 0, 0.5); 
  }
}

/* 2. Apply the animation */
.animated-button {
  background: orange;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  /* Shorthand application: name duration timing-func iteration-count */
  animation: pulse-btn 2s ease-in-out infinite; 
}

The Takeaway

By leveraging properties like transform and opacity inside your @keyframes, you tap into hardware acceleration. Always profile your animations, but for simple, continuous visual effects, native CSS is the fastest path to a smoother user experience.

What performance trick do you use most often in your CSS?

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