animate
Animation patterns and best practices for Next.js/React applications. Use this skill when implementing animations, transitions, hover effects, page transitions, modals, or any motion in React components. Based on Emil Kowalski's "Animations on the Web" course.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/delphi-ai/animate-skill --skill animate- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads animate automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Next.js Animations
Overview
This skill provides comprehensive guidance for implementing smooth, performant, and accessible animations in Next.js and React applications. It covers CSS animations, Framer Motion, easing principles, and accessibility considerations.
Quick Reference
Easing Cheat Sheet
| Animation Type | Easing | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Element entering | ease-out | 200-300ms |
| Element moving on screen | ease-in-out | 200-300ms |
| Element exiting | ease-in | 150-200ms |
| Hover effects | ease | 150ms |
| Opacity only | linear | varies |
CSS Custom Properties (Recommended)
:root {
--ease-out-quint: cubic-bezier(.23, 1, .32, 1);
--ease-in-out-cubic: cubic-bezier(.645, .045, .355, 1);
--ease-out-cubic: cubic-bezier(.33, 1, .68, 1);
}
Common Animation Patterns
1. Hover Lift Effect
.card {
transition: transform 200ms var(--ease-out-quint),
box-shadow 200ms var(--ease-out-quint);
}
.card:hover {
transform: translateY(-4px);
box-shadow: 0 12px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}
2. Button Press
.button {
transition: transform 100ms ease-out;
}
.button:active {
transform: scale(0.97);
}
3. Fade In on Mount (Framer Motion)
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.3, ease: [.23, 1, .32, 1] }}
>
Content
</motion.div>
4. Modal with Exit Animation
<AnimatePresence>
{isOpen && (
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, scale: 0.95 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, scale: 1 }}
exit={{ opacity: 0, scale: 0.95 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.2, ease: "easeOut" }}
>
{children}
</motion.div>
)}
</AnimatePresence>
5. Tab Indicator (Shared Layout)
{tabs.map(tab => (
<button key={tab} onClick={() => setActive(tab)} className="relative px-4 py-2">
{tab}
{active === tab && (
<motion.div
layoutId="tab-indicator"
className="absolute inset-0 bg-blue-500 rounded -z-10"
transition={{ type: "spring", stiffness: 400, damping: 30 }}
/>
)}
</button>
))}
6. Staggered List Animation
const container = {
hidden: { opacity: 0 },
visible: {
opacity: 1,
transition: { staggerChildren: 0.1 }
}
}
const item = {
hidden: { opacity: 0, y: 20 },
visible: { opacity: 1, y: 0 }
}
<motion.ul variants={container} initial="hidden" animate="visible">
{items.map(i => <motion.li key={i} variants={item}>{i}</motion.li>)}
</motion.ul>
Golden Rules
- Exits faster than enters: Exit animations should be ~75% of enter duration
- Only animate transform and opacity: These are GPU-accelerated
- 200-300ms is the sweet spot: Most animations should be in this range
- Always respect prefers-reduced-motion: See accessibility section in references
- Use springs for interruptible animations: Better UX when users interrupt
Examples
Complete working examples from the course are in the examples/ directory:
| Example | Description | Key Techniques |
|---|---|---|
card-hover.tsx | Slide-up description on hover | CSS transitions, transform, opacity |
toast-stacking.tsx | Animated toast notifications | CSS custom properties, data-* triggers |
text-reveal.tsx | Staggered letter animation | @keyframes, animation-delay, calc() |
shared-layout.tsx | Element position/size morph | Framer Motion layoutId |
animate-height.tsx | Smooth height changes | useMeasure, animate height |
multi-step-flow.tsx | Directional step wizard | AnimatePresence, custom variants |
feedback-popover.tsx | Button-to-popover expansion | Nested layoutId, form states |
app-store-card.tsx | iOS-style card expansion | Multiple layoutId elements |
To use an example, read it with: Read examples/<name>.tsx
References
For detailed documentation, read the reference files:
references/easing-and-timing.md- Easing functions, timing guidelines, spring configurationreferences/css-animations.md- Transforms, transitions, keyframes, clip-pathreferences/framer-motion.md- Motion components, AnimatePresence, variants, layout animations, hooksreferences/performance-accessibility.md- 60fps optimization, prefers-reduced-motion, accessibility
When to Use What
| Scenario | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Simple hover effects | CSS transitions |
| Enter/exit animations | Framer Motion + AnimatePresence |
| Layout changes | Framer Motion layout prop |
| Shared element transitions | Framer Motion layoutId |
| Scroll-linked animations | Framer Motion useScroll |
| Complex orchestrated animations | Framer Motion variants |
| Drag interactions | Framer Motion drag gestures |
| Performance-critical | CSS-only with transforms |
Dependencies
For Framer Motion examples, install:
pnpm add framer-motion react-use-measure usehooks-ts
FAQ
What does the animate skill do?
Animation patterns and best practices for Next.js/React applications. Use this skill when implementing animations, transitions, hover effects, page transitions, modals, or any motion in React components. Based on Emil Kowalski's "Animations on the Web" course.
How do I install animate?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/delphi-ai/animate-skill --skill animate in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/animate/ (personal) or .claude/skills/animate/ (project).
Which AI agents can use animate?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is animate safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains animate?
It is published by delphi-ai in delphi-ai/animate-skill. It has 3,649 recorded installs.
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