Tailwind CSS Placeholder - Free Examples & Tutorial

Use responsive placeholders component with helper examples for width, color, sizing, placeholder animations & more. Free download, open-source license.

Basic example

In the example below, we take a typical card component and recreate it with placeholders applied to create a "loading card". Size and proportions are the same between the two.

Card title

Some quick example text to build on the card title and make up the bulk of the card's content.

HTML

        
            
      <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between space-x-2">
        <div class="max-w-xs rounded-lg bg-white shadow-lg dark:bg-neutral-700">
          <img
            src="https://tecdn.b-cdn.net/img/new/standard/nature/184.jpg"
            class="rounded-t-lg"
            alt="..." />
          <div class="p-6">
            <h5
              class="mb-2 text-xl font-medium leading-tight text-neutral-800 dark:text-neutral-50">
              Card title
            </h5>
            <p class="mb-4 text-base text-neutral-600 dark:text-neutral-200">
              Some quick example text to build on the card title and make up the
              bulk of the card's content.
            </p>
            <button
              type="button"
              class="inline-block rounded bg-primary px-6 pt-2.5 pb-2 text-xs font-medium uppercase leading-normal text-white shadow-[0_4px_9px_-4px_#3b71ca] transition duration-150 ease-in-out hover:bg-primary-600 hover:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)] focus:bg-primary-600 focus:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)] focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 active:bg-primary-700 active:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)]"
              data-te-ripple-init
              data-te-ripple-color="light">
              Go somewhere
            </button>
          </div>
        </div>
        <div
          class="max-w-xs rounded-lg bg-white shadow-lg dark:bg-neutral-700"
          aria-hidden="true">
          <img
            src="https://tecdn.b-cdn.net/img/new/standard/nature/182.webp"
            class="rounded-t-lg"
            alt="..." />
          <div class="p-6">
            <h5
              class="mb-2 animate-pulse text-xl font-medium text-neutral-900 dark:text-white">
              <span
                class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-6/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
            </h5>
            <p
              class="mb-4 animate-pulse text-base text-neutral-700 dark:text-white">
              <span
                class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-7/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
              <span
                class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-4/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
              <span
                class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-4/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
              <span
                class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-6/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
              <span
                class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-8/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
            </p>
            <a
              href="#"
              tabindex="-1"
              class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-6/12 flex-auto cursor-wait rounded bg-primary px-6 pt-2.5 pb-2 text-xs font-medium uppercase leading-normal text-white opacity-50 shadow-[0_4px_9px_-4px_#3b71ca] transition duration-150 ease-in-out before:inline-block before:content-[''] hover:bg-primary-600 hover:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)] focus:bg-primary-600 focus:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)] focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 active:bg-primary-700 active:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)]"></a>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>

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How it works

HTML

        
            
      <div>
        <p
          aria-hidden="true"
          class="mb-4 text-base text-neutral-700 dark:text-white">
          <span
            class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-6/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        </p>
        <a
          href="#"
          tabindex="-1"
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-4/12 flex-auto cursor-wait rounded bg-primary px-6 pt-2.5 pb-2 text-xs font-medium uppercase leading-normal text-white opacity-50 shadow-[0_4px_9px_-4px_#3b71ca] transition duration-150 ease-in-out before:inline-block before:content-[''] hover:bg-primary-600 hover:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)] focus:bg-primary-600 focus:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)] focus:outline-none focus:ring-0 active:bg-primary-700 active:shadow-[0_8px_9px_-4px_rgba(59,113,202,0.3),0_4px_18px_0_rgba(59,113,202,0.2)]"
          aria-hidden="true"></a>
      </div>

Width

You can change the width through grid column classes, width utilities, or inline styles.

HTML

        
            
      <div>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-6/12 flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-9/12 cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"
          style="width: 25%"></span>
      </div>

Colors

By default, the placeholder uses currentColor. This can be overridden with a custom color or utility class.

HTML

        
            
      <div>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-white"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-primary align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-secondary align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-success align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-danger align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-warning align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-info align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-neutral-200 align-middle opacity-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-neutral-800 align-middle opacity-50 dark:bg-neutral-900 dark:opacity-50"></span>
      </div>

Sizing

HTML

        
            
      <div>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1.2em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[0.8em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        <span
          class="inline-block min-h-[0.6em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
      </div>

Animation

HTML

        
            
      <div>
        <p class="mb-4 animate-pulse">
          <span
            class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        </p>
        <p
          class="mb-4 animate-[placeholder-wave_2s_linear_infinite] [mask-size:200%_100%]"
          style="
            -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(130deg, #000 55%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%, #000 95%);
            mask-image: linear-gradient(130deg, #000 55%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%, #000 95%);
          ">
          <span
            class="inline-block min-h-[1em] w-full flex-auto cursor-wait bg-current align-middle text-base text-neutral-700 opacity-50 dark:text-neutral-50"></span>
        </p>
      </div>

If you are looking for more advanced options, try Bootstrap Placeholders from MDBootstrap.

Placeholders

Tailwind CSS Placeholders