How to create button with multiple pulse effects

Question

I want a button which pulses multiple times (three or so), like in this Dribble video demo. The button pulses should have an interval between pulses of about 300-400ms, and also if the twisting effect can be achieved somehow that would be great.

I have this code so far, but the pulsing animation is not particularly close to the one described and linked above.

body {
  background: black;
}

.button {
  padding: 0.75em 1.5em;
  border: 3px solid white;
  border-radius: 15px;
}

.button:hover {
  animation: pulse 4s infinite;
  transition: 1s ease all;
}

@keyframes pulse {
  0% {
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7),
      0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5), 0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3);
  }

  50% {
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 10px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0),
      0 0 0 20px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), 0 0 0 30px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
  }

  100% {
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 30px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0),
      0 0 0 40px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), 0 0 0 50px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
  }
}

<button class="button">Button</button>

How can I make my code more closely match the description and video example above?

looking at some of the other buttons/effects by the same designer it seems unlikely he was simply using CSS — Professor Abronsius
– Professor Abronsius, Commented Mar 10 at 10:15
If you want 3 pulses, you need to add an element because you can only do before and after — mplungjan
– mplungjan, Commented Mar 10 at 10:16
I'm not sure why people are voting to close this question. The user made a good attempt at solving the problem themself, and then posted a question containing a minimal reproducible example when they got stuck. This is a good question. — Sean
– Sean, Commented Mar 10 at 12:18
@VasilNikolov what do you mean by "the twisting effect"? What twisting effect? I don't see one on the Dribble you linked to. — TylerH
– TylerH, Commented Mar 10 at 15:53
Related, possible duplicate: stackoverflow.com/questions/44783546/… — TylerH
– TylerH, Commented Mar 10 at 15:59

Temani Afif · Accepted Answer · 2025-03-10 13:34:12Z

3

Here is an idea using outline and pseudo-elements:

.button {
  padding: 0.75em 1.5em;
  border-radius: 1em;
  font-size: 30px;
  position: relative;
}
.button:before,
.button:after {
  content:"";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  outline: inherit;
  border-radius: inherit;
}
.button:hover,
.button:hover:before,
.button:hover:after {
  outline: 2px solid #fff0;
  animation: pulse 2s infinite linear;
}
.button:hover:before {
  animation-delay: .4s;
}
.button:hover:after {
  animation-delay: .8s;
}

@keyframes pulse {
  0%,10%   {outline-offset:0px; outline-color:#fff0}
  50%      {outline-offset:20px;outline-color:#fff9}
  90%,100% {outline-offset:40px;outline-color:#fff0}
}

body {
  margin: 0;
  min-height: 100vh;
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
  background: #000;
}

<button class="button">Button</button>

answered Mar 10 at 13:34

Temani Afif

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1 Comment

TylerH Mar 10 at 15:53

Seems like more of a speedy ripple rather than a pulse, at least compared to the Dribble video OP linked to.

zer00ne · Accepted Answer · 2025-03-11 05:07:24Z

I updated trying to match what was in the Dribble, but it's not quite right. I can tell that you'll need to use the outlines of either extra elements and/or pseudo-elements.

Try this:

.button:hover {
  animation: 
    pulse 
    400ms 
    cubic-bezier(1.000, 0.000, 0.000, 1.000) 
    both 
    alternate 
    infinite;
}

The timing function, cubic-bezier(1.000, 0.000, 0.000, 1.000), (aka ease-in-out-expo), has an arrhythmic stutter. The direction, alternate allows the transition to swing from one end of a cycle and continue from the opposite end in the beginning of the next cycle. The fill mode of both allows the animation to extend in both directions.

*,
*::before,
*::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

:root {
  font: 2ch/1.5 'RailroadRoman', sans-serif;
}

body {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  background: #000;
  overflow-x: hidden;
}

main {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  justify-content: space-evenly;
  align-items: center;
  align-content: center;
  gap: 2rem;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  margin: 0 auto;
  background: #000;
}

button {
  position: relative;
  width: min-content;
  width: 5rem;
  height: 2rem;
  padding-inline: 0.5rem;
  border: 2px solid #fff;
  border-radius: 8px;
  outline-width: 2px;
  outline-style: solid;
  outline-color: #fff;
  outline-offset: 0;
  font: inherit;
  cursor: pointer;
}

button i {
  position: absolute;
  top: -0.5em;
  right: -0.5em;
  z-index: 500;
  display: block;
  font-style: normal;
  font-size: 1.5em;
  cursor: pointer;
}


.A.yang:hover {
  animation: pulse 600ms cubic-bezier(1.000, 0.000, 0.000, 1.000) both alternate infinite;
}

.A.ying:hover {
  animation: pulse 2s cubic-bezier(0.445, 0.050, 0.550, 0.950) infinite;
}

@keyframes pulse {
  0% {
    box-shadow:
      0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7),
      0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5),
      0 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3);
  }

  50% {
    box-shadow:
      0 0 0 10px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0),
      0 0 0 20px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0),
      0 0 0 30px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
  }

  100% {
    box-shadow:
      0 0 0 30px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0),
      0 0 0 40px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0),
      0 0 0 50px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
  }
}

.B::before,
.B::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  display: block;
  width: 5rem;
  height: 2rem;
  border-radius: 8px;
  outline-width: 2px;
  outline-style: solid;
  outline-color: #fff;
  outline-offset: 0;
  background: transparent;
}

.B.ying:hover::before {
  z-index: 80;
  animation: eb 2s ease-in backwards infinite;
}

.B.ying:hover {
  z-index: 80;
  animation: ripple 2s 2s ease-out both alternate infinite;
}

.B.ying:hover::after {
  z-index: 120;
  animation: wave 2s ease-out forwards infinite;
}

.B.yang:hover::before {
  z-index: 110;
  animation: wave 2s 1s ease-out backwards infinite;
}

.B.yang:hover {
  z-index: 140;
  animation: ripple 2s 2s ease-in-out both alternate infinite;
}

.B.yang:hover::after {
  z-index: 130;
  animation: eb 2s ease-out backwards infinite;
}

@keyframes ripple {
  0% {
    outline-width: 2px;
    outline-color: transparent;
    outline-offset: 0;
  }

  50% {
    outline-width: 2px;
    outline-color: #fff;
    outline-offset: 30px;
  }

  70% {
    outline-width: 2px;
    outline-color: rgba(255, 55, 0 0.5);
    outline-offset: 50px;
  }

  100% {
    outline-width: 1px;
    outline-color: transparent;
    outline-offset: 0;
  }
}

@keyframes wave {
  0% {
    outline-width: 1px;
    outline-color: #fff;
    outline-offset: 40px;
  }

  20% {
    outline-width: 2px;
    outline-color: rgba(255, 255, 10, 0.6);
    outline-offset: 30px;
  }

  70% {
    outline-width: 1px;
    outline-color: rgba(255, 200, 5 0.3);
    outline-offset: 10px;
  }

  100% {
    outline-width: 1px;
    outline-color: transparent;
    outline-offset: 0;
  }
}

@keyframes eb {
  0% {
    outline-width: 2px;
    outline-color: transparent;
    outline-offset: 0;
  }

  60% {
    outline-width: 5px;
    outline-color: rgba(55, 25, 255, 0.4);
    outline-offset: 20px;
  }

  80% {
    outline-width: 5px;
    outline-color: #fff;
    outline-offset: 40px;
  }

  100% {
    outline-width: 2px;
    outline-color: rgba(25, 155, 215 0.3);
    outline-offset: 50px;
  }
}

<link href="https://fonts.cdnfonts.com/css/railroadroman" rel="stylesheet">

<main>
  <button class="A yang">
  I <i>💓</i>
</button>

  <button class="A ying">
  II <i>💗</i>
</button>

  <button class="B yang">
  III <i>🖤</i>
</button>

  <button class="B ying">
  IV <i>💙</i>
</button>
</main>

This seems like more of a heartbeat animation (I know there's similarity in the word 'pulse' there, but still) than a steadier, 300ms-spaced out pulse. The speed of the pulse border is far quicker than what's shown in the linked Dribble.
I see, thanks @TylerH, I added some more examples. As always, I like Temani Afif's answer better than my own.

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