Learn SVELTE-MOTION with Real Code Examples
Updated Nov 26, 2025
Explain
Svelte-Motion uses realistic spring physics to animate elements smoothly.
Its API is fully Svelte-friendly, using stores, actions, and components.
Designed to animate both single values and full components declaratively.
Supports enter/exit animations with Svelte’s transition lifecycle.
Integrates with pointer gestures for interactive motion.
Core Features
motion - main motion component wrapper
spring stores - animatable values with physics
variants - predefined animation states
gestures - drag, hover, press interactions
transition controls - programmatic control of animations
Basic Concepts Overview
motion component - animatable wrapper
variants - named animation states
spring store - animatable state value
gestures - drag, press, hover behaviors
transitions - physics configuration (stiffness, damping)
Project Structure
src/components/ - animated components
src/lib/motion/ - variants and motion configs
App.svelte - main Svelte entry
styles/ - SCSS/CSS for layout
stores/ - spring values for animations
Building Workflow
Wrap element with motion component
Define initial and animate states
Supply variants or direct animation targets
Trigger animations via reactive state
Use gestures or events for interaction
Difficulty Use Cases
Beginner: animate opacity/scale
Intermediate: animate lists and layout
Advanced: gesture-based drag interactions
Expert: interconnected multi-state variants
Architect: full-system animation design using variants
Comparisons
Svelte-Motion vs CSS transitions - physics-based vs static
Svelte-Motion vs Framer Motion - smaller but similar API
Svelte-Motion vs GSAP - declarative vs timeline-heavy
Svelte-Motion vs Popmotion - Svelte-native vs generic JS
Svelte-Motion vs Svelte's built-in transition - more control & physics
Versioning Timeline
2020 - Early community versions appear
2021 - Variants and gestures introduced
2022 - SvelteKit compatibility improves
2023 - Better spring performance
2025 - Stable ecosystem with ongoing community support
Glossary
motion component - animatable wrapper
variants - named animation states
spring - physics-based interpolation
gestures - interactive drag/press behaviors
transition - config controlling spring behavior