# Skeleton

Placeholder bars during data fetch - reduced-motion aware shimmer.

Preview: https://design.freecodecamp.org/playground#skeleton

## Add to your project

Use React and TypeScript. Required packages: `react@>=18 <20`. No freeCodeCamp package is needed.

Copy the files below to the indicated paths, relative to your project root. If you change the layout, update relative imports too.

Import the CSS once from your application entry. For an entry in src/:

```ts
import './ui/theme/tokens.css';
import './ui/theme/base.css';
import './ui/skeleton/skeleton.css';
```

The theme is shared: reuse it if already installed. Fonts use /fonts/ URLs on your host. Download the font files listed in https://design.freecodecamp.org/registry/starter.md or change those URLs in your copied tokens.css.

## Example

```tsx
import { Skeleton } from './ui/skeleton/Skeleton';

export function Example() {
  return (
    <div style={{ display: 'grid', gap: 16, width: '100%' }}>
      <Skeleton variant='circle' width={48} height={48} />
      <Skeleton variant='text' width='80%' />
      <Skeleton variant='text' width='60%' />
    </div>
  );
}
```

## Interaction guidance

Review https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/ and test keyboard operation in your project.

## Component source

### src/ui/skeleton/Skeleton.tsx

Source: https://design.freecodecamp.org/registry/skeleton/Skeleton.tsx

```tsx
import React, { forwardRef } from 'react';

export type SkeletonVariant = 'rect' | 'circle' | 'text';

export interface SkeletonProps extends Omit<
  React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>,
  'children'
> {
  variant?: SkeletonVariant;
  width?: number | string;
  height?: number | string;
  /** For variant="text": render N stacked line bars. */
  lines?: number;
  /** Screen-reader label announced via visually-hidden span. */
  label?: React.ReactNode;
}

const toSize = (v: number | string | undefined): string | undefined =>
  typeof v === 'number' ? `${v}px` : v;

export const Skeleton = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, SkeletonProps>(
  (
    {
      variant = 'rect',
      width,
      height,
      lines = 1,
      label,
      className = '',
      style,
      ...rest
    },
    ref
  ) => {
    const classes = [
      'skeleton',
      variant !== 'rect' && `skeleton--${variant}`,
      className
    ]
      .filter(Boolean)
      .join(' ');
    const mergedStyle: React.CSSProperties = {
      ...(style ?? {}),
      ...(width !== undefined && { width: toSize(width) }),
      ...(height !== undefined && { height: toSize(height) })
    };
    const hasInlineStyle = Object.keys(mergedStyle).length > 0;
    const isMultilineText =
      variant === 'text' && typeof lines === 'number' && lines > 0;
    return (
      <div
        ref={ref}
        role='status'
        aria-busy='true'
        aria-live='polite'
        className={classes}
        style={hasInlineStyle ? mergedStyle : undefined}
        {...rest}
      >
        {isMultilineText &&
          Array.from({ length: lines as number }, (_, i) => (
            <span key={i} className='skeleton__line' aria-hidden='true' />
          ))}
        {label !== undefined && <span className='sr-only'>{label}</span>}
      </div>
    );
  }
);
Skeleton.displayName = 'Skeleton';
```

### src/ui/skeleton/skeleton.css

Source: https://design.freecodecamp.org/registry/skeleton/skeleton.css

```css
.skeleton {
  display: block;
  width: 100%;
  height: 16px;
  background: var(--background-tertiary);
  background-image: linear-gradient(
    90deg,
    var(--background-tertiary) 0%,
    var(--background-quaternary) 50%,
    var(--background-tertiary) 100%
  );
  background-size: 200% 100%;
  animation: skeleton-shimmer 1.6s ease-in-out infinite;
  border-radius: 2px;
}
.skeleton--circle {
  width: 40px;
  height: 40px;
  border-radius: 9999px;
}
.skeleton--text {
  height: auto;
  min-height: 16px;
  background: transparent;
  animation: none;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 8px;
  border-radius: 0;
}
.skeleton__line {
  display: block;
  height: 12px;
  background: var(--background-tertiary);
  background-image: linear-gradient(
    90deg,
    var(--background-tertiary) 0%,
    var(--background-quaternary) 50%,
    var(--background-tertiary) 100%
  );
  background-size: 200% 100%;
  animation: skeleton-shimmer 1.6s ease-in-out infinite;
  border-radius: 2px;
}
.skeleton__line:last-child:not(:only-child) {
  width: 65%;
}
@keyframes skeleton-shimmer {
  0% {
    background-position: 200% 0;
  }
  100% {
    background-position: -200% 0;
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .skeleton,
  .skeleton__line {
    animation: none;
  }
}
```

## Shared source: Theme

### src/ui/theme/tokens.css

Source: https://design.freecodecamp.org/registry/theme/tokens.css

```css
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Lato';
  src: url('/fonts/Lato-Light.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: 300;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Lato';
  src: url('/fonts/Lato-Regular.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Lato';
  src: url('/fonts/Lato-Italic.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: italic;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Lato';
  src: url('/fonts/Lato-Bold.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: 700;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Lato';
  src: url('/fonts/Lato-BoldItalic.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: 700;
  font-style: italic;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Lato';
  src: url('/fonts/Lato-Black.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: 900;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Hack-ZeroSlash';
  src: url('/fonts/Hack-ZeroSlash-Regular.woff2') format('woff2');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Hack-ZeroSlash';
  src: url('/fonts/Hack-ZeroSlash-Bold.woff2') format('woff2');
  font-weight: 700;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Hack-ZeroSlash';
  src: url('/fonts/Hack-ZeroSlash-Italic.woff2') format('woff2');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: italic;
  font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Hack-ZeroSlash';
  src: url('/fonts/Hack-ZeroSlash-BoldItalic.woff2') format('woff2');
  font-weight: 700;
  font-style: italic;
  font-display: swap;
}

:root {
  --gray-00: #ffffff;
  --gray-00-translucent: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);
  --gray-05: #f5f6f7;
  --gray-10: #dfdfe2;
  --gray-15: #d0d0d5;
  --gray-45: #858591;
  --gray-75: #3b3b4f;
  --gray-80: #2a2a40;
  --gray-85: #1b1b32;
  --gray-90: #0a0a23;
  --gray-90-translucent: rgba(10, 10, 35, 0.85);

  --purple-light: #dbb8ff;
  --purple-mid: #9400d3;
  --purple-dark: #5a01a7;
  --yellow-light: #ffc300;
  --yellow-gold: #ffbf00;
  --yellow-style: #f1be32;
  --yellow-dark: #4d3800;
  --blue-light: #99c9ff;
  --blue-light-translucent: rgba(153, 201, 255, 0.3);
  --blue-mid: #198eee;
  --blue-dark: #002ead;
  --blue-dark-translucent: rgba(0, 46, 173, 0.3);
  --green-light: #acd157;
  --green-dark: #00471b;
  --red-light: #ffadad;
  --red-dark: #850000;
  --love-light: #f8577c;
  --love-dark: #f82153;
  --orange: #eda971;

  --editor-background-light: #fffffe;
  --editor-background-dark: #2a2b40;

  --syntax-keyword: #dbb8ff;
  --syntax-fn: #99c9ff;
  --syntax-string: #acd157;
  --syntax-class: #f1be32;
  --syntax-number: #f78c6c;
  --syntax-tag: #f07178;
  --syntax-operator: #89ddff;
  --syntax-invalid: #ff5370;
  --syntax-comment: #858591;
  --syntax-plain: #eeffff;

  --font-sans:
    'Lato', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-mono: 'Hack-ZeroSlash', 'Fira Mono', Menlo, Consolas, monospace;

  --fs-base: 18px;
  --fs-sm: 16px;
  --fs-md: 18px;
  --fs-lg: 24px;
  --fs-xl: 32px;
  --fs-2xl: 42px;
  --fs-3xl: 56px;
  --fs-display: clamp(2.5rem, 5vw, 3.75rem);

  --lh-tight: 1.2;
  --lh-snug: 1.33;
  --lh-base: 1.42857143;
  --lh-loose: 1.6;

  --fw-light: 300;
  --fw-regular: 400;
  --fw-bold: 700;
  --fw-black: 900;

  --space-0: 0;
  --space-1: 4px;
  --space-2: 8px;
  --space-3: 12px;
  --space-4: 16px;
  --space-5: 24px;
  --space-6: 32px;
  --space-7: 48px;
  --space-8: 64px;

  --border-width-hair: 1px;
  --border-width-default: 2px;
  --border-width-thick: 3px;
  --radius-none: 0;
  --radius-sm: 2px;

  --focus-outline-color: var(--blue-mid);
  --focus-outline-width: 3px;

  --z-breadcrumbs: 100;
  --z-flash: 150;
  --z-site-header: 200;
  --z-modal: 1050;

  --ease-snap: cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.8, 0.2, 1);
  --ease-out: cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1);
  --dur-fast: 120ms;
  --dur-base: 180ms;
  --dur-slow: 260ms;

  --header-height: 48px;
  --breadcrumbs-height: 32px;
  --sidebar-width: 288px;
  --content-max: 1040px;

  color-scheme: dark;
}

.dark-palette,
:root {
  color-scheme: dark;
  --foreground-primary: var(--gray-00);
  --foreground-secondary: var(--gray-05);
  --foreground-tertiary: var(--gray-10);
  --foreground-quaternary: var(--gray-15);
  --foreground-muted: #b0b0bd;

  --background-primary: var(--gray-90);
  --background-primary-translucent: var(--gray-90-translucent);
  --background-secondary: var(--gray-85);
  --background-tertiary: #33334f;
  --background-quaternary: #4b4b66;

  --highlight-color: var(--blue-light);
  --highlight-background: var(--blue-dark);
  --selection-color: var(--blue-light-translucent);

  --success-color: var(--green-light);
  --success-background: var(--green-dark);
  --danger-color: var(--red-light);
  --danger-background: var(--red-dark);
  --warning-color: var(--yellow-light);
  --warning-background: var(--yellow-dark);
  --purple-color: var(--purple-light);
  --purple-background: var(--purple-dark);
  --love-color: var(--love-light);

  --editor-background: var(--editor-background-dark);

  --cta-background: var(--yellow-gold);
  --cta-foreground: var(--gray-90);

  --surface-elevation-1: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.045);
  --surface-elevation-2: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.09);
  --border-soft: var(--background-tertiary);
  --border-strong: var(--background-quaternary);
}

.light-palette {
  --foreground-primary: var(--gray-90);
  --foreground-secondary: var(--gray-85);
  --foreground-tertiary: var(--gray-80);
  --foreground-quaternary: var(--gray-75);
  --foreground-muted: #5a5a68;

  --background-primary: var(--gray-00);
  --background-primary-translucent: var(--gray-00-translucent);
  --background-secondary: var(--gray-05);
  --background-tertiary: #c5c5cc;
  --background-quaternary: #a8a8b4;

  --highlight-color: var(--blue-dark);
  --highlight-background: var(--blue-light);
  --selection-color: var(--blue-dark-translucent);

  --success-color: var(--green-dark);
  --success-background: var(--green-light);
  --danger-color: var(--red-dark);
  --danger-background: var(--red-light);
  --warning-color: var(--yellow-dark);
  --warning-background: var(--yellow-light);
  --purple-color: var(--purple-dark);
  --purple-background: var(--purple-light);
  --love-color: var(--love-dark);

  --editor-background: var(--editor-background-light);

  --cta-background: var(--yellow-gold);
  --cta-foreground: var(--gray-90);

  --surface-elevation-1: rgba(10, 10, 35, 0.05);
  --surface-elevation-2: rgba(10, 10, 35, 0.09);
  --border-soft: var(--background-tertiary);
  --border-strong: var(--background-quaternary);

  color-scheme: light;
}

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

html {
  font-size: var(--fs-md);
  font-family: var(--font-sans);
  line-height: var(--lh-base);
  color: var(--foreground-primary);
  background: var(--background-primary);
  -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
  -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;
  scroll-behavior: smooth;
  scroll-padding-top: calc(var(--header-height) + 24px);
}

body {
  margin: 0;
  font-family: var(--font-sans);
  color: var(--foreground-primary);
  background: var(--background-primary);
}

::selection {
  background: var(--selection-color);
}

h1,
h2,
h3,
h4,
h5,
h6 {
  font-family: var(--font-sans);
  font-weight: var(--fw-bold);
  color: var(--foreground-primary);
  line-height: var(--lh-snug);
  margin: 0 0 12px 0;
}
h1 {
  font-size: var(--fs-3xl);
  line-height: var(--lh-tight);
  letter-spacing: -0.01em;
}
h2 {
  font-size: var(--fs-2xl);
  letter-spacing: -0.005em;
}
h3 {
  font-size: var(--fs-xl);
}
h4 {
  font-size: var(--fs-lg);
}
h5 {
  font-size: var(--fs-md);
  text-transform: uppercase;
  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
}
h6 {
  font-size: var(--fs-sm);
  text-transform: uppercase;
  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
  color: var(--foreground-muted);
  font-family: var(--font-mono);
}

p {
  margin: 0 0 12px 0;
}

a {
  color: var(--highlight-color);
  text-decoration: underline;
  text-underline-position: under;
  text-underline-offset: 0.1em;
}
a:hover {
  color: var(--foreground-primary);
}

code,
pre,
kbd,
samp {
  font-family: var(--font-mono);
  font-size: 16px;
}
code {
  background: var(--background-tertiary);
  color: var(--foreground-tertiary);
}
:not(pre) > code {
  border: 1px solid var(--background-quaternary);
  padding: 1px 4px;
  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
  word-break: break-word;
}
pre {
  background: var(--editor-background);
  color: var(--foreground-tertiary);
  padding: 14px 16px;
  font-size: 14px;
  line-height: var(--lh-base);
  max-width: 100%;
  overflow-x: auto;
  margin: 0;
}
pre code {
  display: block;
  width: max-content;
  min-width: 100%;
  background: transparent;
  border: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

:focus-visible {
  outline: var(--focus-outline-width) solid var(--focus-outline-color);
  outline-offset: 0;
}

hr {
  border: 0;
  border-top: 1px solid var(--background-quaternary);
  margin: 24px 0;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar {
  width: 10px;
  height: 10px;
}
::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
  background: var(--background-primary);
}
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
  background: var(--background-quaternary);
  border: 2px solid var(--background-primary);
}
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover {
  background: var(--foreground-muted);
}
```

### src/ui/theme/base.css

Source: https://design.freecodecamp.org/registry/theme/base.css

```css
.sr-only {
  position: absolute;
  width: 1px;
  height: 1px;
  padding: 0;
  margin: -1px;
  overflow: hidden;
  clip: rect(0, 0, 0, 0);
  white-space: nowrap;
  border: 0;
}
```

## Adapting this component

Keep the component's semantics and keyboard behavior. Use the CSS variables to change its appearance. Check the result in your project; copied source does not receive automatic updates.

Source revision: 1914914 (2026-09-08). Component source: BSD-3-Clause. Preserve the license notice: https://design.freecodecamp.org/license.txt.

Design rules: https://design.freecodecamp.org/handbook.md