Directional List Hover
Documentation
Webflow
Code
Step 1: Add HTML
HTML
<div data-directional-hover="" data-type="y" class="directional-list">
<div class="directional-list__info">
<div class="directional-list__col-award">
<p class="direcitonal-list__eyebrow">Award</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-client">
<p class="direcitonal-list__eyebrow">Client</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-year">
<p class="direcitonal-list__eyebrow">Year</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__collection">
<div class="directional-list__list">
<a data-directional-hover-item="" href="https://www.flowfest.co.uk/" target="_blank" class="directional-list__item">
<div data-directional-hover-tile="" class="directional-list__hover-tile"></div>
<div class="directional-list__border is--item"></div>
<div class="directional-list__col-award">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Site of the Day</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-client">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">FlowFest</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-year">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">2025</p>
</div>
</a>
<a data-directional-hover-item="" href="https://www.osmo.supply/" target="_blank" class="directional-list__item">
<div data-directional-hover-tile="" class="directional-list__hover-tile"></div>
<div class="directional-list__border is--item"></div>
<div class="directional-list__col-award">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Product Honors</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-client">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Osmo</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-year">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">2025</p>
</div>
</a>
<a data-directional-hover-item="" href="https://brand.docusign.com/" target="_blank" class="directional-list__item">
<div data-directional-hover-tile="" class="directional-list__hover-tile"></div>
<div class="directional-list__border is--item"></div>
<div class="directional-list__col-award">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Site of the Day</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-client">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Docusign Brand</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-year">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">2024</p>
</div>
</a>
<a data-directional-hover-item="" href="https://aanstekelijk.nl/" target="_blank" class="directional-list__item">
<div data-directional-hover-tile="" class="directional-list__hover-tile"></div>
<div class="directional-list__border is--item"></div>
<div class="directional-list__col-award">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Site of the Day</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-client">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">Aanstekelijk</p>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__col-year">
<p class="direcitonal-list__p">2023</p>
</div>
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="directional-list__border"></div>
</div>Step 2: Add CSS
CSS
.directional-list {
color: #ffecde;
flex-flow: column;
width: 100%;
max-width: 50em;
display: flex;
position: relative;
}
.directional-list__info {
grid-column-gap: 1em;
grid-row-gap: 1em;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: center;
width: 100%;
padding-bottom: 1.5em;
padding-left: 1.5em;
padding-right: 1.5em;
display: flex;
position: relative;
}
.direcitonal-list__eyebrow {
color: #c96d4d;
letter-spacing: .1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-bottom: 0;
font-size: .75em;
line-height: 1;
}
.directional-list__item {
grid-column-gap: 1em;
grid-row-gap: 1em;
color: inherit;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: center;
margin-top: -1px;
padding: 2.25em 1.5em;
text-decoration: none;
display: flex;
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.directional-list__col-award {
min-width: 30%;
position: relative;
}
.directional-list__col-client {
flex: 1;
position: relative;
}
.directional-list__col-year {
flex: none;
min-width: 3em;
position: relative;
}
.direcitonal-list__p {
margin-bottom: 0;
font-size: 1em;
line-height: 1;
}
.directional-list__border {
z-index: 2;
opacity: .3;
background-color: currentColor;
width: 100%;
height: 1px;
position: absolute;
bottom: 0;
left: 0;
}
.directional-list__border.is--item {
top: 0;
bottom: auto;
}
.directional-list__hover-tile {
background-color: #ab4e2d;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
}
[data-directional-hover-tile] {
transition: transform 0.5s cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1);
transform: translateY(-100%);
will-change: transform;
}Step 2: Add Javascript
Step 3: Add Javascript
Javascript
function initDirectionalListHover() {
const directionMap = {
top: 'translateY(-100%)',
bottom: 'translateY(100%)',
left: 'translateX(-100%)',
right: 'translateX(100%)'
};
document.querySelectorAll('[data-directional-hover]').forEach(container => {
const type = container.getAttribute('data-type') || 'all';
container.querySelectorAll('[data-directional-hover-item]').forEach(item => {
const tile = item.querySelector('[data-directional-hover-tile]');
if (!tile) return;
item.addEventListener('mouseenter', e => {
const dir = getDirection(e, item, type);
tile.style.transition = 'none';
tile.style.transform = directionMap[dir] || 'translate(0, 0)';
void tile.offsetHeight;
tile.style.transition = '';
tile.style.transform = 'translate(0%, 0%)';
item.setAttribute('data-status', `enter-${dir}`);
});
item.addEventListener('mouseleave', e => {
const dir = getDirection(e, item, type);
item.setAttribute('data-status', `leave-${dir}`);
tile.style.transform = directionMap[dir] || 'translate(0, 0)';
});
});
function getDirection(event, el, type) {
const { left, top, width: w, height: h } = el.getBoundingClientRect();
const x = event.clientX - left;
const y = event.clientY - top;
if (type === 'y') return y < h / 2 ? 'top' : 'bottom';
if (type === 'x') return x < w / 2 ? 'left' : 'right';
const distances = {
top: y,
right: w - x,
bottom: h - y,
left: x
};
return Object.entries(distances).reduce((a, b) => (a[1] < b[1] ? a : b))[0];
}
});
}
// Initialize Directional List Hover
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
initDirectionalListHover();
});Implementation
Container
Wrap your hover items in an element with [data-directional-hover].
You can optionally define the direction detection using the [data-type] attribute. Use "y" for vertical detection (top/bottom), "x" for horizontal detection (left/right), or "all" to support both directions. If no data-type is defined, it defaults to "all".
<div data-directional-hover data-type="y">
...
</div>Item
Each hoverable element should use the attribute [data-directional-hover-item]. This is where the hover events are attached, and where the data-status attribute is dynamically applied by Javascript. This attribute controls the visual animation state, such as enter-top or leave-left.
Tile
Inside each item, the actual animated element should be marked with [data-directional-hover-tile]. This tile will animate in from the correct direction on hover in, and exit in the matching direction on hover out.
Resource details
Published
August 4, 2025
Category
Hover Interactions
Popularity
2.1K visitors
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