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Harri

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Harri

Lemke

The Vault
Cursor Animations
Image Preview Cursor Follower

Image Preview Cursor Follower

Image Preview Cursor Follower

Documentation

Webflow

Code

Setup: External Scripts

HTML

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<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/gsap@3.15/dist/gsap.min.js"></script>

Step 1: Add HTML

HTML

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<div data-follower-wrap="" class="preview-container">
  <div class="preview-item__row tablet--hide">
    <div class="preview-item__col is--large"><span class="preview-container__label">Name</span></div>
    <div class="preview-item__col is--small"><span class="preview-container__label">Location</span></div>
    <div class="preview-item__col is--small"><span class="preview-container__label">Year</span></div>
    <div class="preview-item__col is--medium"><span class="preview-container__label">Services</span></div>
  </div>
  <div data-follower-collection="" class="preview-collection">
    <div class="preview-list">
      <div data-follower-item="" class="preview-item">
        <a href="#" class="preview-item__inner w-inline-block">
          <div class="preview-item__row">
            <div class="preview-item__col is--large">
              <h2 class="preview-item__heading">Prism</h2>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small tablet--hide">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Belgium</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small">
              <p class="preview-item__text">2025</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--medium">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Development</p>
            </div>
          </div>
          <div data-follower-visual="" class="preview-item__visual">
            <img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6889f182607452ec007a0ae1/688a1e49a704afe5e3f4a55d_Fluid%20Abstract%20Design.avif" class="preview-item__visual-img">
          </div>
        </a>
      </div>
      <div data-follower-item="" class="preview-item">
        <a href="#" class="preview-item__inner w-inline-block">
          <div class="preview-item__row">
            <div class="preview-item__col is--large">
              <h2 class="preview-item__heading">Oracle</h2>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small tablet--hide">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Australia</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small">
              <p class="preview-item__text">2025</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--medium">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Design, Development</p>
            </div>
          </div>
          <div data-follower-visual="" class="preview-item__visual">
            <img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6889f182607452ec007a0ae1/688a1e2ea2b1de5d693cf173_Elegant%20Ice%20Bottle%20Display.avif" class="preview-item__visual-img">
          </div>
        </a>
      </div>
      <div data-follower-item="" class="preview-item">
        <a href="#" class="preview-item__inner w-inline-block">
          <div class="preview-item__row">
            <div class="preview-item__col is--large">
              <h2 class="preview-item__heading">Mosaic</h2>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small tablet--hide">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Spain</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small">
              <p class="preview-item__text">2024</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--medium">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Development</p>
            </div>
          </div>
          <div data-follower-visual="" class="preview-item__visual">
            <img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6889f182607452ec007a0ae1/688a1e2e3a3b6987bbb92dfd_Serene%20Floral%20Arrangement.avif" class="preview-item__visual-img">
          </div>
        </a>
      </div>
      <div data-follower-item="" class="preview-item">
        <a href="#" class="preview-item__inner w-inline-block">
          <div class="preview-item__row">
            <div class="preview-item__col is--large">
              <h2 class="preview-item__heading">Zenith</h2>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small tablet--hide">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Japan</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--small">
              <p class="preview-item__text">2024</p>
            </div>
            <div class="preview-item__col is--medium">
              <p class="preview-item__text">Strategy, Design</p>
            </div>
          </div>
          <div data-follower-visual="" class="preview-item__visual">
            <img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6889f182607452ec007a0ae1/688a1e349d92acc75bd79fa8_Minimalist%20Green%20Stools.avif" class="preview-item__visual-img">
          </div>
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div data-follower-cursor="" class="preview-follower">
    <div data-follower-cursor-inner="" class="preview-follower__inner">
      <div class="preview-follower__label">
        <div class="preview-follower__label-span">View case</div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Step 2: Add CSS

CSS

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.preview-container {
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 76em;
  margin-left: auto;
  margin-right: auto;
  padding-left: 2em;
  padding-right: 2em;
}

.preview-collection {
  width: 100%;
  margin-top: .5em;
}

.preview-item__row {
  flex-flow: wrap;
  justify-content: flex-start;
  align-items: center;
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
}

.preview-item__col {
  flex: 1;
}

.preview-item__col.is--large {
  max-width: 45%;
}

.preview-item__col.is--medium {
  max-width: 25%;
}

.preview-item__col.is--small {
  max-width: 15%;
}

.preview-container__label {
  color: #0a0a0a80;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  font-size: .75em;
}

.preview-list {
  flex-flow: column;
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
  position: relative;
}

.preview-item {
  width: 100%;
  transition: opacity .2s;
}

.preview-item__heading {
  margin-top: 0;
  margin-bottom: 0;
  font-size: 3.5em;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1;
}

.preview-item__text {
  margin-bottom: 0;
  font-size: 1.25em;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1.2;
}

.preview-item__visual {
  aspect-ratio: 1 / 1.25;
  width: 20em;
  display: none;
  position: absolute;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.preview-follower [data-follower-visual]{
  display: block;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  z-index: 0;
}

.preview-item__inner {
  border-top: 1px solid #00000040;
  width: 100%;
  padding-top: 2.5em;
  padding-bottom: 2.5em;
}

.preview-item__visual-img {
  object-fit: cover;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
}

.preview-follower {
  z-index: 100;
  aspect-ratio: 1 / 1.25;
  pointer-events: none;
  border-radius: .75em;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  width: 20em;
  display: flex;
  position: fixed;
  inset: 0% auto auto 0%;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.preview-follower__label {
  z-index: 2;
  position: absolute;
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translate(0px, 100%);
  transition: opacity 0.1s ease, transform 0.6s cubic-bezier(0.65, 0.1, 0, 1);
}

.preview-follower__label-span {
  background-color: #fff;
  border-radius: .25em;
  padding: .75em 1.25em;
  font-size: 1em;
}

.preview-follower__inner {
  z-index: 2;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  display: flex;
  position: relative;
  opacity: 0;
  transform: scale(0);
  transition: opacity 0.1s ease, transform 0.6s cubic-bezier(0.65, 0.1, 0, 1);
}

@media screen and (min-width: 992px){
  .preview-item:last-of-type{
    border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
  }
}

@media (hover: hover) and (min-width: 992px){
  body:has( [data-follower-collection]:hover) .preview-follower__inner{
    opacity: 1;
    transform: scale(1);	
  }
  body:has( [data-follower-collection]:hover) .preview-follower__label{
    opacity: 1;
    transform: translate(0px, 0%);
  }
  body:has( .preview-item:hover) .preview-item:not(:hover){
    opacity: 0.5;
  }
}

@media screen and (max-width: 991px) {
  .preview-item__row {
    grid-row-gap: .5em;
  }

  .preview-item__row.tablet--hide {
    display: none;
  }

  .preview-item__col.is--large {
    flex: none;
    order: -1;
    width: 100%;
    max-width: none;
  }

  .preview-item__col.is--medium {
    order: -1;
    max-width: 80%;
  }

  .preview-item__col.is--small {
    text-align: right;
    max-width: 20%;
  }

  .preview-item__col.is--small.tablet--hide {
    display: none;
  }

  .preview-list {
    grid-column-gap: 1em;
    grid-row-gap: 4em;
    flex-flow: wrap;
  }

  .preview-item {
    width: calc(50% - .5em);
  }

  .preview-item__heading {
    font-size: 2em;
  }

  .preview-item__visual {
    border-radius: .75em;
    order: -1;
    width: 100%;
    margin-bottom: 1em;
    display: block;
    position: relative;
  }

  .preview-item__inner {
    border: 1px #000;
    flex-flow: column;
    padding-top: 0;
    padding-bottom: 0;
    display: flex;
  }

  .preview-follower {
    display: none;
  }
}

@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {
  .preview-container {
    padding-left: 1em;
    padding-right: 1em;
  }

  .preview-list {
    grid-row-gap: 3em;
  }

  .preview-item {
    width: 100%;
  }
}

Step 2: Add Javascript

Step 3: Add Javascript

Javascript

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function initPreviewFollower() {
  // Find every follower wrap
  const wrappers = document.querySelectorAll('[data-follower-wrap]');

  wrappers.forEach(wrap => {
    const collection = wrap.querySelector('[data-follower-collection]');
    const items = wrap.querySelectorAll('[data-follower-item]');
    const follower = wrap.querySelector('[data-follower-cursor]');
    const followerInner = wrap.querySelector('[data-follower-cursor-inner]');

    let prevIndex = null;
    let firstEntry = true;

    const offset = 100; // The animation distance in %
    const duration = 0.5; // The animation duration of all visual transforms
    const ease = 'power2.inOut';

    // Initialize follower position
    gsap.set(follower, { xPercent: -50, yPercent: -50 });

    // Quick setters for x/y
    const xTo = gsap.quickTo(follower, 'x', { duration: 0.6, ease: 'power3' });
    const yTo = gsap.quickTo(follower, 'y', { duration: 0.6, ease: 'power3' });

    // Move all followers on mousemove
    window.addEventListener('mousemove', e => {
      xTo(e.clientX);
      yTo(e.clientY);
    });

    // Enter/leave per item within this wrap
    items.forEach((item, index) => {
      item.addEventListener('mouseenter', () => {
        const forward = prevIndex === null || index > prevIndex;
        prevIndex = index;

        // animate out existing visuals
        follower.querySelectorAll('[data-follower-visual]').forEach(el => {
          gsap.killTweensOf(el);
          gsap.to(el, {
            yPercent: forward ? -offset : offset,
            duration,
            ease,
            overwrite: 'auto',
            onComplete: () => el.remove()
          });
        });

        // clone & insert new visual
        const visual = item.querySelector('[data-follower-visual]');
        if (!visual) return;
        const clone = visual.cloneNode(true);
        followerInner.appendChild(clone);

        // animate it in (unless it's the very first entry)
        if (!firstEntry) {
          gsap.fromTo(clone,
            { yPercent: forward ? offset : -offset },
            { yPercent: 0, duration, ease, overwrite: 'auto' }
          );
        } else {
          firstEntry = false;
        }
      });

      item.addEventListener('mouseleave', () => {
        const el = follower.querySelector('[data-follower-visual]');
        if (!el) return;
        gsap.killTweensOf(el);
        gsap.to(el, {
          yPercent: -offset,
          duration,
          ease,
          overwrite: 'auto',
          onComplete: () => el.remove()
        });
      });
    });

    // If pointer leaves the collection, clear any visuals
    collection.addEventListener('mouseleave', () => {
      follower.querySelectorAll('[data-follower-visual]').forEach(el => {
        gsap.killTweensOf(el);
        gsap.delayedCall(duration, () => el.remove());
      });
      firstEntry = true;
      prevIndex = null;
    });
  });
}

// Initialize Image Preview Cursor Follower
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () =>{
  initPreviewFollower();
})

Implementation

Wrap

The [data-follower-wrap] attribute goes on an element that contains both the [data-follower-collection] and the [data-follower-cursor]. This allows you to have multiple wrap elements on a page, each with unique items and/or 'followers' inside.

Container

Inside each [data-follower-wrap], mark the parent of all items with [data-follower-collection]. The script listens for mouseleave on this container to know when to clear the cursor visuals.

Items

Every element you want to trigger a cursor-overlay on must have the [data-follower-item] attribute. The script:

  1. Listens for mouseenter on each item
  2. Clones its inner visual into the cursor
  3. Animates in/out based on the item’s index order

Visuals

Within each [data-follower-item], your visual (image, video, etc.) must have [data-follower-visual]. This is what gets cloned and animated into the cursor.

  • On mouseenter, the script:
    1. Kills any existing tweens → animates old visuals out
    2. Clones the new [data-follower-visual] → appends it to [data-follower-cursor-inner]
    3. Animates it in (direction based on hover order)
  • On mouseleave (of either the item or the entire collection), it animates the visual out and removes it.

Cursor

Provide the two elements that form your custom cursor inside of the [data-follower-wrap]:

<div data-follower-cursor>
  <div data-follower-cursor-inner>
    <!-- cloned visuals will be appended here -->
  </div>
</div>
Copy
  • [data-follower-cursor] is the outer element that follows the pointer.
  • [data-follower-cursor-inner] is the container where cloned visuals get injected.

Customizing the animation

In our example we do a fairly basic transform on the y-axis, inside of an overflow: hidden div to create a 'masking' effect. You can customize the GSAP animations in the mouseenter and mouseleave listeners however you want, to get the exact effect that you're after!

Related resources

Draw Path Cursor Effect

Draw Path Cursor Effect

Custom Cursor (CSS)

Custom Cursor (CSS)

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Resource details

  • Published

    July 30, 2025

  • Category

    Cursor Animations

  • Popularity

    2.8K visitors

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Element
Follow
Cursor
Image
GSAP
Directional
Interaction
List

Original source

Ilja van EckIlja van Eck

Creator Credits

We always strive to credit creators as accurately as possible. While similar concepts might appear online, we aim to provide proper and respectful attribution.

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