25+ CSS Glowing Effects to Upgrade Any UI (2026 Edition)

Glowing effects used to be one of those “cool but unnecessary” UI tricks. Fast forward to now, and they’re everywhere — dashboards, SaaS landing pages, game interfaces, even tiny hover states you barely notice until they’re gone. When done right, a glow doesn’t scream for attention. It quietly pulls your eye where it needs to go.

I’ve been seeing the same thing again and again in modern projects: a small CSS glow can make buttons feel clickable, cards feel active, and interfaces feel less flat without touching JavaScript at all. That’s probably why CSS glowing effects are still being searched like crazy in 2026, despite all the new frameworks and UI libraries floating around.

In this post, I’m not overcomplicating things. I’ll break down how glowing effects actually work in CSS, what not to do (because over-glowing is very real), and share 25+ practical examples built with plain HTML and CSS. These aren’t flashy demos just for screenshots — they’re effects you can actually use in real projects.

How To Create a Glowing Effect

First we have to use the box-shadow property to create the glowing light effect, and then use animation together with keyframes to add the repeatedly glowing effect.

HTML:

<div class="glowing-circle"></div>

CSS:

.glowing-circle {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  border-radius:50%;
  background-color: #fff;
  -webkit-animation: glowing 1s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
  -moz-animation: glowing 1s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
  animation: glowing 1s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
}
@-webkit-keyframes glowing {
  from {
    box-shadow: 0 0 10px #fff, 0 0 20px #fff, 0 0 30px #f0f, 0 0 40px #0ff, 0 0 50px #e60073, 0 0 60px #e60073, 0 0 70px #e60073;
  }
  to {
    box-shadow: 0 0 20px #fff, 0 0 30px #ff4da6, 0 0 40px #ff4da6, 0 0 50px #ff4da6, 0 0 60px #ff4da6, 0 0 70px #ff4da6, 0 0 80px #ff4da6;
  }
}

Result:

css glowing circle

We can also use box-shadow without keyframes animation to create glowing effect.

.glowing-circle {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  border-radius:50%;
  background-color: #fff;
  box-shadow: 0 0 60px 30px #fff, 0 0 100px 60px #b400ff, 0 0 140px 90px #ff00d4;
}

Best Collection of CSS Glowing Effect

In this collection, I have listed over 25+ best Css Glowing Effect made with HTML, CSS, and JS. Check out these awesome Css Glowing Animation like: #1 Glowing Meteor, #2 Awesome Glowing Buttons, #3 Glowing Translucent Marble, and many more.

#1 Glowing Meteor

CSS glowing meteor

Glowing Meteor Animation using HTML and CSS (SCSS), which was developed by Marjo Sobrecaray. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Marjo Sobrecaray
Created on:March 8, 2017
Made with:HTML & CSS(SCSS)
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Meteor

AI Prompt for this Glowing Meteor Animation

🔥 WORLD-CLASS PROMPT (FOR GENERATING THE SAME ANIMATION)

Role & Context

You are a senior front-end animation engineer specializing in CSS/SVG micro-animations and Dribbble-style UI motion.

Your task is to recreate a cute glowing “electron/comet” character animation using pure HTML + CSS (SCSS allowed) with no JavaScript.

🎯 Visual Goal (Very Important)

Create a horizontal flying glowing character that looks like:

A rounded capsule / comet

Bright white core

Cyan + violet neon glow layers

A cute face (two eyes, smile, blush cheeks)

Moving energy trails behind it

Small floating particles / stars drifting across a dark background

The animation should feel:

Smooth

Soft

Friendly

Slightly playful

Inspired by Dribbble UI motion shots

🎨 Design Constraints

Background: deep dark navy / near-black (#0f111d)

Glow colors:

White core

Cyan (#85ede8)

Violet / purple (#5048a0, #48098b)

No harsh bloom

Glow must be layered using box-shadow and gradients

Rounded edges everywhere (capsule style)

🧱 Structure Requirements

Use multiple layered <div> elements, each responsible for:

Outer glow shell

Inner glow shell

Energy streaks / trails (ul > li elements)

Face layer

Eyes (circles)

Smile (curved border)

Cheeks (soft cyan dots)

Floating particles

Randomized size

Horizontal movement

Opacity fade in/out

SCSS nesting is allowed and encouraged.

🎞️ Animation Requirements

Implement CSS keyframe animations for:

Pulsing glow width (breathing effect)

Horizontal drifting energy streaks

Floating particles moving left → right

Subtle jitter or wobble for liveliness

Different animation durations and delays for each trail

Use:

@keyframes

animation-delay

animation-duration

ease-in-out and ease-out

No JavaScript.

🛠️ Technical Rules

HTML + CSS only

SCSS syntax allowed (variables, mixins, loops)

Use box-shadow, linear-gradient, and radial-gradient

Absolute positioning centered on screen

Responsive-safe (no fixed viewport hacks)

Code must be clean, readable, and commented

🚫 Do NOT

Do not use canvas

Do not use SVG filters

Do not use external libraries

Do not oversimplify the animation

Do not change the cute character personality

✅ Final Output

Return:

Full HTML markup

Full SCSS/CSS

Clearly labeled sections for:

Glow layers

Face

Trails

Particles

Animations

The final animation should visually resemble a cute glowing electron flying through space, with layered glow trails and floating stars.

💡 Pro Tip (Use This If You Want Even Better Output)

After pasting the prompt, add one line:

“Match the timing, layering, and glow softness of a premium Dribbble motion shot.”

#2 Awesome Glowing Buttons

CSS Glowing Buttons Gif

Awesome Glowing Button Animation using HTML and CSS, which was developed by Pranjal Bhadu. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Pranjal Bhadu
Created on:June 24, 2020
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Button Animation

AI Prompt for Animated Glowing Buttons

Role

You are an expert front-end UI animation engineer who specializes in CSS-only neon effects and micro-interactions.

🎯 Objective

Create a pure HTML + CSS neon button with animated glowing borders that continuously travel around the button edges and intensify on hover.

The animation must feel:

Futuristic

Cyberpunk / neon

Clean and sharp (not blurry)

Looping infinitely

🧱 HTML Structure (STRICT)

Use an <a> tag as the button

Inside each <a>, include exactly four <span> elements

Each <span> represents one border side

Top

Right

Bottom

Left

No extra markup. No SVG. No canvas.

🎨 Visual Design Rules

Background: very dark near-black (#050801)

Default text color: neon cyan (#03e9f4)

Text:

Uppercase

Bold

Wide letter spacing

Button background is transparent by default

On hover:

Button fills with neon cyan

Text turns dark

Strong multi-layer glow using box-shadow

Subtle reflection using -webkit-box-reflect

✨ Border Animation Requirements

Each border line must:

Be animated using linear-gradient

Move continuously across its edge

Have staggered timing so motion flows clockwise

Loop infinitely

Animation logic:

Top border moves left → right

Right border moves top → bottom

Bottom border moves right → left

Left border moves bottom → top

Each border uses its own keyframes and animation-delay.

🎞️ Animation Specs

Duration: 1s

Timing: linear

Infinite loop

Use @keyframes (no shorthand hacks)

🎨 Color Variations

Support multiple buttons using:

filter: hue-rotate()
So each button looks different without duplicating CSS.

🛠️ Technical Constraints

HTML + CSS only

No JavaScript

No SVG

No frameworks

Must work in modern browsers

Code must be clean, readable, and reusable

🚫 Do NOT

Do not simplify into a single border animation

Do not replace spans with pseudo-elements

Do not remove continuous motion

Do not soften glow too much

✅ Final Output Must Include

Full HTML

Full CSS

Separate @keyframes for all four borders

Hover state with strong neon glow burst

The result should look like a high-quality neon cyber button often seen in CodePen / futuristic UI demos.

💎 EXTRA POWER LINE (Optional but deadly effective)

Add this at the end when prompting an AI:

“Match the sharpness, glow intensity, and timing of premium neon UI effects from top CodePen collections.”

#3 Glowing Translucent Marble

CSS Glowing Translucent Marble

CSS Glowing Translucent Marble Animation using HTML and CSS, which was developed by Will Boyd. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Will Boyd
Created on:March 28, 2014
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:CSS Glowing Translucent Marble

#4 GSAP Glowing Jump Loader

GSAP Glowing Jump Loader

GSAP Glowing Jump Loader Animation using HTML, CSS and JavaScript which was developed by Brian Sipple. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Brian Sipple
Created on:June 9, 2015
Made with:HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:GSAP Glowing Jump Loader

#5 Gradient Letter with Glowing effect

gradient css glowing letter

Gradient Letter with Glowing effect using HTML and CSS, which was developed by Sathya. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Sathya
Created on:November 2, 2019
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Gradient Letter

#6 CSS Glowing Icon Hover Effect

CSS Glowing Icon Hover Effect

CSS Glowing Icon Hover Effect using HTML and CSS, which was developed by Diego Lopes. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Diego Lopes
Created on:January 19, 2019
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Icon Hover Effect

#7 CSS glowing effect magic card

CSS glowing magic card

Awesome glowing magic card using HTML and CSS, which was developed by Gayane. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Gayane
Created on:July 23, 2021
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:glowing magic card

#8 CSS glowing moon

css glowing moon

Simple glowing moon with star animation using HTML(Pug), CSS(SCSS) and JavaScript which was developed by Mansoour. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Mansoour
Created on:September 13, 2018
Made with:HTML(Pug), CSS(SCSS) and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:glowing moon

#9 CSS glowing lighthouse animation

glowing lighthouse

A glowing lighthouse animation using HTML and CSS which was developed by Łumbini. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Łumbini
Created on:December 5, 2020
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:glowing lighthouse animation

#10 Awesome Glowing Rainbow blobs

Awesome Rainbow blobs

Awesome Glowing Rainbow blobs animation using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which was developed by Lea Rosema. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Lea Rosema
Created on:June 1, 2019
Made with:HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Rainbow blobs

#11 Glowing crystal ball animation

glowing crystal ball

Glowing crystal ball animation using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which was developed by Pat Cooney. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Pat Cooney
Created on:October 12, 2017
Made with:HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing crystal ball

#12 Glowing RGB ball animation

rgb ball animation

Glowing RGB ball animation using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which was developed by Hornebom. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Hornebom
Created on:January 6, 2016
Made with:HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:RGB ball animation

#13 Glowing mini ball animation

glowing mini ball animation

Glowing mini ball animation using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which was developed by Nikita Jadhao. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Nikita Jadhao
Created on:August 25, 2015
Made with:HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing mini ball animation

#14 Awesome Glowing Orb

Glowing Orb

Awesome Glowing Orb using HTML and CSS which was developed by Matt Schneider III. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Matt Schneider III
Created on:July 23, 2016
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Awesome Glowing Orb

#15 Glowing walkers animation

glowing walkers

Glowing walkers animation using CSS(SCSS ) and JavaScript which was developed by Louis Hoebregts. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Louis Hoebregts
Created on:June 23, 2019
Made with:CSS(SCSS ) and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing walkers

#16 SVG Lightbulb Flickering Animation

svg lightbulb flickering

SVG Lightbulb Flickering Animation using HTML, CSS(SCSS ) and JavaScript which was developed by Brian Sipple. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Brian Sipple
Created on:October 4, 2015
Made with:HTML, CSS(SCSS ) and JavaScript
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:SVG Lightbulb Flickering

#17 BTS Army Bomb Lightstick

Glowing bomb lightstick

BTS Army Bomb Lightstick Animation using HTML and CSS which was developed by Erin Hughes. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Erin Hughes
Created on:October 13, 2018
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Bomb Lightstick

#18 Glowing Gradient Button With Hover Effect

glowing hover effect

Glowing Gradient Button With Hover Effect using HTML and CSS which was developed by alphardex. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:alphardex
Created on:November 25, 2019
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Gradient Button

#19 Glowing Gradient Border Card

glowing border

Glowing Gradient Border Card using HTML and CSS which was developed by Furkan Yaşar. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Furkan Yaşar
Created on:June 10, 2020
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Gradient Border

#20 Glowing Ring Animation

glowing ring animation

Glowing Ring Animation using HTML and CSS which was developed by Vincent Van Goggles. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Vincent Van Goggles
Created on:July 15, 2020
Made with:HTML and CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing Ring Animation

#21 Ring of Fire SVG & CSS Animation

glowing fire ring

SVG Ring Fire Animation using HTML and CSS which was developed by Paul Blackburn. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Paul Blackburn
Created on:August 28, 2020
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:SVG Ring Fire Animation

#22 Glowing input field

glowing input field

Glowing input field using HTML and CSS which was developed by Jack Rugile. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Jack Rugile
Created on:July 8, 2012
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Glowing input field

#23 Neon CSS glowing effect

neon glow effect

Glass effect social media buttons with neon glow using HTML and CSS which was developed by Kevin Miranda. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Kevin Miranda
Created on:May 20, 2019
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Neon glow effect

#24 Scanning Glow Lines

Scanning Glow Lines

Scanning Glow Lines animation using HTML and CSS which was developed by Keely. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Keely
Created on:May 31, 2019
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Scanning Glow Lines

#25 Triangle – Neon Glow Effect Using CSS Drop Shadows

neon triangle

Triangle Neon Glow Effect using HTML and CSS which was developed by Dave Brogan. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Dave Brogan
Created on:November 28, 2019
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Neon Glow Effect

#26 Neon Card Outer Glowing Effect

neon card effect

Neon Card Outer Glowing Effect using HTML and CSS which was developed by quangdao. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:quangdao
Created on:September 14, 2019
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Neon Card Outer Glowing

#27 Neon Lighting Effect

CSS Glowing neon light

Neon Glowing Effect using HTML and CSS which was developed by Will Boyd. Moreover, you can customize it according to your wish and need.

Author:Will Boyd
Created on:March 28, 2014
Made with:HTML & CSS
Demo Link:Source Code / Demo
Tags:Neon Glowing Effect
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