Is it possible to display a placeholder image in Webflow while a 100Mb Lottie animation is loading in a hero section?

Yes, it is possible to display a placeholder image in Webflow while a 100MB Lottie animation is loading in a hero section. You can achieve this by using the built-in loading functionality of Webflow and some custom code.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this:

1. Prepare your Lottie animation:

• Make sure your Lottie animation is properly optimized for web usage to minimize loading time.
• Export your Lottie animation as a JSON file.

1. Upload the Lottie animation to your Webflow project:

• In the Webflow Designer, go to the Assets panel.
• Click the "Upload" button and select the JSON file of your Lottie animation.
• Once uploaded, take note of the file URL, as you will need it later.

1. Add the placeholder image:

• In the Webflow Designer, add an image element to your hero section.
• Set the source of the image to a placeholder image that you want to display while the Lottie animation is loading.
• Adjust the size and position of the image according to your design.

1. Add custom code:

• In the Webflow Designer, go to the Page Settings by clicking on the gear icon in the Pages panel.
• Navigate to the "Custom Code" tab.
• In the "Head Code" section, add the following code:
  ```html ```
  Make sure to replace "YOUR_LOTTIE_ANIMATION_URL" with the actual file URL of your Lottie animation.

1. Add the animation container:

• In the Webflow Designer, add a div block element to your hero section.
• Give it a unique class name, e.g., "animation-container".
• Set its initial style to display: none.

1. Style the placeholder image and animation container as needed:

• In the Webflow Designer, go to the Style panel.
• Customize the styles of the placeholder image and animation container to fit your design.

By following these steps, Webflow will load the placeholder image first while the page is loading. After a set delay (e.g., 3 seconds in the code), the Lottie animation will replace the placeholder image inside the animation container.

This method ensures that users will see a visually appealing placeholder image during the loading process, preventing a blank space or long loading delays. It also provides a seamless transition to the Lottie animation once it is fully loaded, enhancing the user experience.

Additional questions:

1. How can I optimize a Lottie animation for web usage?
2. Can I customize the loading time delay for the Lottie animation in Webflow?
3. Is it possible to use a different animation format instead of Lottie in Webflow?