Is there a way to preload a 10-15mb lottie animation in Webflow and show a loading screen to the user?

Published on
September 22, 2023

Yes, there is a way to preload a large Lottie animation in Webflow and display a loading screen to the user. Here's how you can accomplish this:

  1. Create a loading screen:
  • Start by designing and building a loading screen that will be displayed to the user while the animation is being loaded. You can create this using Webflow's visual editor and add any desired elements or animations.
  1. Upload the Lottie animation:
  • Next, make sure that you have the Lottie animation file (.json) ready for uploading. You can create or download Lottie animations from various online sources.
  1. Prepare the assets:
  • If the Lottie animation relies on external assets like images or videos, make sure to upload and host them on your Webflow site.
  1. Import the Lottie animation:
  • In the Webflow Designer, go to the project navigator panel and click on the "+" button to add a new element.
  • Choose the "Embed" element from the list.
  • Click on the gear icon in the Embed element.
  • Click on the "Upload" button and select the Lottie animation file.
  • Once uploaded, click on the "Copy link" button to obtain the URL of the Lottie animation.
  1. Add custom code:
  • Go to the page where you want to display the animation and the loading screen.

  • In the Webflow Designer, open the page settings and click on the "Custom Code" tab.

  • Paste the following code in the "Head Code" section:

    ```html

    ```

    Note: Replace 'URL_TO_YOUR_LOTTIE_ANIMATION' with the URL obtained in step 4.

  1. Add the loading screen and animation container:
  • On your page, add a div element for the loading screen. Give it an ID like 'loadingScreen' and position it in the center of the page using Webflow's flexbox or layout tools.
  • Inside the loading screen div, you can add text or visual elements to enhance the loading screen experience.
  • Add another div element where you want to display the Lottie animation. Give it an ID like 'animationContainer'.
  1. Style the loading screen and animation container:
  • Use Webflow's visual editor to style the loading screen and animation container.
  • You can set the background color, text styles, and position to match your website's design.
  1. Test and publish:
  • Preview your page and ensure that the loading screen appears and the animation is displayed once it has loaded.
  • Publish your Webflow site for the changes to be live.

By following these steps, you can preload a large Lottie animation in Webflow and show a loading screen to the user, enhancing the overall user experience.

Additional Questions:

  1. How do I create a loading screen in Webflow?
  2. What is Lottie animation and how can I use it in Webflow?
  3. How can I optimize large file sizes in Webflow for faster page loads?