Loading State Patterns

Build loading states that feel intentional and match your design system aesthetic.

When to Use

•Building skeleton loaders for content areas
•Need shimmer effects for streaming content
•Want progressive loading experiences
•Building premium loading UX

Pattern 1: Skeleton Base

tsx

import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';

interface SkeletonProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
  shimmer?: boolean;
}

export function Skeleton({ className, shimmer = true, ...props }: SkeletonProps) {
  return (
    <div
      className={cn(
        'rounded-md bg-muted',
        shimmer && 'animate-shimmer bg-gradient-to-r from-muted via-muted-foreground/10 to-muted bg-[length:200%_100%]',
        className
      )}
      {...props}
    />
  );
}

CSS Animation

css

@keyframes shimmer {
  0% { background-position: 200% 0; }
  100% { background-position: -200% 0; }
}

.animate-shimmer {
  animation: shimmer 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
}

Pattern 2: Content Skeleton Layouts

Card Skeleton

tsx

export function CardSkeleton() {
  return (
    <div className="rounded-lg border bg-card p-4 space-y-3">
      <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
        <Skeleton className="size-10 rounded-full" />
        <div className="space-y-1.5 flex-1">
          <Skeleton className="h-4 w-1/3" />
          <Skeleton className="h-3 w-1/4" />
        </div>
      </div>
      <Skeleton className="h-20 w-full" />
      <div className="flex gap-2">
        <Skeleton className="h-8 w-20" />
        <Skeleton className="h-8 w-20" />
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Table Row Skeleton

tsx

export function TableRowSkeleton({ columns = 4 }: { columns?: number }) {
  return (
    <tr>
      {Array.from({ length: columns }).map((_, i) => (
        <td key={i} className="p-3">
          <Skeleton className="h-4 w-full" />
        </td>
      ))}
    </tr>
  );
}

Metric Skeleton

tsx

export function MetricSkeleton() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-2">
      <Skeleton className="h-3 w-16" />
      <Skeleton className="h-8 w-24" />
    </div>
  );
}

Pattern 3: Design System Skeleton

Match skeleton to your aesthetic:

tsx

// For retro-futuristic theme
export function CyberSkeleton({ className, ...props }: SkeletonProps) {
  return (
    <div
      className={cn(
        'rounded-md bg-tone-cadet/30',
        'animate-pulse-glow',
        'border border-tone-cyan/10',
        className
      )}
      {...props}
    />
  );
}

// CSS
@keyframes pulse-glow {
  0%, 100% { opacity: 0.4; box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(var(--tone-cyan), 0); }
  50% { opacity: 0.6; box-shadow: 0 0 8px 0 rgba(var(--tone-cyan), 0.1); }
}

Pattern 4: Progressive Loading

Show content as it loads:

tsx

interface ProgressiveLoadProps {
  isLoading: boolean;
  skeleton: React.ReactNode;
  children: React.ReactNode;
}

export function ProgressiveLoad({
  isLoading,
  skeleton,
  children,
}: ProgressiveLoadProps) {
  return (
    <div className="relative">
      {isLoading ? (
        skeleton
      ) : (
        <motion.div
          initial={{ opacity: 0 }}
          animate={{ opacity: 1 }}
          transition={{ duration: 0.2 }}
        >
          {children}
        </motion.div>
      )}
    </div>
  );
}

Pattern 5: Streaming Content Indicator

For AI/LLM content that streams:

tsx

export function StreamingIndicator() {
  return (
    <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
      {[0, 1, 2].map((i) => (
        <motion.div
          key={i}
          className="size-1.5 rounded-full bg-primary"
          animate={{ scale: [1, 1.3, 1], opacity: [0.5, 1, 0.5] }}
          transition={{
            duration: 0.8,
            repeat: Infinity,
            delay: i * 0.15,
          }}
        />
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Pattern 6: Loading Progress Bar

tsx

interface LoadingProgressProps {
  progress?: number; // 0-100, undefined = indeterminate
}

export function LoadingProgress({ progress }: LoadingProgressProps) {
  const isIndeterminate = progress === undefined;

  return (
    <div className="h-1 w-full bg-muted overflow-hidden rounded-full">
      <div
        className={cn(
          'h-full bg-primary transition-all duration-300',
          isIndeterminate && 'animate-indeterminate'
        )}
        style={!isIndeterminate ? { width: `${progress}%` } : undefined}
      />
    </div>
  );
}

// CSS
@keyframes indeterminate {
  0% { transform: translateX(-100%); width: 50%; }
  100% { transform: translateX(200%); width: 50%; }
}

.animate-indeterminate {
  animation: indeterminate 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
}

Pattern 7: Skeleton Grid

tsx

export function GridSkeleton({ 
  count = 6, 
  columns = 3 
}: { 
  count?: number; 
  columns?: number;
}) {
  return (
    <div 
      className="grid gap-4" 
      style={{ gridTemplateColumns: `repeat(${columns}, 1fr)` }}
    >
      {Array.from({ length: count }).map((_, i) => (
        <CardSkeleton key={i} />
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Related Skills

•Meta-skill: ai/skills/meta/design-system-creation/ — Complete design system workflow
•distinctive-design-systems — Aesthetic matching for themed skeletons

NEVER Do

•Use gray skeletons on dark themes — Match your surface colors
•Skip shimmer animation — Static blocks look broken
•Make skeletons exact size — Slight size variation is natural
•Forget aspect ratios — Images need consistent skeleton ratios
•Show skeleton forever — Add timeout fallbacks for errors

Quick Reference

tsx

// Basic skeleton
<Skeleton className="h-4 w-full" />

// Avatar skeleton
<Skeleton className="size-10 rounded-full" />

// Text lines
<div className="space-y-2">
  <Skeleton className="h-4 w-3/4" />
  <Skeleton className="h-4 w-1/2" />
</div>

// Card skeleton
<div className="p-4 space-y-3">
  <Skeleton className="h-6 w-1/3" />
  <Skeleton className="h-20 w-full" />
</div>