30 Tailwind CSS Text Hover Effects
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All 30 in 30 Tailwind CSS Text Hover Effects

  1. 01Tailwind CSS Animated Underline Hover Effect
  2. 02Tailwind Liquid Text Fill Hover Animation
  3. 03Tailwind Gradient Text Hover Effect with bg-clip-text
  4. 04Tailwind Animated Strikethrough Text Hover Effect
  5. 05Tailwind Text Swap and Flip Up Hover Effect
  6. 06Tailwind CSS Glitch Text Hover Effect
  7. 07Tailwind Neon Glow Text with Flicker Animation
  8. 08Tailwind Metallic Gold Shimmer Text Effect
  9. 09Tailwind 3D Text Pop and Lift Hover Effect
  10. 10Tailwind Staggered Letter Wave Hover Animation
  11. 11Tailwind Spotlight Text Reveal on Mouse Hover
  12. 12Tailwind Hover to Reveal Hidden Spoiler Text
  13. 13Tailwind Blur to Focus Text Hover Effect
  14. 14Tailwind Magnetic Hover Effect for Buttons and Text
  15. 15Tailwind Letter Spacing Expand on Hover (Tracking Animation)
  16. 16Tailwind Outline Text Stroke to Fill Hover Effect
  17. 17Tailwind Text Scramble and Matrix Decrypt Hover Effect
  18. 18Tailwind Animated Border Button Hover Effect
  19. 19Tailwind Elastic Rubber Band Text Hover Animation
  20. 20Tailwind Variable Font Weight Hover Animation
  21. 21Tailwind Animated Rainbow Gradient Text on Hover
  22. 22Tailwind 3D Perspective Tilt Text Hover Effect
  23. 23Tailwind Smoke Dissolve Text Hover Effect
  24. 24Tailwind Fire Text Effect with Heat Wave Glow
  25. 25Tailwind Dynamic Text Shadow that Follows the Cursor
  26. 26Tailwind Infinite Text Marquee that Speeds Up on Hover
  27. 27Tailwind Duotone Split Color Text Hover Effect
  28. 28Tailwind CSS Tooltip on Hover (No JavaScript)
  29. 29Tailwind SVG Water Ripple Distortion Text Effect
  30. 30Tailwind Clip-Path Text Reveal Hover Animation
Tailwind + JSMIT licensed

Tailwind Dynamic Text Shadow that Follows the Cursor

You hold the lamp: every heading and card casts a shadow away from the cursor, longer and softer with distance, while a pool of light follows the pointer across the stage. The script writes --tth25-sx/sy/sb; the markup consumes them in [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_…] — and the fallbacks are the resting design.

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The code

<section class="tth-25 @container w-full min-h-svh grid place-items-center bg-tth25-bg bg-[radial-gradient(340px_340px_at_var(--tth25-lx,50%)_var(--tth25-ly,25%),oklch(0.99_0.03_90/0.9),transparent_70%)] px-5 py-14 font-tth25-sans text-tth25-ink" data-tth25-board aria-label="Dynamic light source shadow demo">
  <div class="flex w-full max-w-[53.75rem] flex-col gap-[clamp(20px,3.6cqi,32px)]">
    <header class="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
      <h2 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(40px,8cqi,76px)] font-extrabold leading-none tracking-[-0.03em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear motion-reduce:transition-none">The Lamp Test</h2>
      <p class="max-w-[52ch] text-[15px] leading-[1.65] text-tth25-mut">Move the cursor &mdash; you're holding the light. Every shadow points away from it; length and blur grow with distance.</p>
    </header>
    <div class="grid grid-cols-3 gap-[clamp(12px,2.4cqi,20px)] @max-[38rem]:grid-cols-1">
      <a href="#tth25-top" data-tth25-lit class="flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-tth25-line bg-tth25-card p-[clamp(16px,3cqi,24px)] no-underline shadow-[var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,6px)_calc(var(--tth25-sb,9px)*2.4)_-6px_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_22%,transparent)] transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-80 hover:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth25-ink"><h3 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(22px,3.6cqi,30px)] font-extrabold tracking-[-0.02em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear">Umbra</h3><p class="text-[13.5px] leading-[1.6] text-tth25-mut">The hard core of a shadow &mdash; short and sharp when light is near.</p></a>
      <a href="#tth25-top" data-tth25-lit class="flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-tth25-line bg-tth25-card p-[clamp(16px,3cqi,24px)] no-underline shadow-[var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,6px)_calc(var(--tth25-sb,9px)*2.4)_-6px_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_22%,transparent)] transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-80 hover:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth25-ink"><h3 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(22px,3.6cqi,30px)] font-extrabold tracking-[-0.02em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear">Penumbra</h3><p class="text-[13.5px] leading-[1.6] text-tth25-mut">The soft fringe &mdash; watch blur climb as the lamp walks away.</p></a>
      <a href="#tth25-top" data-tth25-lit class="flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-tth25-line bg-tth25-card p-[clamp(16px,3cqi,24px)] no-underline shadow-[var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,6px)_calc(var(--tth25-sb,9px)*2.4)_-6px_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_22%,transparent)] transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-80 hover:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth25-ink"><h3 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(22px,3.6cqi,30px)] font-extrabold tracking-[-0.02em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear">Cast</h3><p class="text-[13.5px] leading-[1.6] text-tth25-mut">Direction disagrees per card &mdash; that's what sells one shared lamp.</p></a>
    </div>
    <p id="tth25-top" class="text-center text-[12.5px] text-tth25-mut">JS writes <code class="rounded bg-tth25-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth25-mono text-[0.9em]">--tth25-sx/sy/sb</code> per element; Tailwind owns the shadows. No pointer? The fallback values <em>are</em> the resting design.</p>
  </div>
</section>
@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  --color-tth25-bg: #f4f1ea;
  --color-tth25-bg: oklch(0.95 0.008 85);
  --color-tth25-card: #fcfbf8;
  --color-tth25-card: oklch(0.985 0.005 85);
  --color-tth25-chip: #e6e2d8;
  --color-tth25-chip: oklch(0.9 0.01 85);
  --color-tth25-ink: #1f1e2e;
  --color-tth25-ink: oklch(0.24 0.02 275);
  --color-tth25-mut: #5b5a6a;
  --color-tth25-mut: oklch(0.47 0.02 275);
  --color-tth25-line: #ddd8cc;
  --color-tth25-line: oklch(0.88 0.012 85);
  --color-tth25-sh: #252a3a;
  --color-tth25-sh: oklch(0.25 0.03 265);
  --font-tth25-sans: 'Bricolage Grotesque', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-tth25-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, monospace;
}

.tth-25 {
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100svh;
}
(function () {
  var board = document.querySelector('[data-tth25-board]');
  if (!board) return;
  var targets = [].slice.call(board.querySelectorAll('[data-tth25-lit]'));
  var rects = [];
  function measure() { rects = targets.map(function (el) { return el.getBoundingClientRect(); }); }
  measure();
  addEventListener('resize', measure);
  addEventListener('scroll', measure, true);
  board.addEventListener('pointermove', function (e) {
    var br = board.getBoundingClientRect();
    board.style.setProperty('--tth25-lx', ((e.clientX - br.left) / br.width * 100).toFixed(1) + '%');
    board.style.setProperty('--tth25-ly', ((e.clientY - br.top) / br.height * 100).toFixed(1) + '%');
    targets.forEach(function (el, i) {
      var r = rects[i] || el.getBoundingClientRect();
      var dx = (r.left + r.width / 2) - e.clientX, dy = (r.top + r.height / 2) - e.clientY;
      var d = Math.hypot(dx, dy) || 1, pull = Math.min(d / 14, 18);
      el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sx', (dx / d * pull).toFixed(1) + 'px');
      el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sy', (dy / d * pull).toFixed(1) + 'px');
      el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sb', (2 + pull * 1.1).toFixed(1) + 'px');
    });
  });
})();

Setup — do this once per project

Skip this if your project already runs Tailwind v4.

1Load Tailwind
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@tailwindcss/browser@4"></script>

Compiles in the browser — perfect for a CodePen or a quick test, not for production.

2Add the stylesheetRequiredthe @theme block is what makes the custom utilities exist
@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  --color-tth25-bg: #f4f1ea;
  --color-tth25-bg: oklch(0.95 0.008 85);
  --color-tth25-card: #fcfbf8;
  --color-tth25-card: oklch(0.985 0.005 85);
  --color-tth25-chip: #e6e2d8;
  --color-tth25-chip: oklch(0.9 0.01 85);
  --color-tth25-ink: #1f1e2e;
  --color-tth25-ink: oklch(0.24 0.02 275);
  --color-tth25-mut: #5b5a6a;
  --color-tth25-mut: oklch(0.47 0.02 275);
  --color-tth25-line: #ddd8cc;
  --color-tth25-line: oklch(0.88 0.012 85);
  --color-tth25-sh: #252a3a;
  --color-tth25-sh: oklch(0.25 0.03 265);
  --font-tth25-sans: 'Bricolage Grotesque', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-tth25-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, monospace;
}

.tth-25 {
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100svh;
}
3Fonts used by this demooptional — skip if you have your own type stack
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Bricolage+Grotesque:opsz,wght@12..96,400..800&family=JetBrains+Mono:wght@400;600&display=swap">

What changed in the port

Which parts became utilities, which stayed CSS, and why.

  • The script now selects [data-tth25-board]/[data-tth25-lit] and writes namespaced --tth25-* properties; .lit{text-shadow:var(--sx,0px)…} became an arbitrary [text-shadow:…] utility.
  • @container cth25 (width < 620px) became @container + @max-[38rem]:grid-cols-1.
  • UI upgrade from the CSS original: the cards themselves now cast box-shadows from the same lamp — only the headings did before, which made the cards look pasted flat while their titles floated.
  • UI upgrade: rect caching listens for scroll in capture mode (any scroll container, not just the board), fixing drifting shadows after page scroll; Bricolage Grotesque replaced Segoe.
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any coding assistant. The block below is pre-framed with everything the AI needs to integrate this demo into your project — markup, styles, scoping notes, and the source URL. Hit Copy and paste straight into your chat.
Here's a working CSS demo from CodeFronts. Use it as-is or adapt to your framework. All classes are scoped under a unique prefix so the code won't collide with your existing styles. MIT licensed.
Demo: Tailwind Dynamic Text Shadow that Follows the Cursor
Source: https://codefronts.com/motion/tailwind-css-text-hover-effects/tailwind-dynamic-text-shadow-that-follows-the-cursor/

You hold the lamp: every heading and card casts a shadow away from the cursor, longer and softer with distance, while a pool of light follows the pointer across the stage. The script writes --tth25-sx/sy/sb; the markup consumes them in [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_…] — and the fallbacks are the resting design.
## HTML
```html
<section class="tth-25 @container w-full min-h-svh grid place-items-center bg-tth25-bg bg-[radial-gradient(340px_340px_at_var(--tth25-lx,50%)_var(--tth25-ly,25%),oklch(0.99_0.03_90/0.9),transparent_70%)] px-5 py-14 font-tth25-sans text-tth25-ink" data-tth25-board aria-label="Dynamic light source shadow demo">
  <div class="flex w-full max-w-[53.75rem] flex-col gap-[clamp(20px,3.6cqi,32px)]">
    <header class="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
      <h2 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(40px,8cqi,76px)] font-extrabold leading-none tracking-[-0.03em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear motion-reduce:transition-none">The Lamp Test</h2>
      <p class="max-w-[52ch] text-[15px] leading-[1.65] text-tth25-mut">Move the cursor &mdash; you're holding the light. Every shadow points away from it; length and blur grow with distance.</p>
    </header>
    <div class="grid grid-cols-3 gap-[clamp(12px,2.4cqi,20px)] @max-[38rem]:grid-cols-1">
      <a href="#tth25-top" data-tth25-lit class="flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-tth25-line bg-tth25-card p-[clamp(16px,3cqi,24px)] no-underline shadow-[var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,6px)_calc(var(--tth25-sb,9px)*2.4)_-6px_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_22%,transparent)] transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-80 hover:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth25-ink"><h3 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(22px,3.6cqi,30px)] font-extrabold tracking-[-0.02em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear">Umbra</h3><p class="text-[13.5px] leading-[1.6] text-tth25-mut">The hard core of a shadow &mdash; short and sharp when light is near.</p></a>
      <a href="#tth25-top" data-tth25-lit class="flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-tth25-line bg-tth25-card p-[clamp(16px,3cqi,24px)] no-underline shadow-[var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,6px)_calc(var(--tth25-sb,9px)*2.4)_-6px_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_22%,transparent)] transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-80 hover:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth25-ink"><h3 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(22px,3.6cqi,30px)] font-extrabold tracking-[-0.02em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear">Penumbra</h3><p class="text-[13.5px] leading-[1.6] text-tth25-mut">The soft fringe &mdash; watch blur climb as the lamp walks away.</p></a>
      <a href="#tth25-top" data-tth25-lit class="flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-tth25-line bg-tth25-card p-[clamp(16px,3cqi,24px)] no-underline shadow-[var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,6px)_calc(var(--tth25-sb,9px)*2.4)_-6px_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_22%,transparent)] transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-80 hover:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:border-tth25-ink focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth25-ink"><h3 data-tth25-lit class="text-[clamp(22px,3.6cqi,30px)] font-extrabold tracking-[-0.02em] [text-shadow:var(--tth25-sx,0px)_var(--tth25-sy,5px)_var(--tth25-sb,9px)_color-mix(in_oklch,var(--color-tth25-sh)_38%,transparent)] transition-[text-shadow] duration-80 ease-linear">Cast</h3><p class="text-[13.5px] leading-[1.6] text-tth25-mut">Direction disagrees per card &mdash; that's what sells one shared lamp.</p></a>
    </div>
    <p id="tth25-top" class="text-center text-[12.5px] text-tth25-mut">JS writes <code class="rounded bg-tth25-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth25-mono text-[0.9em]">--tth25-sx/sy/sb</code> per element; Tailwind owns the shadows. No pointer? The fallback values <em>are</em> the resting design.</p>
  </div>
</section>
```
## CSS
```css
@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  --color-tth25-bg: #f4f1ea;
  --color-tth25-bg: oklch(0.95 0.008 85);
  --color-tth25-card: #fcfbf8;
  --color-tth25-card: oklch(0.985 0.005 85);
  --color-tth25-chip: #e6e2d8;
  --color-tth25-chip: oklch(0.9 0.01 85);
  --color-tth25-ink: #1f1e2e;
  --color-tth25-ink: oklch(0.24 0.02 275);
  --color-tth25-mut: #5b5a6a;
  --color-tth25-mut: oklch(0.47 0.02 275);
  --color-tth25-line: #ddd8cc;
  --color-tth25-line: oklch(0.88 0.012 85);
  --color-tth25-sh: #252a3a;
  --color-tth25-sh: oklch(0.25 0.03 265);
  --font-tth25-sans: 'Bricolage Grotesque', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-tth25-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, monospace;
}

.tth-25 {
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100svh;
}
```

## JavaScript
```js
(function () {
  var board = document.querySelector('[data-tth25-board]');
  if (!board) return;
  var targets = [].slice.call(board.querySelectorAll('[data-tth25-lit]'));
  var rects = [];
  function measure() { rects = targets.map(function (el) { return el.getBoundingClientRect(); }); }
  measure();
  addEventListener('resize', measure);
  addEventListener('scroll', measure, true);
  board.addEventListener('pointermove', function (e) {
    var br = board.getBoundingClientRect();
    board.style.setProperty('--tth25-lx', ((e.clientX - br.left) / br.width * 100).toFixed(1) + '%');
    board.style.setProperty('--tth25-ly', ((e.clientY - br.top) / br.height * 100).toFixed(1) + '%');
    targets.forEach(function (el, i) {
      var r = rects[i] || el.getBoundingClientRect();
      var dx = (r.left + r.width / 2) - e.clientX, dy = (r.top + r.height / 2) - e.clientY;
      var d = Math.hypot(dx, dy) || 1, pull = Math.min(d / 14, 18);
      el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sx', (dx / d * pull).toFixed(1) + 'px');
      el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sy', (dy / d * pull).toFixed(1) + 'px');
      el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sb', (2 + pull * 1.1).toFixed(1) + 'px');
    });
  });
})();
```

How this works

One light, many shadows. On every pointermove the script computes, for each [data-tth25-lit] element, the vector from the cursor to the element's centre. The shadow points along that vector; its length and blur grow with distance (capped):

var d = Math.hypot(dx, dy) || 1, pull = Math.min(d / 14, 18);
el.style.setProperty('--tth25-sx', (dx / d * pull) + 'px');

Why per element. Three cards around one cursor get three different directions — that disagreement is what convinces the eye there's a single, local light.

Cached rects. Element positions are measured once (and on resize/scroll), not on every move, so the handler only does arithmetic.

Make it yours

  • Shadow colour: --color-tth25-sh; warmer lamps look great with a brown shadow.
  • Max length: the 18 cap in pull.
  • Remove the light pool: drop the radial gradient from the stage background.

Gotchas — read before shipping

  • Inherited custom properties: the card's --tth25-* would leak into its heading — both carry data-tth25-lit, so each gets its own values.
  • Always ship var() fallbacks — they render before the first move and on touch screens.
  • Throttle isn't needed at this cost, but avoid reading layout inside pointermove.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
111+16.4+128+111+

Plain DOM APIs + container queries; inside v4's floor.

Techniques used in this demo

Utilitiesfirst-class utility or variant

text shadowtw ↗container queriestw ↗

Theme tokensset in @theme, used by a utility

custom propertiestw ↗

HTML & JSno Tailwind involved

pointer eventsMDN ↗

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