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CSS Gradient Generator

CSS Tools

Create linear, radial, and conic CSS gradients with live preview. Free, private — all processing in your browser.

Color Stops (3)
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #6366f1 0%, #8b5cf6 50%, #ec4899 100%);
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Build a CSS gradient visually and copy the code. Choose linear, radial, or conic; add as many color stops as you want; drag each stop's position and pick its color; and set the angle. A large live preview shows exactly what the browser will render, and the ready-to-paste background declaration updates as you go.

Gradients are easy to get subtly wrong by hand — one degree off, a stop at the wrong percentage — so seeing the result live saves a lot of trial and error. The preset swatches (Sunset, Ocean, Forest, Fire, Night, Aurora) give you a good-looking starting point you can then tweak, and adding a third or fourth stop lets you create richer, multi-color blends.

Copy the output and drop it straight into your stylesheet. It's the fast way to nail down a hero background, a button fill, or a card accent without hand-editing gradient syntax.

What the CSS Gradient Generator can do

Linear, radial, conic gradients

All three CSS gradient types. Switch between them without losing your color stops.

Visual color stop editor

Drag color stops along the gradient bar. Click to add new stops. Right-click to remove.

Custom angles and positions

Set exact angle for linear, center position for radial, starting angle for conic. Fine-tune for pixel-perfect results.

Per-stop opacity

Each color stop has its own alpha value. Create gradients that fade to transparent.

Real-time preview

See the gradient update instantly as you change any setting. Full-screen preview mode available.

Copy CSS code

Generated CSS is cross-browser compatible and ready to paste. Includes vendor prefixes for older browsers if needed.

Preset gradients

Hundreds of curated gradient presets — sunset, ocean, forest, neon, pastel, brand-inspired. Click to start.

Export as image

Save the gradient as a PNG or SVG for use in design tools, presentations, or as a fallback image.

How to use the CSS Gradient Generator

  1. 1

    Choose gradient type

    Linear for simple transitions, radial for glow/spotlight effects, conic for rainbow/pie-chart effects.

  2. 2

    Pick your colors

    Click on the color stops and choose colors. Add stops by clicking on the gradient bar. Drag to reposition.

  3. 3

    Set angle or position

    For linear: set the angle (0°=up, 90°=right, 180°=down, 270°=left). For radial: set shape and center.

  4. 4

    Add opacity for transparent fade

    Set alpha values on color stops to create gradients that fade to transparent edges.

  5. 5

    Preview the result

    See the gradient applied to a sample box. Full-screen preview shows how it looks at size.

  6. 6

    Copy the CSS

    Click Copy to put the gradient CSS on your clipboard. Paste into your CSS file, Tailwind config, or any styled component.

Common use cases for the CSS Gradient Generator

Web design

  • →Hero section backgrounds: Modern websites use gradient backgrounds for hero sections — adds visual interest without competing with text.
  • →Button hover effects: Gradient backgrounds on buttons provide depth and interactivity. Change gradient on hover for feedback.
  • →Card and panel accents: Subtle gradients on cards (e.g., `linear-gradient(145deg, white, #f5f5f5)`) add depth without being distracting.
  • →CTA overlays: Gradient overlays on images help text stand out — `linear-gradient(rgba(0,0,0,0.6), transparent)` over a photo.

Branding

  • →Brand color gradients: Many brands use gradients as part of their identity. Instagram (pink-to-orange), Stripe (purple-to-red), Netflix (dark-to-black).
  • →Logo backgrounds: Put a gradient behind a logo for a modern feel.
  • →Animated brand gradients: Shifting gradients on landing pages create dynamic, modern brand expression.

UI/UX patterns

  • →Loading skeletons: Animated linear gradients with shimmer effect signal loading state while content fetches.
  • →Dividers and section transitions: Gradient lines or panels mark transitions between page sections.
  • →Progress bars: Gradient fill on progress bars indicates progression visually.
  • →Chart and data visualization: Gradient fills on bar/area charts differentiate series and add visual depth.

Creative effects

  • →Gradient text: Use `background-clip: text` to apply gradient to text. Striking headlines, especially in SaaS marketing.
  • →Glassmorphism: Semi-transparent gradients combined with blur create the glass-like UI trend.
  • →Neon glow effects: Radial gradients with transparent edges simulate neon glows around elements.
  • →Conic rainbow loaders: Conic gradients spinning via CSS animation create modern loading indicators.

CSS Gradient Generator in practice

Classic linear gradient

Simple left-to-right fade.

Input
Direction: to right
Colors: #ff0000, #0000ff
Output
background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff0000, #0000ff);

Multi-stop sunset

Smooth transition through 4 colors.

Input
Linear 135deg
Stops: #ff6b6b 0%, #ffa500 30%, #ffeb3b 60%, #fff9c4 100%
Output
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ff6b6b 0%, #ffa500 30%, #ffeb3b 60%, #fff9c4 100%);

Radial spotlight

Light effect emanating from top-left.

Input
Shape: circle, at top left
Colors: yellow 0%, transparent 70%
Output
background: radial-gradient(circle at top left, yellow 0%, transparent 70%);

Conic rainbow

Circular rainbow pattern.

Input
From 0deg
Red, yellow, green, blue, purple, red (full cycle)
Output
background: conic-gradient(from 0deg, red, yellow, green, blue, purple, red);

Text gradient

Gradient-colored heading text.

Input
Linear gradient on text
Output
.title {
  background: linear-gradient(to right, #e91e63, #ff9800);
  -webkit-background-clip: text;
  background-clip: text;
  color: transparent;
}

Glassmorphism card

Semi-transparent gradient with blur.

Input
RGBA gradient + backdrop-filter
Output
.card {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, rgba(255,255,255,0.2), rgba(255,255,255,0.05));
  backdrop-filter: blur(20px);
  border: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.3);
}

Animated shimmer

Loading-skeleton shimmer effect.

Input
Animated linear with keyframes
Output
@keyframes shimmer {
  0% { background-position: -200% 0; }
  100% { background-position: 200% 0; }
}
.skeleton {
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, #f0f0f0 0%, #e0e0e0 50%, #f0f0f0 100%);
  background-size: 200% 100%;
  animation: shimmer 1.5s infinite;
}

Technical details

The tool outputs a standard CSS background declaration using the native gradient functions. Linear gradients take an angle in degrees (0 points up, 90 points right); radial gradients render as a circle or ellipse; conic gradients sweep color around a center point starting from your chosen angle (from Ndeg). Color stops are written as color position%, sorted by position, so the syntax is always valid regardless of the order you add them.

Each stop has a hex color and a percentage. Adding more stops creates multi-color gradients; the browser interpolates smoothly between adjacent stops. The preview applies the identical string to a real element, so what you see is exactly what the CSS produces — there's no approximation.

The output is plain, framework-agnostic CSS you can paste anywhere. It covers the common cases (angle, shape, stops); it doesn't expose every advanced option the spec allows — radial size/position keywords, color interpolation hints, or multiple layered gradients — so for those you'd extend the generated code by hand. Everything runs in your browser.

Common problems and solutions

⚠Angle direction can be confusing

In CSS linear gradients, 0deg points up and angles increase clockwise, so 90deg goes left-to-right and 180deg is top-to-bottom. If your gradient looks rotated wrong, adjust the angle — the preview shows the true direction.

⚠Stop order doesn't matter, position does

Stops are sorted by their percentage before output, so dragging a stop past another reorders the blend. Watch the position values, not the row order, to predict the result.

⚠Banding on subtle gradients

Gradients between very close colors, or across a large area, can show visible banding (stepped bands instead of a smooth blend) on some displays. Adding an intermediate stop or increasing color contrast helps.

⚠Advanced options aren't exposed

Radial size/position keywords, interpolation hints, and layered gradients aren't in the UI. The generated CSS is a valid starting point you can extend by hand for those cases.

⚠Conic gradients need modern browsers

conic-gradient is well supported now but not in very old browsers. If you must support legacy environments, verify support or provide a fallback background color.

Alternatives and comparisons

Compared to writing gradient CSS by hand, the win is the live preview and draggable stops — you see the result instantly instead of reloading to check an angle or a stop position. Compared to heavier gradient design tools, this stays focused: three gradient types, unlimited stops, presets, and clean copy-paste output, without a steep interface.

For advanced gradient work — layering multiple gradients, precise radial sizing and positioning, or the newer color-space interpolation — you'll hand-edit the CSS beyond what any simple generator produces. For the everyday linear/radial/conic gradient with a few color stops, this is the quick path from idea to code.

Questions and answers

▶What's the difference between linear, radial, and conic gradients?

Linear blends colors along a straight line at an angle. Radial blends outward from a center point as a circle or ellipse. Conic sweeps colors around a center point like a color wheel. This tool generates all three.

▶How does the angle work in a linear gradient?

0deg points straight up, and the angle increases clockwise: 90deg is left-to-right, 180deg is top-to-bottom, 270deg is right-to-left. The live preview shows the actual direction as you change it.

▶How many color stops can I add?

As many as you like. Two makes a simple blend; adding more creates multi-color gradients. Each stop has a color and a position percentage, and the browser interpolates smoothly between them.

▶Can I use the output in Tailwind or styled-components?

Yes. It's plain CSS — the background declaration works in any stylesheet, CSS-in-JS, or inline style. For Tailwind's arbitrary-value syntax you'd wrap it accordingly, but the gradient value itself is standard.

▶Why does my gradient look stepped or banded?

That's color banding, common on subtle gradients or large areas on some screens. Try adding an intermediate color stop or increasing the contrast between colors to smooth it out.

Further reading

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