Ocean Wave CSS button
Rolling blue flowing gradient. Hover, click and tab to it to see every state.
CSS
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@400;500;600;700;800;900&display=swap');
.btn {
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
gap: .5em;
padding: 14px 34px;
font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: 700;
line-height: 1.2;
color: #ffffff;
background: linear-gradient(90deg, #0ea5e9 0%, #2563eb 33%, #06b6d4 67%, #1d4ed8 100%);
background-size: 200% 200%;
border: 0;
border-radius: 999px;
box-shadow: 0 12px 28px -10px rgba(14, 165, 233, .59999999999999997779553950749686919152736663818359375);
cursor: pointer;
text-decoration: none;
white-space: nowrap;
-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
transition: transform 200ms cubic-bezier(.2,.8,.2,1), box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(.2,.8,.2,1), filter 200ms cubic-bezier(.2,.8,.2,1);
animation: btn-flow 4s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
}
.btn__icon {
display: inline-block;
transition: transform 200ms cubic-bezier(.2,.8,.2,1);
}
.btn:hover {
transform: translateY(-2px) scale(1.0300000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875);
filter: brightness(1.0500000000000000444089209850062616169452667236328125);
box-shadow: 0 14px 32px -10px rgba(14, 165, 233, .59999999999999997779553950749686919152736663818359375);
}
.btn:hover .btn__icon {
transform: translateX(-3px);
}
.btn:active {
transform: translateY(1px) scale(0.979999999999999982236431605997495353221893310546875);
box-shadow: 0 11px 28px -10px rgba(14, 165, 233, .59999999999999997779553950749686919152736663818359375);
transition-duration: 100ms;
}
.btn:focus-visible {
outline: 3px solid #0ea5e9;
outline-offset: 3px;
}
@keyframes btn-flow {
from {
background-position: 0% 50%;
}
to {
background-position: 100% 50%;
}
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.btn,
.btn__icon {
transition: none;
animation: none;
}
}HTML
<button class="btn" type="button">
<span class="btn__icon" aria-hidden="true">→</span>
Ride the wave
</button>How this button is built
- Background: a 4-stop
linear-gradient()at 90° (#0ea5e9 → #2563eb → #06b6d4 → #1d4ed8). - Type: Inter, weight 700, 16px, in #ffffff.
- Shape: a fully rounded pill shape with 14px × 34px padding.
- Depth: a coloured glow.
- Effects: a gradient that flows continuously with
@keyframes. - Interaction: on hover it lifts 2px, scales to 103%, brightens slightly and nudges its icon, and it squishes slightly when clicked, with 200ms transitions.
- Accessibility: a visible
:focus-visiblering for keyboard users, and all motion turns off underprefers-reduced-motion.
How to use it
- Copy the CSS into your stylesheet. The
@importline loads the Inter font from Google Fonts. Move it to the top of your file, or drop it if you already load the font. - Paste the HTML where you want the button. It works on
<button>,<a>and<input type="submit">. - Change the label, or rename the
.btnclass if it clashes with your framework. Want a different colour or size? Open it in the editor, change it visually, and copy the new code.