Guide · animation prompts

How to write AI animation prompts

Today’s best AI models write surprisingly good animation code, but only if you can describe what you want. “Something modern and eye-catching” gets you something generic; a prompt that names the composition, typography, palette, motion and timing gets you exactly the look you had in mind.

This guide sums up what we learned writing the 195 prompts on aimotions: the ingredients every animation prompt needs, a template to fill in, and the most common mistakes.

The 8 ingredients of an animation prompt

  1. 01Text

    Which word or phrase is animated. Use a placeholder like [TEXT] so the prompt is reusable, and ask for it to be fully legible at rest.

  2. 02Composition

    Where the word sits, how big, and what surrounds it: centered full-bleed, small in a corner, inside a frame, over a horizon…

  3. 03Typography

    Describe the classification rather than a font name: “heavy condensed grotesque”, “rounded display”, “blackletter”, “monospace”. Add weight, case and spacing.

  4. 04Palette

    The background and two to four named colors (hex codes optional). The palette defines a style as much as the motion does.

  5. 05Texture & material

    Film grain, paper, bleeding ink, chrome, glass, neon, pixels… This is what turns a correct animation into one with character.

  6. 06Sequence

    How the word enters, what happens while it holds, and how it exits or restarts. Think in concrete beats, not adjectives.

  7. 07Timing & easing

    Durations in seconds and the kind of acceleration: snappy, elastic with overshoot, slow drift, stepped and mechanical. Say whether it should loop seamlessly.

  8. 08Output & rules

    What you want back (a self-contained HTML file, a component, a shader, a brief) and the rules: aspect ratio, legibility, no flashing, a reduced-motion version.

Animation prompt template

Fill in the brackets
Animate the word "[TEXT]" in a [style name] style.
Look: [composition: where the word sits, how big, what frames it]. [Typography: classification, weight, case, spacing]. [Palette: background plus 2–4 named colors]. [Texture or material: grain, glow, paper, chrome…].
Motion: [sequence: how the word enters, what happens while it holds, how it exits]. [Timing: total length and the main beats, in seconds]. [Easing: snappy, elastic, slow drift…]. Loop seamlessly.
Rules: [TEXT] must be fully legible at rest; nothing flashes more than three times per second; provide a still, legible version for reduced motion.
Output: [one self-contained HTML file / a component for my framework / a shader / a brief for a motion designer], 16:10 frame.

A real example

Here is one of the prompts in the library. Notice how it describes the look and the motion without mentioning any tool:

01
Monoline glass tubes with a white-hot core and colored halo
02
Letters ignite one by one with a short, gentle stutter
03
Colored light spills over beveled bricks and mortar
04
Metal standoff clips, cable and a small transformer box
05
Two-tone palette: icy cyan and hot pink on red-brown brick

Common mistakes

Vague adjectives

“Modern”, “cool” or “premium” describe nothing. Replace them with what is visible: colors, materials, sizes and timings.

Naming a tool instead of a look

Asking for “an animation with library X” constrains the model without describing the style. Describe the result and leave the technique for the end, as the output format.

Brands, works or artists

Asking for the style of a specific brand, film or person can reproduce protected identities. Describe the visual genre instead: “eighties sci-fi title sequence” rather than a specific title.

No timing

Without durations the model improvises, and it is almost always too fast. Give seconds and key beats.

Too many ideas at once

One strong style beats five mixed effects. If you want variations, ask in a second round.

Forgetting legibility

A text animation nobody can read is useless. Always ask for the text to be fully legible at rest.

How to iterate with the model

Start with one file

Ask for a single HTML file first so you can see the result instantly. Once you like it, ask for the component for your project.

Give concrete feedback

“30% slower entrance with a soft ease-out”, “more grain”, “sweep the glint left to right across the word”. The more concrete, the better the next version.

Ask for a review

Ask the model to check the loop, that nothing flashes more than three times per second, and that the text reads on a phone.

Ready-made animation prompts, 12 styles

See the prompts for every style →

Every style in the library comes with a complete prompt. Hover over a preview to see it move (on touch screens it plays by itself), and copy the one closest to what you need.

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FAQ

What is an AI animation prompt?

A written description of an animation (composition, typography, palette, texture, motion and timing) precise enough for an AI model or a person to recreate it. On aimotions every prompt uses [TEXT] as a placeholder for your own word.

Which AI is best for making animations?

For animations built in code, a frontier model with strong coding skills: Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, Claude Fable 5.5, GPT-6 Astra or GPT-6.1 Sol, or newer versions. For complex shader or physics styles, ask the model to iterate and review its result.

Can AI make text animations and motion graphics?

Yes. Frontier models generate complete text animations in HTML, CSS, SVG, Canvas or WebGL from a good description. The prompt is the key: the more concrete it is, the more faithful the result.

Do these prompts work with video generators?

They are a good starting point, because they describe the look and motion without depending on a tool. Still, models that write code reproduce typography far more faithfully than video generators do.

Should I write the prompt in English?

Current models understand English and many other languages well. Every aimotions style is also available with a Spanish prompt.

Are the aimotions prompts free?

Yes. The prompts are free to copy, adapt and use in personal and commercial projects, with no credit required. Republishing the collection or a substantial part of it (for example as another library or a dataset) requires written permission.

Keep it free.

aimotions has no paywall and no sign-up. It is funded by people who found a style they love. A coffee on Ko-fi helps pay for hosting and the next batch of styles.

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