Spinner

A spinner is a visual indicator that confirms a process is happening in the background but the component or view is not yet ready for interaction.

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Published: July 16, 2025
Updated: December 29, 2025

Anatomy

01-filter-anatomy
  1. Background: The background fill of the spinner
  2. Foreground: The part of the spinner that animates in a circle

Usage Guidelines

When to use this component

  • Use the spinner for actions that last from 1 to 10 seconds.

When not to use this component

  • For actions longer than 10 seconds, use a progress bar.
  • If the action is shorter than 1 second, you don’t need a spinner.

Best Practices

Do

Place the spinner where you want the user’s attention to be. It can be the middle of the container or a button, for instance.

Don't

Do not show a spinner when loading text content, for example: a list, or a paragraph. In those cases use a skeleton instead.

Do

When using a spinner directly over content, reduce the container opacity to 20% to de-emphasize it and allow the spinner to be seen.

Don't

Do not show several spinners at a time to avoid a busy and motion-heavy interface. Show a single spinner over the container or use the skeleton instead.


Sizes

size 1

Known Gaps

  • Additional accessibility guidelines