Animated Navbar in CSS

1. Basic Navbar Structure

2. Hover Underline Animation

Use pseudo-elements and transitions for a smooth underline effect on hover:

.navbar {
    display: flex;
    justify-content: space-between;
    align-items: center;
    padding: 1rem 2rem;
    background-color: #1e3a8a;
    color: white;
}
.nav-links {
    display: flex;
    gap: 1.5rem;
}
.nav-links a {
    position: relative;
    color: white;
    text-decoration: none;
    font-weight: 500;
}
.nav-links a::after {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    width: 0%;
    height: 2px;
    background-color: white;
    bottom: -4px;
    left: 0;
    transition: width 0.3s ease;
}
.nav-links a:hover::after {
    width: 100%;
}
            

3. Mobile Toggle Animation (Optional)

Add an animated hamburger icon and slide-in menu for small screens:

.menu-toggle {
    display: none;
    flex-direction: column;
    gap: 5px;
    cursor: pointer;
}
.menu-toggle span {
    width: 25px;
    height: 3px;
    background: white;
    transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

/* Animate into X */
.menu-toggle.active span:nth-child(1) {
    transform: rotate(45deg) translateY(8px);
}
.menu-toggle.active span:nth-child(2) {
    opacity: 0;
}
.menu-toggle.active span:nth-child(3) {
    transform: rotate(-45deg) translateY(-8px);
}
            

Combine this with JavaScript or Tailwind’s class toggling to animate open/close actions.

4. Keyframe Animation (Slide In)

You can animate nav items appearing on load with @keyframes:

@keyframes slideIn {
    0% {
        transform: translateY(-20px);
        opacity: 0;
    }
    100% {
        transform: translateY(0);
        opacity: 1;
    }
}

.nav-links li {
    animation: slideIn 0.5s ease forwards;
}
.nav-links li:nth-child(2) {
    animation-delay: 0.1s;
}
.nav-links li:nth-child(3) {
    animation-delay: 0.2s;
}
            

Conclusion

An animated navbar adds a polished feel to your website. From subtle hovers to full entrance animations, CSS lets you enhance interactivity without JavaScript. Combine transitions and keyframes for even more control.