Framer Motion Best Practices

Community Framer Motion Best Practices

Comprehensive performance optimization guide for Framer Motion animations in React applications. Contains 42 rules across 9 categories, prioritized by impact to guide automated refactoring and code generation.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Adding animations to React components with Framer Motion
• Optimizing bundle size for animation-heavy applications
• Preventing unnecessary re-renders during animations
• Implementing layout transitions or shared element animations
• Building scroll-linked or gesture-based interactions

Rule Categories by Priority

Quick Reference

1. Bundle Optimization (CRITICAL)

• bundle-lazy-motion - Use LazyMotion and m component instead of motion
• bundle-dynamic-features - Dynamically import motion features
• bundle-dom-animation - Use domAnimation for basic animations
• bundle-use-animate-mini - Use mini useAnimate for simple cases
• bundle-strict-mode - Enable strict mode to catch accidental imports

2. Re-render Prevention (CRITICAL)

• rerender-motion-value - Use useMotionValue instead of useState
• rerender-use-transform - Derive values with useTransform
• rerender-stable-callbacks - Keep animation callbacks stable
• rerender-variants-object - Define variants outside component
• rerender-animate-prop - Use stable animate values
• rerender-motion-value-event - Use motion value events

3. Animation Properties (HIGH)

• anim-transform-properties - Animate transform properties
• anim-opacity-filter - Prefer opacity and filter for visual effects
• anim-hardware-acceleration - Leverage hardware acceleration
• anim-will-change - Use willChange prop judiciously
• anim-independent-transforms - Animate transforms independently
• anim-keyframes-array - Use keyframe arrays for sequences

4. Layout Animations (HIGH)

• layout-dependency - Use layoutDependency to limit measurements
• layout-position-size - Use layout="position" or "size" appropriately
• layout-group - Group related layout animations
• layout-id-shared - Use layoutId for shared element transitions
• layout-scroll - Add layoutScroll to scrollable ancestors

5. Scroll Animations (MEDIUM-HIGH)

• scroll-use-scroll - Use useScroll hook for scroll-linked animations
• scroll-use-spring-smooth - Smooth scroll animations with useSpring
• scroll-element-tracking - Track specific elements entering viewport
• scroll-offset-configuration - Configure scroll offsets
• scroll-container-ref - Track scroll within specific containers

6. Gesture Optimization (MEDIUM)

• gesture-while-props - Use whileHover/whileTap instead of handlers
• gesture-variants-flow - Let gesture variants flow to children
• gesture-drag-constraints - Use dragConstraints ref for boundaries
• gesture-drag-elastic - Configure dragElastic for natural feel
• gesture-tap-cancel - Use onTapCancel for interrupted gestures

7. Spring & Physics (MEDIUM)

• spring-physics-based - Use physics-based springs for interruptibility
• spring-damping-ratio - Configure damping to control oscillation
• spring-mass-inertia - Adjust mass for heavier/lighter feel
• spring-use-spring-hook - Use useSpring for reactive values

8. SVG & Path Animations (LOW-MEDIUM)

• svg-path-length - Use pathLength for line drawing animations
• svg-motion-components - Use motion.path and motion.circle
• svg-viewbox-animation - Animate viewBox for zoom effects
• svg-morph-matching-points - Match point counts for morphing

9. Exit Animations (LOW)

• exit-animate-presence - Wrap conditional renders with AnimatePresence
• exit-unique-keys - Provide unique keys for AnimatePresence children
• exit-mode-wait - Use mode="wait" for sequential transitions

How to Use

Read individual reference files for detailed explanations and code examples:

• Section definitions - Category structure and impact levels
• Rule template - Template for adding new rules

Reference Files