SVG Animation Checker
Inspect, play, and debug animations inside any SVG. Detects SMIL elements, CSS animations, and JavaScript-driven motion. Runs entirely in your browser.
SVG Source
Live Preview
About SVG Animation Types
SMIL
Declarative animation elements inside SVG markup: <animate>, <animateTransform>, <animateMotion>. Works inside <img>, self-contained, no JavaScript required.
CSS
CSS animation and transition properties targeting SVG attributes. Best performance via GPU. Requires inline SVG or <object> for external styles.
JavaScript
Programmatic animation via libraries like GSAP, Framer Motion, or direct DOM manipulation. Maximum control. Does not run inside <img>-loaded SVG.
For a complete guide to SVG animation methods, see the SVG animations complete guide. For animation generation from AI prompts, the SVG Genie generator produces animated SVGs from text descriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if an SVG has animations?
Paste your SVG code or upload an SVG file into the checker. It detects all three animation types: SMIL elements (animate, animateTransform, animateMotion), CSS animations and transitions inside style blocks, and JavaScript-driven animations via script tags. Each animation is listed with its target element, attribute, duration, and repeat count.
What animation types does SVG support?
SVG supports three animation methods: SMIL (declarative animation elements like animate and animateTransform inside the SVG markup), CSS (animations and transitions targeting SVG attributes via style blocks or external CSS), and JavaScript (modifying SVG DOM properties via scripts). All three are widely supported in modern browsers except SMIL in older Internet Explorer.
Is SMIL animation deprecated?
SMIL was marked for deprecation by Chrome in 2015 but the deprecation was reversed and SMIL remains supported in all modern browsers. However, CSS animations are recommended for most use cases because they perform better and integrate with the broader web platform. Many existing SVGs from design tools still use SMIL.
Why is my SVG animation not playing?
Common causes include: (1) the SVG is loaded via an img tag, which prevents internal scripts and sometimes blocks CSS animations, (2) the animation references an external resource that failed to load, (3) the begin attribute uses a delay or click trigger that has not fired, (4) prefers-reduced-motion is enabled in the user's OS settings. Loading the SVG inline or via object usually resolves img-related issues.
Does this tool send my SVG to a server?
No. All animation detection and rendering happens entirely in your browser. The SVG content never leaves your machine. The tool works offline once loaded.
Can I test SVG animations on mobile?
Yes. The tool works in mobile Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. SVG animations themselves perform well on modern mobile devices, though heavily-animated SVGs with many simultaneous SMIL elements can hit performance limits on lower-end phones.
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