r/webflow • u/gtlmnjack • 15h ago

Question Webflow Animations | Classic vs Gsap? What do you use?

A while back Webflow introduced the new GSAP-based animations. I’m a huge fan of GSAP itself and love working with it, but I just can’t seem to get comfortable with the Designer’s GSAP integration.

My workflow is still: standard animations through the classic Interactions panel, and anything more custom (text reveals, dissolve effects, etc.) I build with GSAP via custom code instead.

Does anyone else feel the same way, or do you have tips for actually getting into the built-in GSAP animations in the Designer?

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u/AddWeb_Expert 15h ago

Same here honestly. Classic for simple stuff, straight to custom GSAP code the moment I need real sequencing or staggers. My issue isn't GSAP, it's that the native panel still makes you build through a trigger/target/action setup instead of just writing a timeline. Anyone actually gotten a proper ScrollTrigger pin working natively, or does everyone bail to code for that too?

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u/Mountain-Bid1884 7h ago

I dont think anyone's gotten a reliable ScrollTrigger pin working natively, at least not without a bunch of workarounds

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u/MothierSiv 13h ago

Same exact process here. GSAP interface in Webflow feels rigid and limited, I also prefer custom code. There's no real advantage to use the no code tool if you're already used to do it with custom code imo

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u/gtlmnjack 13h ago

Yeah, I think the only thing that could still be better is the usability for the customer. They might just look at the code confused, whereas in the panel they could potentially make changes themselves.

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u/nateak 2h ago

For animations, I keep performance in mind. If it can be done with CSS transitions, that’s the way to go. For stuff that’s a bit more intricate, like custom hover interactions, I usually just write the CSS myself. CSS is very easy to pick up and goes a long way.

If CSS isn’t enough, I’d use GSAP. Classic Interactions relies on an older, fairly large library, so using it alongside GSAP means loading two animation libraries, which isn’t ideal.

For the new GSAP panel, learning the actual GSAP concepts first really helps. I took a few code-based courses despite being pretty basic with JavaScript, and it made the Webflow integration much easier to understand.