Use when adding page transition animations, image expand/contract effects, shared-element transitions, or improving navigation UX in a single-page or multi-page application.
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---
name: view-transitions
description: "Use when adding page transition animations, image expand/contract effects, shared-element transitions, or improving navigation UX in a single-page or multi-page application."
metadata:
category: css
priority: low
difficulty: intermediate
estimatedTime: "30"
source: frontendchecklist.io
url: https://frontendchecklist.io/rules/css/view-transitions
---
# Use the View Transitions API for smooth page and component transitions
Jarring instant page changes are one of the most noticeable perceived- performance problems in web applications. Smooth transitions help users maintain context during navigation — they understand where they came from and where they are going. Previously, achieving this required complex JavaScript animation libraries; the View Transitions API delivers it natively at a fraction of the code cost.
## Quick Reference
- Wrap DOM mutations in document.startViewTransition() for same-page transitions
- Add view-transition-name to elements that should animate individually (not the whole page)
- Use @starting-style and ::view-transition-* pseudo-elements to customise animations
- Enable cross-document transitions in CSS with @view-transition { navigation: auto }
## Check
Check whether the site uses the View Transitions API or a JavaScript animation library for page and component transitions.
## Fix
Implement view transitions using document.startViewTransition() for SPA route changes or @view-transition for MPA cross-document navigation.
## Explain
Explain how the View Transitions API captures before/after snapshots and animates between them, and how view-transition-name enables shared-element transitions.
## Code Review
Review transition implementation for missing prefers-reduced-motion guards, duplicate view-transition-name values (must be unique per snapshot), and transitions that may cause layout thrash in the old/new state.
---
For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance,
see `references/rule.md`.
Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/rules/css/view-transitions
