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