Elevate Your Webflow Experience: How to Create Custom Cursors for a Unique User Experience

Customizing your Webflow site’s cursor could be the small touch that sets your design apart. Learn how to use SVG images to reduce file size, preload them for faster performance, and make your design stand out!

When you’re building a website, every detail counts. While custom fonts and sleek animations often steal the show, have you considered the cursor? That small arrow, when given a personal touch, can take your website’s design to the next level. In this article, I’ll show you how to easily customize your cursors in Webflow using SVG images and a few lines of CSS. Let’s dive in!

Why Change Your Cursor?

Custom cursors can add personality and interactivity to your website. It makes your design feel more intentional, keeps visitors engaged, and makes them remember the experience. Whether you’re building a playful website or a sleek, professional one, the right cursor can enhance the feel of your site.

Step 1: Upload Custom Cursors in SVG Format

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is the ideal format for custom cursors because it’s lightweight and scalable. This ensures your cursor images load quickly and look sharp on any screen size.

1. Design or download your cursor images: Create or find SVG images for the types of cursors you want to use (default, pointer, grab, etc.).
2. Upload the SVG files to Webflow:

• Open Webflow Designer, go to the Assets Panel (the image icon on the left toolbar).
• Click Upload, and select your custom SVG files from your computer.
• Once uploaded, Webflow will host the files for you, and you’ll be able to use them in your custom CSS.

Tip: Make sure the size of your SVG cursor is appropriate for what you want to achieve. While SVG files are scalable, it’s best to design them at a size that makes sense for a cursor, typically around 16x16, 24x24, 32x32 pixels or 48x48 pixels. Test to see what size looks best in your design, but keep the file size small for optimal performance.

Pro Tip: SVG files are smaller in size compared to PNG or JPEG images, making your website load faster.

Step 2: Get the File URL for Use in CSS

Once you’ve uploaded your SVG files, you need the direct URLs to reference them in your CSS.

1. Go to the Assets Panel in Webflow.
2. Click on the uploaded cursor image.
3. Copy the file URL from the window that appears — this is what we’ll use in the CSS to change the cursor.

Step 3: Writing the CSS Code for Custom Cursors

Now, it’s time to add some custom CSS that tells Webflow to use your custom cursors. Here’s the basic code you’ll need:

/* Default cursor */
body {
    cursor: url('your-default-cursor-url.svg'), auto !important;
}

/* Pointer cursor (for links and buttons) */
a, button, input[type="submit"] {
    cursor: url('your-pointer-cursor-url.svg'), auto !important;
}

/* Grab cursor (for draggable elements) */
.grab {
    cursor: url('your-grab-cursor-url.svg'), auto !important;
}

/* Grabbed cursor (when element is being dragged) */
.grabbing {
    cursor: url('your-grabbed-cursor-url.svg'), auto !important;
}

/* Text cursor (for text areas and input fields) */
textarea, input[type="text"], input[type="password"], input[type="email"], input[type="number"], input[type="search"], input[type="tel"] {
    cursor: url('your-text-cursor-url.svg'), auto !important;
}

Where to Place the Code in Webflow

You can add this custom CSS in Webflow by following these steps:

1. To apply site-wide: Go to Project Settings → Custom Code → In the Head Code section, add the CSS code above. This will ensure the custom cursors are applied across your entire website.
2. To apply to a single page: If you only want custom cursors on one specific page, go to the Page Settings for that page. Scroll down to the Custom Code section and paste the CSS into the Head Code section. This will limit the cursor changes to just that page.

Adding the code in the Head Code ensures the styles load early, giving your visitors a smooth, customized experience from the start.

Important Note About .grab and .grabbing

The .grab and .grabbing classes are used to change the cursor when an element is draggable, like a slider or draggable container. You’ll need to manually apply these classes to the elements in Webflow that you want to have the grabbing cursor.

• To use .grab: Select the draggable element in Webflow, go to the Selector field, and add the class grab.
• To use .grabbing: When an element is actively being dragged, apply the class grabbing through Webflow’s interaction settings or custom JavaScript.

This manual step allows you to control exactly when and where the grab/drag effect occurs on your site.

Add the !important Tag

You might notice we’re using !important in the CSS. This forces the browser to apply the custom cursors, ensuring that other styles (like browser defaults) don’t override them.

Step 4: Preload Cursors for Faster Loading

Preloading your cursor images helps speed up their display, especially when you’re using multiple custom cursors. To do this, we’ll add a <link> tag in the Custom Code section of Webflow.

1. In Webflow, go to the Project Settings.
2. Navigate to the Custom Code section.
3. In the Head Code area, add the following preload code:

<link rel="preload" href="your-default-cursor-url.svg" as="image">
<link rel="preload" href="your-pointer-cursor-url.svg" as="image">
<link rel="preload" href="your-grab-cursor-url.svg" as="image">
<link rel="preload" href="your-grabbed-cursor-url.svg" as="image">
<link rel="preload" href="your-text-cursor-url.svg" as="image">

This ensures that your cursors are preloaded in the browser cache, making the site feel faster and smoother.

Step 5: Test and Publish Your Changes

Once you’ve uploaded your cursors, written the CSS, and added the preload code, it’s time to test it all out. Use Webflow’s Preview mode to make sure everything is working as expected.

• Hover over links, text inputs, and buttons to see if the cursors change correctly.
• If everything looks good, go ahead and hit Publish to push the changes live.

Final Thoughts

Customizing your website’s cursor is a simple yet effective way to give your Webflow project a polished and interactive feel. Whether you’re designing a portfolio, an online store, or a playful landing page, adding custom cursors can help you stand out from the crowd.

So, why stick with the default when you can literally point your visitors in a whole new direction? Happy designing!

This version now clearly explains where to place the custom CSS code in Webflow, either globally or per page. Let me know if you need further adjustments!

Thanks for reading! I am Daris Ali Mufti a Creative Director also a UI UX Designer based in Jakarta Indonesia. Still a lot to learn! any insights, differing opinions, or advice are always welcome.