How to Continuously Rotate an Image using CSS

Learn how to utilize CSS Animations to make an image rotate continuously.

While developing the landing page for the React Handbook, I found myself needing to rotate an image. Specifically, I wanted to rotate an SVG image, but this technique can be applied to any image type or HTML element.

To rotate the desired element, simply add the following CSS instruction:

1	animation: rotation 2s infinite linear;

Alternatively, you can assign a class, such as rotate, to the element instead of targeting it directly:

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.rotate {
  animation: rotation 2s infinite linear;
}

Feel free to adjust the 2s value to control the speed of rotation.

Next, insert the following code snippet outside any selector:

@keyframes rotation {
  from {
    transform: rotate(0deg);
  }
  to {
    transform: rotate(359deg);
  }
}

That’s it! Your elements should now begin rotating.

For more information, explore our guides on CSS Animations and CSS Transitions.

Here is an example of the result in CodePen:

See the Pen How to use CSS Animations to continuously rotate an image by Flavio Copes (@flaviocopes) on CodePen.

tags: [“CSS animations”, “web development”, “image rotation”, “CSS transitions”]