Quick implementation
.loading-btn {
position: relative;
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
gap: 0.5rem;
padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;
background-color: oklch(0.55 0.2 250);
color: oklch(1 0 0);
border: none;
border-radius: var(--radius);
font-family: var(--font-sans);
font-weight: 600;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
min-width: 8rem;
height: 3rem;
}
.loading-btn:hover {
background-color: oklch(0.65 0.2 250);
}
/* Loading State */
.loading-btn.loading {
background-color: oklch(0.45 0.2 250);
cursor: wait;
opacity: 0.9;
pointer-events: none;
}
/* Spinner */
.loading-btn.loading::after {
content: "";
display: block;
width: 1rem;
height: 1rem;
border: 2px solid currentColor;
border-top-color: transparent;
border-radius: 50%;
animation: spin 0.8s linear infinite;
}
@keyframes spin {
to {
transform: rotate(360deg);
}
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.loading-btn.loading::after {
animation: none;
border-top-color: transparent;
border-left-color: transparent;
border-right-color: transparent;
border-bottom-color: currentColor;
transform: rotate(0deg);
}
}Prompt this to your LLM
Includes role, constraints, two framework variants, and edge cases to handle.
Create a reusable CSS-only loading button component.
Requirements:
1. Base button styling with a modern look (padding, rounded corners, hover states).
2. A `.loading` modifier class that changes the cursor and opacity.
3. A spinner implemented using the `::after` pseudo-element.
4. The spinner must use CSS animation (`@keyframes`) to rotate.
5. Use `oklch()` for all colors to ensure modern color gamut support.
6. Include a `@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)` query to disable the spinner animation for accessibility.
7. Ensure the button has `pointer-events: none` when loading to prevent double submissions.
Output the CSS and a small HTML example showing both the default and loading states.Why this matters in 2026
As web applications become more interactive, providing immediate feedback is crucial for user experience. A loading button bridges the gap between user action (click) and server response (success/error). By handling this state purely in CSS, we reduce the JavaScript bundle size and complexity, making the UI more resilient and performant.
The logic
The core technique relies on the ::after pseudo-element. When the .loading class is added to the button, the pseudo-element becomes visible. We use border: 2px solid transparent with border-top-color: currentColor to create a partial circle. The currentColor keyword ensures the spinner matches the button's text color automatically, which is vital for theming.
Accessibility & performance
Visual feedback is good, but semantic feedback is better. When adding the .loading class via JavaScript, you should also set aria-busy="true" on the button element. This informs screen readers that the control is currently processing. Additionally, the prefers-reduced-motion media query ensures that users who are sensitive to motion do not experience the spinning animation, replacing it with a static indicator.