Question 1

What is a skeleton screen?

Accepted Answer

A skeleton screen is a placeholder UI shown while content is loading. It uses gray blocks shaped like the upcoming content (text lines, images, avatars) to give users a sense of what is coming, improving perceived performance compared to spinners.

Question 2

How does the shimmer animation work?

Accepted Answer

The shimmer effect uses a CSS linear-gradient background that moves via a keyframe animation. The gradient goes from a base gray to a lighter highlight and back, creating a wave of light that sweeps across the placeholder blocks.

Question 3

Should I use a skeleton screen or a spinner?

Accepted Answer

Skeleton screens are better for content-heavy pages (articles, feeds, profiles, cards) because they reduce perceived wait time and set user expectations. Spinners are fine for short actions like button clicks or form submissions that take under 1 second.

Question 4

Is this skeleton screen generator free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this tool is 100% free, requires no signup, and runs entirely in your browser. All generated HTML and CSS is yours to copy and use anywhere.