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How to Animate SVG Without CSS or JavaScript

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) remains one of the most powerful formats for vector-based graphics on the web. Most developers turn to CSS or JavaScript for animating SVGs – but did you know SVGs have built-in animation capabilities that don’t require any scripting or styling?

In this article, we’ll show how to create animated SVGs without relying on CSS or JavaScript. We’ll also introduce Xyris, a modern keyframe-based SVG animation editor that makes working with native SVG animation both visual and efficient.

Why Animate SVG Without CSS or JavaScript?

There are several reasons you might want to animate SVGs without external dependencies:

  • Portability: A self-contained SVG animation file is easier to embed, move, or distribute.
  • Performance: Native SVG animations don’t require JavaScript engines or render-blocking CSS.
  • Simplicity: No build tools, no frameworks – just SVG.
  • Security: No scripting means fewer attack vectors, particularly for use in embedded or restricted environments.

Native SVG Animation with SMIL

SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) is the built-in animation model for SVG, using elements like <animate>, <animateTransform>, and <animateMotion>.

Note: SMIL is well-supported across major browsers today, including Firefox, Safari, and Chromium-based browsers like Chrome and Edge.

A Simple Example

Here’s a basic SVG animation using only SMIL:

This example moves a circle from left to right in a loop – all inside the SVG file itself. Here’s what goes on behind the scenes:

<svg width="200" height="200" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <circle cx="50" cy="100" r="20" fill="#FF6347">
    <animate attributeName="cx" from="50" to="150" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" />
  </circle>
</svg>

Drawbacks of Writing SMIL by Hand

While SMIL is powerful and supported, manually creating complex animations can be:

  • Verbose: Large animations require lots of repetitive code.
  • Hard to manage: Especially with timelines, easing, or multiple elements.
  • Difficult to preview: There’s no built-in editor in most IDEs or browsers for timeline editing.

Meet Xyris: A Keyframe-Based SVG Animation Editor

Xyris is a modern animation editor that helps you build native SVG animations visually, using a keyframe-based timeline interface.

Instead of writing <animate> elements by hand, you can use Xyris to set keyframes for properties like position, scale, rotation, color, and opacity – and export a ready-to-use SVG with embedded animation.

What Xyris Offers

  • Timeline-based editor for intuitive control
  • Keyframe support for all animatable SVG attributes
  • One-file export: All animation embedded in a single SVG
  • Motion paths and transform animation tools
  • SMIL-compliant output: No CSS or JavaScript required

Example: Animate with Xyris, Export as SVG

Imagine you want to create a bouncing ball animation. In Xyris, you can:

  1. Draw a circle.
  2. Set position (cx, cy) keyframes at 0s, 0.5s, 1s (simulating a bounce).
  3. Apply easing (like “ease-out” on descent).
  4. Export.

Xyris will generate SVG code similar to:

<circle r="20" fill="#FF6347">
  <animate attributeName="cy" values="50; 150; 50" dur="1s" repeatCount="indefinite" />
</circle>

This makes it easy to build complex animations without coding them by hand. For the complete list of tutorials, please visit the Xyris YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@XyrisApp

When to Use Native SVG + Xyris

Native SVG animation is especially useful when:

  • Embedding animations in websites is as natural as embedding images.
  • Creating icons or logos that animate independently
  • Creating animated banners.
  • Designing motion graphics for e-learning courses, mobile apps…

Conclusion

You don’t need CSS or JavaScript to create beautiful, animated SVGs. Thanks to native SMIL support and modern tools like Xyris, it’s easier than ever to build, preview, and export high-quality motion graphics – all within a single file.

If you want a clean, visual workflow for keyframe animation that stays entirely within the SVG spec, give Xyris a try. It bridges the gap between design and code, making declarative animation both accessible and fun.

The Xyris Team

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