What are color stops in CSS gradients?

Color stops define the colors used in a gradient and where they are positioned along the gradient line. Each stop consists of a color value and an optional position (usually a percentage). The browser interpolates smoothly between adjacent stops.

How do I use a CSS gradient in Tailwind CSS?

Tailwind CSS supports gradient utilities like bg-gradient-to-r, from-blue-500, via-purple-500, and to-pink-500. For custom gradients, use arbitrary values like bg-[linear-gradient(90deg,#667eea_0%,#764ba2_100%)]. This generator provides both standard CSS and Tailwind-compatible output.

What is a conic gradient and when should I use it?

A conic gradient creates color transitions that sweep around a center point, like a pie chart or color wheel. Use conic-gradient() for pie charts, progress indicators, color wheels, radar charts, and artistic angular effects. It is supported in all modern browsers.

Is this gradient generator free and private?

Yes. This CSS gradient generator runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to any server. The tool is completely free with no usage limits. Your gradient history is saved locally in your browser.

CSS Gradient Generator

Create beautiful linear, radial & conic CSS gradients — visually

Live preview | 100% client-side

Gradient Preview

Color Stop Positions

Gradient Settings

Type

Direction

Custom Angle:

Shape

Starting Angle:

Color Stops

CSS Output

Preset Gradients

Recent Gradients

100% Browser-Based

All gradients are generated locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server. Your history is saved in local storage. Free to use with no limits.

What Are CSS Gradients?

Smooth color transitions created entirely with CSS — no images required

CSS gradients let you display smooth transitions between two or more colors. They are generated by the browser as images, meaning they scale perfectly at any resolution and require zero HTTP requests. Gradients are defined using the background or background-image CSS property and come in three main types: linear, radial, and conic.

Linear Gradient

Transitions colors along a straight line. You specify a direction or angle (e.g. to right or 90deg) and two or more color stops. The most commonly used gradient type in web design.

Radial Gradient

Radiates colors outward from a central point. Can be shaped as a circle or ellipse. Great for spotlight effects, glowing elements, and circular backgrounds.

Conic Gradient

Transitions colors around a center point, like a color wheel. Defined with conic-gradient(). Perfect for pie charts, color wheels, progress rings, and artistic angular effects.

How to Use the Gradient Generator

Follow these simple steps to create and export custom CSS gradients

Choose Type

Select Linear, Radial, or Conic gradient type. Each creates a different visual pattern.

Pick Colors

Add color stops with the color picker. Adjust positions with sliders. Add as many stops as you need.

Adjust Direction

Set the gradient angle, shape, or starting position. Use presets or the custom angle slider for fine control.

Copy Code

Copy the CSS or Tailwind CSS code to your clipboard. Preview fullscreen. Your recent gradients are saved automatically.

CSS Gradient Syntax

Quick reference for writing gradient code by hand

Linear Gradient

/* Direction keywords */
background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff7e5f, #feb47b);

/* Angle in degrees */
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);

/* Multiple color stops */
background: linear-gradient(90deg, #f093fb 0%, #f5576c 50%, #4facfe 100%);

Radial Gradient

/* Circle shape */
background: radial-gradient(circle, #ff9a9e 0%, #fad0c4 100%);

/* Ellipse shape (default) */
background: radial-gradient(ellipse, #a18cd1 0%, #fbc2eb 100%);

/* With position */
background: radial-gradient(circle at top left, #ffecd2 0%, #fcb69f 100%);

Conic Gradient

/* Basic conic */
background: conic-gradient(#fd746c, #ff9068, #fd746c);

/* With starting angle */
background: conic-gradient(from 45deg, #12c2e9, #c471ed, #f64f59);

/* Color wheel */
background: conic-gradient(red, yellow, lime, aqua, blue, magenta, red);

/* Pie chart effect */
background: conic-gradient(#4facfe 0% 33%, #00f2fe 33% 66%, #43e97b 66% 100%);

Common Gradient Use Cases

Where CSS gradients are used in modern web design

Hero Sections & Backgrounds

Use gradients for eye-catching hero sections, page backgrounds, and section dividers. They load instantly without image requests and scale perfectly on all screen sizes.

Buttons & CTAs

Gradient buttons stand out and draw user attention. Apply gradients to call-to-action buttons, navigation links, and interactive elements with hover transitions for a polished look.

Text & Heading Effects

Apply gradients to text using background-clip: text for eye-catching headings and logos. Combine with -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent for the effect.

Charts & Data Visualization

Conic gradients are ideal for creating CSS-only pie charts and donut charts. Radial gradients work well for gauge indicators, progress rings, and heatmap visualizations without any JavaScript.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about CSS gradients and this generator

A linear gradient transitions colors along a straight line in a specified direction or angle (e.g. left to right, or 45 degrees). A radial gradient transitions colors outward from a central point in a circular or elliptical shape. A conic gradient transitions colors around a center point, sweeping like a clock hand. Linear gradients are the most commonly used, radial gradients are great for spotlight effects, and conic gradients are perfect for pie charts and color wheels.

Add multiple color stops inside the gradient function. For example: background: linear-gradient(90deg, #ff0000 0%, #00ff00 50%, #0000ff 100%);. Each color stop consists of a color value and an optional position percentage. The browser smoothly interpolates between each adjacent pair of stops. You can add as many color stops as you need.

Color stops define the colors in a gradient and where they are positioned along the gradient line. Each stop has a color value (HEX, RGB, HSL, or named) and an optional position (usually a percentage from 0% to 100%). If you omit positions, the browser distributes them evenly. You can place two stops at the same position to create a hard color boundary.

Tailwind CSS provides utility classes for common gradients: bg-gradient-to-r, from-blue-500, via-purple-500, to-pink-500. For custom gradients beyond what utilities offer, use arbitrary values like bg-[linear-gradient(90deg,#667eea_0%,#764ba2_100%)]. This generator provides a Tailwind-compatible output you can copy directly.

Yes. CSS linear-gradient() and radial-gradient() are supported in all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. conic-gradient() is also widely supported in all current browsers (since 2020). Vendor prefixes like -webkit- are no longer required for current browser versions.

Yes. CSS gradients are treated as generated images by the browser, so they can be used anywhere a background-image is accepted. You can layer multiple gradients using comma-separated values, combine them with url() background images, and control their size and position with background-size and background-position.

A conic gradient creates color transitions that sweep around a center point, like the hands of a clock. It’s defined using conic-gradient() and is ideal for creating pie charts, donut charts, progress indicators, color wheels, and artistic angular patterns — all without JavaScript or images.

Yes. This CSS gradient generator runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server, and there are no usage limits. Once the page is loaded, the tool works offline. Your gradient history is saved in your browser's local storage and never leaves your device.