How to add a pulsing image drop shadow on hover effect on a Squarespace site.

Want to make your Squarespace website stand out with smooth, modern motion effects? This tutorial will show you how to add a pulsing image drop shadow on hover to image blocks in Squarespace 7.1.

Instead of a static hover effect, a pulsing drop shadow gently expands and fades, drawing subtle attention to your images. It adds interactivity, personality, and style — all with just a bit of custom CSS.

This technique is ideal for portfolios, product galleries, blog post thumbnails, and more.

Table of Contents

• Benefits of a Pulsing Drop Shadow

• Step-by-Step Instructions

• Key Takeaways

• FAQs

• Conclusion

Benefits of a Pulsing Drop Shadow

• Captures Attention Naturally: The soft animation gently pulls attention to featured content without being distracting.

• Adds a Modern, Interactive Feel: Motion makes your design feel alive and polished — like a professionally built interface.

• Improves User Engagement: Subtle interaction effects encourage visitors to explore and interact with images.

• Enhances Brand Personality: Whether your site is playful, creative, or luxury-focused, this effect adds a distinctive touch.

Complexity: Intermediary

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: To add the pulsing image drop shadow on hover effect to images on your Squarespace site, simply copy the code below:

// Pulsing iImage Block Drop Shadow On Hover //  
.image-block:hover {
filter: drop-shadow(3px 4px 6px #FFBF00); 
animation: pulsate 3s ease-out;
animation-iteration-count: infinite;
-webkit-animation: pulsate 3s ease-out;
-webkit-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
}  

@keyframes pulsate { 
0% { opacity: 0.5;}
50% { opacity: 1.0;}
100% {  opacity: 0.5;} 
}

 
@-webkit-keyframes pulsate {
0% { opacity: 0.5; } 
50% {opacity: 1.0; }
100% { opacity: 0.5;} 
}

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Step 2: From the Squarespace dashboard navigate to Pages > Custom Code > Custom CSS and paste the code.

You can adjust:

• Shadow size: Change the 3px 4px 6px values.

• Shadow color: Replace #FFBF00 with any hex color.

• Animation speed: Adjust 3s to a faster or slower duration.

• Opacity levels: Tweak the values between 0.0–1.0.

To apply the effect site-wide, no further steps are needed. To target specific images or pages, use block or collection IDs.

Key Takeaways

• Works in Squarespace 7.1.

• Adds subtle motion to images, improving interaction and design quality.

• Easily customizable with just a few CSS edits.

• A simple, no-plugin visual upgrade for portfolios, products, and more.

FAQs

Will this animation slow down my site?
No, this CSS-based animation is lightweight and won’t noticeably affect page performance.

Can I use this effect on specific images only?
Yes! You can target individual image blocks using block IDs or specific page collection IDs in your CSS.

Is this mobile-friendly?
Yes. The hover effect activates on desktop, while mobile users will simply see the static image (since hover is not a common gesture on touch devices).

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Conclusion

A pulsing drop shadow on hover is a sleek, subtle way to elevate your Squarespace design. It enhances visual storytelling, keeps users engaged, and aligns your site with modern web design trends. Best of all, it’s easy to implement and fully customizable.

Looking for more CSS enhancements? Explore hover zooms, button animations, and text reveals to take your website to the next level.