gsap-timeline Checked

Official GSAP skill for timelines — gsap.timeline(), position parameter, nesting, playback. Use when sequencing animations, choreographing keyframes, or when the user asks about animation sequencing, timelines, or animation order (in GSAP or when recommending a library that supports timelines).

GSAP Timeline

Official GSAP skill for timelines — gsap.timeline(), position parameter, nesting, playback. Use when sequencing animations, choreographing keyframes, or when the user asks about animation sequencing, timelines, or animation order (in GSAP or when recommending a library that supports timelines).

GSAP Timeline

When to Use This Skill

Apply when building multi-step animations, coordinating several tweens in sequence or parallel, or when the user asks about timelines, sequencing, or keyframe-style animation in GSAP.

**Related skills:** For single tweens and eases use **gsap-core**; for scroll-driven timelines use **gsap-scrolltrigger**; for React use **gsap-react**.

Creating a Timeline

const tl = gsap.timeline();
tl.to(".a", { x: 100, duration: 1 })
  .to(".b", { y: 50, duration: 0.5 })
  .to(".c", { opacity: 0, duration: 0.3 });

By default, tweens are **appended** one after another. Use the **position parameter** to place tweens at specific times or relative to other tweens.

Position Parameter

Third argument (or position property in vars) controls placement:

• **Absolute**: 1 — start at 1 second.
• **Relative (default)**: "+=0.5" — 0.5s after end; "-=0.2" — 0.2s before end.
• **Label**: "labelName" — at that label; "labelName+=0.3" — 0.3s after label.
• **Placement**: "<" — start when recently-added animation starts; ">" — start when recently-added animation ends (default); "<0.2" — 0.2s after recently-added animation start.

Examples:

tl.to(".a", { x: 100 }, 0);           // at 0
tl.to(".b", { y: 50 }, "+=0.5");      // 0.5s after last end
tl.to(".c", { opacity: 0 }, "<");     // same start as previous
tl.to(".d", { scale: 2 }, "<0.2");    // 0.2s after previous start

Timeline Defaults

Pass defaults into the timeline so all child tweens inherit:

const tl = gsap.timeline({ defaults: { duration: 0.5, ease: "power2.out" } });
tl.to(".a", { x: 100 }).to(".b", { y: 50 }); // both use 0.5s and power2.out

Timeline Options (constructor)

• **paused: true** — create paused; call .play() to start.
• **repeat**, **yoyo** — same as tweens; apply to whole timeline.
• **onComplete**, **onStart**, **onUpdate** — timeline-level callbacks.
• **defaults** — vars merged into every child tween.

Labels

Add and use labels for readable, maintainable sequencing:

tl.addLabel("intro", 0);
tl.to(".a", { x: 100 }, "intro");
tl.addLabel("outro", "+=0.5");
tl.to(".b", { opacity: 0 }, "outro");
tl.play("outro");  // start from "outro"
tl.tweenFromTo("intro", "outro"); // pauses the timeline and returns a new Tween that animates the timeline's playhead from intro to outro with no ease.

Nesting Timelines

Timelines can contain other timelines.

const master = gsap.timeline();
const child = gsap.timeline();
child.to(".a", { x: 100 }).to(".b", { y: 50 });
master.add(child, 0);
master.to(".c", { opacity: 0 }, "+=0.2");