Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Optimize Web Animations agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The optimize-web-animations skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI coding agent how to profile a frontend page, find animations and timers that keep running when nobody can see them, and change the code so they pause and clean up. It is aimed at developers with React, Vite or Next.js pages that slow down or heat the laptop over a long session. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and what to check before accepting its edits.
Optimize Web AnimationsMengTo/Skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Install the skill. Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings, Capabilities, Skills in the Claude apps.
- 2Start your page locally. Run your project's dev server so the agent can open the exact route in a browser.
- 3Describe the symptom. Ask in plain words, naming the route and the problem, such as a laptop heating up on a long session.
- 4Let the agent measure first. The agent counts running offscreen animations and checks canvas, WebGL and timer resources before editing.
- 5Review the edits. Read the changed files, especially selectors and cleanup code, before accepting them.
- 6Check the reruns. Confirm offscreen counts drop to zero for the sections under test and visible motion still resumes.
- 7Run your checks. Ask the agent to run your repo's lint and build commands and report any failures separately from warnings.
What is an agent skill?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file. The file describes a task workflow the agent should follow when a request matches it. The skill's description tells the agent when to use it, so you usually do not need to name it, though you can refer to it directly as $optimize-web-animations.
What the optimize-web-animations skill makes the agent do
The skill treats a slow or hot-running page as a performance problem to measure before editing. The agent opens the exact route you name in a browser, counts CSS animations that are running while off screen, and checks canvas and WebGL loops separately, since CSS pausing does not stop JavaScript render loops.
It then makes targeted edits. The usual pattern is an IntersectionObserver that toggles an is-offscreen class, plus CSS rules that pause animation-play-state, or direct requestAnimationFrame gating for canvas and WebGL effects. For leak hardening it looks for timers, listeners, observers, Three.js resources, GSAP tweens and media streams that are not released on unmount. Finally it reloads the page, reruns the measurements and reports evidence.
- Counts running animations offscreen, including ::before and ::after pseudo-elements
- Gates canvas, WebGL and physics loops so they stop offscreen and resume on re-entry
- Clears intervals, timeouts, RAF loops and observers on cleanup
- Checks DOM, canvas and image counts across repeated route changes
- Runs your repo's own lint and build commands
Install the skill
Option 1: download the ZIP for this skill from our page and unzip it into your personal skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, so it is available in every project.
Option 2: unzip it into a single project's .claude/skills/ folder so it applies only to that repository.
Option 3: in the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need special syntax. Describe the symptom or the goal in ordinary words. The skill's description lists the kinds of requests it matches, such as making animations performant, pausing offscreen animations, looking for memory leaks, or fixing janky scrolling. Naming the route helps, because the agent is asked to measure the exact page you name.
Be specific about the page and the symptom. The more concrete the request, the less the agent has to guess which components to profile.
- Make the animations on the /pricing page stop using CPU when they are scrolled out of view.
- The dashboard slows the laptop down after an hour. Profile it and look for leaks across route changes.
- The hero canvas keeps running when I scroll to the footer. Gate its requestAnimationFrame loop.
- Check the marquee and skeleton loaders on the home page for animations running offscreen.
What you need before you start
The skill expects a codebase where the agent can work and a browser it can use for live measurements. The source names Codex Browser, or another browser tool, for live profiling, especially for localhost pages. Git must be available in the repository, and the repo's own build and lint tooling must work, for example npm run lint and npm run build.
The skill runs scripts, and it does not use the network according to its listing. Expect the agent to modify source files and possibly commit changes when you ask it to.
- A repository with the page and its animation code
- Codex Browser or another browser tool for live profiling
- Git available in the repository
- Your project's lint and build commands working
Review the results and safety notes
Because the skill runs scripts and edits source, read the diff before you accept it. The agent is instructed to avoid removing all animations just to make a profile pass, and to avoid pausing visible hero motion when a selector is too broad. Check that visible animations still run after scrolling into view.
The skill also says the agent should only commit when repo or user instructions ask for it, and should stage narrowly when the worktree already has unrelated changes.
- Review every edited file before committing
- Confirm visible motion still plays after scrolling back up
- Keep any local dev server output and console warnings in view during verification
What people use it for
- Pausing CSS marquee and skeleton animations in sections below the fold on a React page
- Gating a WebGL or canvas hero effect so its requestAnimationFrame loop stops when scrolled away
- Auditing a Next.js or Vite site for listeners and timers that accumulate across route changes
- Adding cleanup for GSAP tweens and Three.js textures, materials and renderers on component unmount
- Diagnosing a page that slows the computer during a long session
Frequently asked questions
Is the optimize-web-animations skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, according to its listing. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms before reusing it in a commercial product.
What do I need to install it?
You need the skill folder unzipped into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or uploaded in the Claude apps under Settings, Capabilities, Skills. For real measurements you also need a browser tool such as Codex Browser and Git in the repository.
Does the skill need the internet?
The listing says it does not use the network. It does run scripts, so review what it executes before use.
Why does the agent say CSS pausing is not enough?
CSS animation-play-state only pauses CSS animations. JavaScript requestAnimationFrame loops on canvas or WebGL keep running unless the code cancels them, so the skill checks those separately.
Can it work on a simple static site?
The listing says it adds little value on simple static sites or pages without animation. It is designed for animation-heavy React, Vite, Next.js or frontend pages.
What if the browser cannot measure heap memory?
The skill says to report unavailable heap counters plainly and rely on stable DOM, canvas and image counts plus a source audit instead.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you have an animation-heavy React, Vite or Next.js page that slows down or heats your machine over time, and you are willing to review code edits and run a local browser. Pick something else if your site is static, has little motion, or you want a one-click performance score without reading the changes.
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