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WebColorTools

CSS Gradient Generator

Create beautiful CSS gradients visually. Linear, radial, conic — copy the code instantly. Free, in your browser.

Instant 100% Private Free Forever
CSS Gradient Linear Radial Tailwind

Gradient type

Angle

°

Color stops

Edit colors and positions in the list. The bar shows the result — drag handles or click to add a stop.

Live preview

CSS output

CSS 
background: linear-gradient(90deg, #FF5733 0%, #2A9D8F 100%);
Tailwind 
bg-[linear-gradient(90deg,_#FF5733_0%,_#2A9D8F_100%)]

Preset gallery

Click a preset to load it into the editor.

How to use the CSS Gradient Generator

Four steps from color stops to copy-ready CSS.

  1. 1

    Pick a gradient type

    Choose Linear, Radial, or Conic. Linear uses an angle; radial uses shape and center position; conic sweeps around a point.

  2. 2

    Set color stops

    Drag handles on the gradient bar or edit HEX and position in the list. Click empty bar space to add stops (up to ten).

  3. 3

    Preview live

    The large preview updates instantly as you edit. Try preset gallery chips or Random gradient for inspiration.

  4. 4

    Copy CSS or share

    Copy the CSS background declaration or Tailwind arbitrary class. Share a link with your exact gradient encoded in the URL.

What is a CSS gradient?

A CSS gradient smoothly blends two or more colors without image files. Modern sites use gradients everywhere — hero backgrounds, buttons, cards, loading skeletons, and dark-mode surfaces. Instead of guessing hex pairs and tweaking angles in DevTools, a CSS gradient generator (also called a gradient maker or background gradient generator) lets you design visually and copy valid code in one click.

Linear gradients (linear-gradient) transition along a line. The angle controls direction: 0deg points up, 90deg goes left-to-right, and 180deg flows top-to-bottom. Each color stop is a color plus a percentage position — for example #FF5733 0%, #2A9D8F 100% — which defines where that color is strongest along the line.

Radial gradients (radial-gradient) radiate from a center point outward in a circle or ellipse. They are ideal for soft vignettes, spotlight effects behind avatars, and subtle depth on flat UI panels. You control the shape (circle vs ellipse) and anchor position (center, top left, etc.).

Conic gradients (conic-gradient) sweep colors around a center point like a color wheel — useful for pie charts, progress rings, and creative borders. All three types share the same stop syntax; the generator outputs browser-ready declarations you can paste into stylesheets, CSS modules, styled-components, or Tailwind arbitrary values such as bg-[linear-gradient(...)].

Where gradients are used: marketing hero sections, SaaS landing pages, app onboarding screens, gradient text (with background-clip: text), glassmorphism overlays, and design-system tokens. Pair bold gradients with our Contrast Checker if you place text on top. Build harmonious stop colors with the Palette Generator or convert formats in the Color Converter.

Browser support: Linear and radial gradients are universally supported. Conic gradients work in all current evergreen browsers. This tool runs entirely client-side — no upload, no account. Search terms like css gradient generator, linear gradient css, radial gradient, and gradient maker all describe this essential front-end workflow, now free on WebColorTools.

Practical tips: Keep two-stop gradients simple for performance — they render faster than complex multi-stop meshes on low-end mobile GPUs. When stacking gradients, combine a subtle radial highlight over a linear base for depth. Use background-size and background-repeat for striped patterns. Export from this generator, then tweak stops in your IDE — the live preview here confirms hue and angle before you commit to production CSS. For accessible text on gradients, test contrast at the darkest and lightest regions of your blend, not just the average middle tone.

Whether you are prototyping a landing page, polishing a React component library, or documenting design tokens for your team, having a reliable background gradient generator saves hours of trial and error. Bookmark your favorite combinations via the share URL, reload presets from the gallery, or hit Random gradient when you need fresh inspiration — all without leaving the browser.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between linear and radial gradients?
A linear gradient transitions colors along a straight line at a chosen angle — ideal for hero backgrounds, buttons, and horizontal bands. A radial gradient radiates outward from a center point in a circle or ellipse — perfect for spotlights, vignettes, and soft glows behind content. Both use the same color-stop syntax; only the direction model changes.
How do I add more colors to my gradient?
Click the gradient bar to insert another color stop (up to ten). Drag handles left or right to set position, or type a percentage in the stops list.
How do I use the generated CSS?
Copy the background: line and paste it into any stylesheet, inline style, or design token file. For Tailwind CSS v3+, copy the bg-[linear-gradient(...)] arbitrary value and add it as a utility class on your element.
Do conic gradients work in all browsers?
Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) support conic-gradient in CSS. It is safe for current production sites. Very old browsers may ignore conic gradients — provide a solid fallback color in background-color before the gradient declaration if you need legacy support.
Is my gradient data private?
Yes. All preview rendering and code generation run locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server. Shareable URLs encode your gradient in the link hash only — we never store your design.

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