Can I Use Lottie Animation in Elementor?

If you're just getting started with website building and wondering can I use Lottie animation in Elementor, you're in the right place. Adding animations to a website can significantly improve user engagement, navigation flow, and the overall aesthetic of your site. Lottie is one of the most modern and lightweight animation formats, and when combined with Elementor, it becomes a powerful tool for building sleek, interactive websites—even if you're a beginner.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about using Lottie animations in Elementor, why it matters, how to do it step-by-step, and what to avoid.

What is Lottie Animation?

Lottie is an open-source animation format developed by Airbnb that uses JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) to render high-quality, vector-based animations. These animations are created in Adobe After Effects using the Bodymovin plugin, which exports your animation as a JSON file.

Unlike traditional GIFs or videos that are heavier in size and slower to load, Lottie animations are lightweight, scalable, and resolution-independent, which means they look sharp on any screen—be it desktop, mobile, or tablet. The format supports rich animations that are smooth, dynamic, and can interact with user actions such as clicking, hovering, or scrolling.

In simple terms, Lottie allows you to use complex animations that behave like code but are built visually—perfect for modern websites and apps.

What is Elementor and Why It's Ideal for Lottie?

Elementor is a drag-and-drop WordPress page builder that allows users to create custom websites without any coding knowledge. It’s one of the most beginner-friendly tools on the market and is used by millions of WordPress site owners around the world.

Elementor's Pro version includes a dedicated Lottie animation widget, which allows you to easily import, display, and control Lottie files directly from the page builder interface. This native support means you don’t need to write a single line of code or install additional plugins to bring animations to your website.

Because of this built-in functionality, Elementor Pro is one of the best tools for integrating Lottie seamlessly into your design process. You get full control over how the animations behave, their speed, when they play, and how they interact with your visitors—all from within Elementor’s easy-to-use visual editor.

Step-by-Step: How to Use Lottie Animation in Elementor

To effectively use Lottie animation in Elementor, especially as a beginner, follow these steps carefully:

Step 1: Install and Activate Elementor Pro

The Lottie widget is only available in Elementor Pro, so you’ll first need to install and activate the Pro version. You can purchase it through this official Elementor Pro link.

Once installed, go to your WordPress dashboard and activate the plugin. Now you’re ready to start adding Lottie animations to your pages.

Step 2: Open the Page with Elementor Editor

From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to any page you’d like to edit and click “Edit with Elementor.” This will launch Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface.

Step 3: Drag and Drop the Lottie Widget

In the Elementor widget panel on the left side, search for the Lottie widget. Drag and drop this widget onto any section or column of your layout. You’ll instantly see a placeholder animation, which you can replace with your own.

Step 4: Upload Your Lottie File or Use a URL

You have two options for adding your animation:

  • Upload: Click “Upload File” and select the Lottie .json file from your computer.

  • Link: If you’ve found an animation on LottieFiles, you can paste the direct JSON URL into the widget’s settings.

Once added, the animation will display in your preview area instantly.

Step 5: Customize the Animation Settings

Now comes the fun part. Elementor Pro gives you total control over the animation's behavior. You can:

  • Set the animation to loop, reverse, or play once.

  • Adjust the speed and start/stop points of the animation.

  • Choose how the animation is triggered: on hover, click, scroll into view, or play automatically when the page loads.

These controls allow you to tailor each animation to your specific design goals.

Why Use Lottie Animation in Elementor?

Using Lottie animations on your Elementor site has several clear advantages, especially for modern web design where performance and user experience are crucial.

1. Lightweight and Optimized for Speed

Unlike GIFs and videos, Lottie files are incredibly small in size and load almost instantly. This means your website will remain fast and responsive even if you include multiple animations on a single page. Faster-loading websites not only keep users engaged but also perform better in SEO rankings.

2. Crisp, Scalable Visuals on All Devices

Because Lottie animations are vector-based, they scale smoothly on all screen sizes. Whether your visitor is using a smartphone, tablet, or 4K desktop monitor, the animation quality remains sharp and fluid. This resolution independence ensures professional-grade visuals.

3. Interactive and Dynamic

You can set Lottie animations to respond to hover, click, or scroll events. For example, you can make an icon animate when the user hovers over it or have an animated progress bar that follows their scroll. These micro-interactions add delight to the user experience and guide users through your content.

4. Fully Customizable Without Code

With Elementor Pro, you don’t need to know HTML, CSS, or JavaScript to use Lottie. You can control playback, speed, triggers, and display options using intuitive sliders and dropdowns right within the Elementor interface. This makes advanced animation accessible to beginners.

5. Enhance User Engagement and Conversions

Lottie animations naturally draw the eye and create a sense of motion that keeps users engaged. Whether you're drawing attention to a call-to-action, form, or product feature, Lottie helps emphasize important content and improve user behavior metrics like time on page and click-through rate.

Where to Get Lottie Animations

You don’t have to create your own animations from scratch. There are several libraries where you can download free or premium Lottie files for use in Elementor:

  • LottieFiles – The most popular platform for Lottie assets, offering both free and premium options.

  • Icons8 – Offers animated icons in Lottie format.

  • UI8 – Great for premium design assets, including interactive UI kits with Lottie files.

You can download animations as .json files or copy the hosted file link for easier integration with Elementor.

Use Cases for Lottie in Elementor

There are many creative ways to integrate Lottie into your site design:

Homepage Hero Section

Make a stunning first impression by using a Lottie animation in your hero section. This draws attention instantly and sets a modern tone.

Interactive Call-to-Actions

Use Lottie to animate buttons or icons when a user hovers over them. This improves the click rate and adds a layer of polish.

Explainer Sections

Add Lottie animations next to your product features or services to visually explain what you offer without overwhelming visitors with text.

Animated Testimonials or Stats

Bring life to boring numbers with animated counters or graphs powered by Lottie, synced with scroll-triggered events.

Loading Animations

Instead of boring spinning wheels, you can use branded Lottie loading animations for a unique user experience.

Do You Need Elementor Pro to Use Lottie?

Yes. While there are alternative methods such as custom HTML or third-party plugins, the easiest and most reliable way to use Lottie animations is through the Elementor Pro Lottie widget. This not only simplifies the process but ensures the animations remain functional across all updates.

You can get Elementor Pro here to start using Lottie instantly.

Conclusion

So, can I use Lottie animation in Elementor? Absolutely—and if you’re serious about making your website interactive, modern, and memorable, Lottie is one of the best tools to achieve that. With Elementor Pro, the entire process is beginner-friendly, code-free, and highly customizable. From loading animations to interactive call-to-actions, Lottie breathes life into your content without slowing down your site.

Don’t wait—grab Elementor Pro, explore LottieFiles, and start animating your way to a better web presence.

FAQs

Q1. Can I use Lottie animation with the free version of Elementor?
A: No, Elementor’s free version does not support the Lottie widget. You need Elementor Pro to use Lottie directly within the builder.

Q2. Where can I find Lottie animations?
A: The best place is LottieFiles, which offers thousands of animations in JSON format.

Q3. Will Lottie animations slow down my website?
A: No, Lottie animations are extremely lightweight and optimized for web use. They load faster than videos or GIFs.

Q4. Do I need to know coding to use Lottie in Elementor?
A: Not at all. Elementor Pro’s Lottie widget is fully visual and does not require any coding knowledge.

Q5. Are Lottie animations mobile responsive?
A: Yes, Lottie animations scale perfectly on mobile, tablets, and desktops because they are vector-based.

Q6. Can I trigger Lottie animations on scroll?
A: Yes, Elementor Pro allows you to control triggers like scroll, hover, and click.

Q7. How do I host Lottie files?
A: You can either upload them to your WordPress media library or use hosted links from LottieFiles.

Q8. Can I use Lottie to animate a logo?
A: Yes, if your logo is exported as a Lottie file (.json), you can animate it in Elementor using the Lottie widget.

Q9. Will Lottie work in all browsers?
A: Lottie animations are compatible with all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

Q10. What happens if I stop using Elementor Pro?
A: If you deactivate Elementor Pro, the Lottie animations added with the Pro widget may no longer work correctly.

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