Moving ASCII art
Blinking Cursor
A two-frame cursor that alternates between a solid block and nothing, the oldest animation on any screen.
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About the animation
What it is
A two-frame cursor that alternates between a solid block and nothing, the oldest animation on any screen.
Terminal prompts, typewriter effects and anywhere you want to imply the machine is waiting for input.
Motion guide
How the blinking cursor animation works
Two frames and no drawing at all — the animation is the absence of the block on every second frame. It works because the eye reads a disappearing shape as blinking rather than as an error.
Implementation tip
Two frames per second is close to the rate real terminals use. Much faster and it reads as flickering, which is uncomfortable to look at for any length of time.
Best uses
- 01
Terminal prompts
- 02
Typewriter effects
- 03
Waiting-for-input states
Use the frames
How to run the blinking cursor animation
- 01
Copy the frame set
Copy all 2 frames at once, or take individual frames from the reference list below.
- 02
Display them in order
Use a timer in your script or bot to advance through the frames at about 2 frames per second.
- 03
Replace the previous frame
Two frames per second is close to the rate real terminals use. Much faster and it reads as flickering, which is uncomfortable to look at for any length of time.
Frame by frame
Every frame
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Common questions
About this ASCII animation
What is the blinking cursor ASCII animation?
A two-frame cursor that alternates between a solid block and nothing, the oldest animation on any screen. Two frames and no drawing at all — the animation is the absence of the block on every second frame. It works because the eye reads a disappearing shape as blinking rather than as an error.
Does copying the frames make them animate?
No. The copied text contains each of the 2 drawings, while your terminal, app or bot supplies the timer and replaces one frame with the next. Two frames per second is close to the rate real terminals use. Much faster and it reads as flickering, which is uncomfortable to look at for any length of time.
Can I change the playback speed?
Yes. The preview uses 2 fps as a readable starting point. A shorter delay feels faster, while a longer delay makes each frame easier to inspect.
Where does the blinking cursor animation fit?
Terminal prompts, typewriter effects and anywhere you want to imply the machine is waiting for input. It suits terminal prompts, typewriter effects, waiting-for-input states.
Also known as
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