Has anyone experienced inconsistent performance issues with Webflow page interactions, specifically on Safari? Some elements, such as Lottie animations, seem to behave smoothly on Chrome and Firefox but lag terribly on Safari. There are also issues with collapsing buttons, side nav, and scrolling to anchor links. Has anyone found a solution to address these inconsistencies while maintaining the desired functionality? Thank you!
TL;DR
- Use Canvas rendering for Lottie animations and compress JSON files to improve performance.
- Fix button and navigation issues by adjusting z-index, positioning, and using Webflow's native interactions.
- Enable smooth scrolling with CSS and avoid
overflow: hiddenon<body>to fix anchor link bugs. - Reduce animation complexity, stagger interactions, and adjust easing for better Safari performance.
- Utilize hardware acceleration with
translate3d()and check GPU rendering in Safari DevTools.
Webflow interactions and animations, especially Lottie animations, can behave inconsistently on Safari due to its rendering engine differences compared to Chrome and Firefox. These issues often involve lagging animations, broken interactions, and scrolling inconsistencies. Here are some steps to address these Safari-specific issues:
1. Optimize Lottie Animations
- Use Canvas Rendering: In Webflow, select Canvas as the render type for Lottie animations instead of SVG—Safari handles it better.
- Compress JSON File: Optimize the Lottie JSON file using a tool like LottieFiles to reduce its size and improve rendering performance.
2. Fix Button and Navigation Collapsing Issues
- Check z-index & Positioning: Safari sometimes misinterprets absolute/fixed positioning and z-index layers. Ensure interactive elements aren’t being blocked by other items.
- Use Webflow's Native Click Interactions: Avoid custom JavaScript where possible, as Safari can process event listeners differently.
3. Address Scroll and Anchor Link Bugs
- Enable Smooth Scrolling: Safari doesn’t always handle Webflow’s auto-scroll interactions properly. Instead, use custom CSS:
- Add this to Page Settings → Head Custom Code:
<style>html { scroll-behavior: smooth !important; }</style> - Avoid Overflow: Hidden on Body: If anchor links aren’t working, check if the
<body>or a wrapper hasoverflow: hidden, as Safari tends to block smooth scrolling in such cases.
4. Reduce Interaction Complexity
- Minimize Multiple Running Animations: If many elements animate at once, Safari might throttle performance. Try staggering animations using Webflow’s Delay options.
- Adjust Easing and Duration: Safari sometimes struggles with high easing values. Use ease-out (not ease-in) for a smoother transition.
5. Test with Hardware Acceleration
- Use Transform: Translate3d() for Movement: Instead of traditional
translate()ormarginanimations, usetranslate3d(x, y, 0)to trigger hardware acceleration. - Check GPU Rendering in Safari: Right-click on the page → Inspect Element → Go to Timelines → Frames to see if animations are rendering efficiently.
Summary
Safari’s animation rendering differs from Chrome and Firefox, causing Lottie lag, collapsing buttons, and anchor link issues. To solve this, optimize Lottie settings, fix positioning and z-index issues, enable smooth scrolling, simplify interactions, and use hardware acceleration where possible. Let me know if you need specific fixes based on your project!