Ever notice when you’re shopping online and you tap “add to cart,” the product image zips over to your cart icon like it’s got somewhere to be? That’s the “fly-to-cart” effect, and it makes shopping feel just that little bit more interactive and fun.
If you’re building an e-commerce site and want to add this playful touch, good news: it’s not that hard to do! Here’s a rundown of ways you can make it happen with JavaScript.
Why Bother Adding a Fly-to-Cart Animation?
- It looks cool.
- It tells users their item was added (yeah, they want that!).
- It makes your shop feel modern and polished—little details matter!
Okay, So… How Can You Do It?
1. jQuery.fly – Oldie but Goodie
If you’re using jQuery (and a lot of folks still are), there’s a neat little plugin called jQuery.fly. It basically takes any element (like your product image) and animates it flying to another spot (like your cart icon). Super easy to use—and it’s been around forever.
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$(item).fly({ start: { left: startX, top: startY }, end: { left: endX, top: endY, width: 30, height: 30 }, onEnd: function() { this.destroy(); } }); |
2. Plain Old JavaScript (No Libraries!)
Not using jQuery? No big deal—you can totally do this with just vanilla JS. Here’s the gist:
- You clone the product image.
- Plop it on the page and position it exactly over the original.
- Animate it zooming over to your cart icon.
- Remove it when it gets there.
Here’s a quick-and-dirty function to handle it:
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function flyToCart(itemSelector, cartSelector) { const item = document.querySelector(itemSelector); const cart = document.querySelector(cartSelector); const img = item.querySelector('img').cloneNode(); const itemRect = item.getBoundingClientRect(); const cartRect = cart.getBoundingClientRect(); img.style.position = 'fixed'; img.style.left = itemRect.left + 'px'; img.style.top = itemRect.top + 'px'; img.style.width = itemRect.width + 'px'; img.style.height = itemRect.height + 'px'; img.style.transition = 'all 0.8s cubic-bezier(.55,-0.04,.91,.94)'; img.style.zIndex = 1000; document.body.appendChild(img); setTimeout(() => { img.style.left = cartRect.left + 'px'; img.style.top = cartRect.top + 'px'; img.style.width = '30px'; img.style.height = '30px'; img.style.opacity = '0.6'; }, 10); img.addEventListener('transitionend', () => img.remove()); } // usage: flyToCart('.product', '.cart-icon'); |
Ready-made demo? Here’s one on CodePen you can play with.
3. GSAP: The Animation Pro
Want fancier, smoother, or weirder animations? GSAP is the animation library lots of pros use. Setup’s a little heavier but totally worth it, especially if you want to animate more stuff later.
Example (not copy-paste-ready, but shows the feel):
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gsap.fromTo(clonedImage, { x: startX, y: startY, opacity: 1, scale: 1 }, { x: endX, y: endY, opacity: 0.8, scale: 0.2, duration: 0.8, onComplete: () => clonedImage.remove() } ); |
4. Just a Bit of CSS (and Minimal JS)
Honestly, you can even do this with a bit of CSS trickery. JavaScript just kicks it off. Here’s a really nice writeup:
CSS Tricks: Add to Cart Animation
Great if you like your solutions simple and lightweight.
Quick Reference (What Should You Use?)
Solution | Need jQuery? | Heavy? | Demo / Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
jQuery.fly | Yes | Medium | |
Vanilla JS | No | No | |
GSAP | No | Yes | |
CSS+JS | No | No |
Which Should You Pick?
- Already got jQuery? Go with
jQuery.flyfor fastest results. - Modern site, no libraries? Go vanilla JS—you can customize it as much as you want.
- Love fancy stuff or want to animate lots of things? Grab GSAP.
- Want to keep it really minimal? Do the CSS+JS trick.
Hint: If you’re using React, Vue, or another fancy framework, the vanilla solution is pretty easy to drop in—just swap selectors for refs or component methods.
Final Thoughts
A “fly-to-cart” animation is one of those little touches that make a shop feel friendlier and more responsive. They aren’t hard to add, and it’s a fun way to flex a bit of front-end skill! Give it a go, and let your users enjoy watching their picks zoom toward checkout.
flyToCart.js
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function flyToCart({ button, cart, imageSelector, duration = 600, scale = 0.3 }) { // Find the image to animate (you could instead clone the button, but images look better) let img = button.querySelector(imageSelector); if (!img) { console.warn('flyToCart: Could not find image to animate.'); return; } // Clone the image let imgRect = img.getBoundingClientRect(); let clone = img.cloneNode(true); clone.style.position = 'fixed'; clone.style.left = imgRect.left + 'px'; clone.style.top = imgRect.top + 'px'; clone.style.width = imgRect.width + 'px'; clone.style.height = imgRect.height + 'px'; clone.style.pointerEvents = 'none'; clone.style.transition = `all ${duration}ms cubic-bezier(.75,-0.5,0,1.75)`; clone.style.zIndex = 9999; document.body.appendChild(clone); // Destination let cartRect = cart.getBoundingClientRect(); let destX = cartRect.left + cartRect.width / 2 - imgRect.width * scale / 2; let destY = cartRect.top + cartRect.height / 2 - imgRect.height * scale / 2; // Trigger animation setTimeout(() => { clone.style.left = destX + 'px'; clone.style.top = destY + 'px'; clone.style.width = (imgRect.width * scale) + 'px'; clone.style.height = (imgRect.height * scale) + 'px'; clone.style.opacity = '0.6'; }, 10); // Remove when done setTimeout(() => { clone.remove(); }, duration + 30); } // Expose as UMD or just global window.flyToCart = flyToCart; |
Example
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<!-- Your Button --> <button id="add-to-cart"> [+] Add to Cart </button> <!-- Cart Icon --> <div id="cart" style="position: fixed; top:16px; right:16px;"> [CART ICON] </div> <script src="flyToCart.js"></script> <script> document.getElementById('add-to-cart').addEventListener('click', function() { flyToCart({ button: this, cart: document.getElementById('cart'), imageSelector: 'img' }); }); </script> |
FAQ
What is a fly to cart animation?
A fly to cart animation is a visual effect where after a customer clicks the “Add to Cart” button, a small image of the product smoothly animates from the product location to the shopping cart icon. This confirms to shoppers that their selection has been added to the cart.
What are the benefits of implementing fly to cart animations?
Implementing fly to cart animations offers several benefits:
- Improves user experience through visual feedback
- Reduces cart abandonment rates
- Provides clear confirmation that items were added successfully
- Increases engagement and conversion rates
- Creates a more interactive and modern shopping experience
How do I implement a fly to cart animation in WooCommerce?
There are several methods to implement fly to cart animations in WooCommerce:
- Use plugins like WPC Fly Cart or XT Floating Cart
- Implement custom code using jQuery and CSS
Here’s a basic code example using jQuery:
How do I add fly to cart animations in Shopify?
In Shopify, you can implement fly to cart animations by:
- Installing apps like “Fly To Cart Animation Effect” from the Shopify App Store
- Customizing your theme with custom code
Most Shopify store owners prefer using dedicated apps as they provide easy setup without coding knowledge.
How do I implement fly to cart animations in Magento 2?
For Magento 2, you can add fly to cart animations by:
- Installing extensions from the Magento Marketplace
- Creating a custom module
Here’s a basic implementation approach for a custom module:
Do fly to cart animations affect website performance?
Fly to cart animations can impact website performance, particularly if not optimized properly. Consider these factors:
- Use CSS animations where possible instead of JavaScript for better performance
- Optimize image sizes used in the animation
- Use lightweight libraries or native browser capabilities
- Test your implementation on various devices to ensure smooth operation
Modern implementations generally have minimal impact on site speed when correctly optimized.
What are the best plugins for adding fly to cart functionality in WooCommerce?
Some of the most popular and highly-rated plugins for adding fly to cart functionality in WooCommerce include:
- WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce
- XT Floating Cart
- WooCommerce Fly to Cart and Floating Cart
- Floating Sticky Cart for WooCommerce
- Side Cart Woocommerce
Each plugin offers different features and customization options, so choose based on your specific requirements.
How do I customize the appearance of the fly to cart animation?
Customizing the appearance of fly to cart animations typically involves modifying these aspects:
- Animation speed and easing
- Size and scaling of the flying image
- Opacity and visual effects
- Path trajectory
For CSS-based animations, you can use custom CSS:
Does fly to cart animation work on mobile devices?
Yes, fly to cart animations can work on mobile devices, but there are important considerations:
- Optimize animations for touch interfaces
- Ensure smooth performance on lower-powered devices
- Adapt the animation for smaller screens
- Use responsive design principles
- Test thoroughly on various mobile devices and browsers
Modern implementations use CSS animations and transforms which generally perform well on mobile devices when properly optimized.
How do I measure the effectiveness of fly to cart animations?
To measure the effectiveness of fly to cart animations, track these key metrics:
- Cart abandonment rate before and after implementation
- Conversion rate changes
- Time spent on product pages
- User engagement metrics
- A/B testing results comparing pages with and without the animation
- Customer feedback and surveys
Use analytics tools like Google Analytics, heat maps, and session recordings to gather this data and make informed decisions.
Can fly to cart animations work with variable products?
Yes, fly to cart animations can work with variable products, but they require special handling:
- Ensure the animation triggers only after all required variations are selected
- Update the flying image to match the selected variation when possible
- Handle error states gracefully when variations aren’t properly selected
Most professional plugins and solutions have built-in support for variable products and will handle these scenarios appropriately.
How do I implement fly to cart animations in a custom eCommerce solution?
For custom eCommerce solutions, you can implement fly to cart animations by:
- Capturing the “add to cart” event
- Creating a clone of the product image
- Animating the clone from product to cart
- Removing the clone after animation completes
Here’s a vanilla JavaScript implementation:
