Arrow Link
A link that points the way: at rest a chevron, on hover the shaft draws itself in and the head moves on, › becomes →. A back variant points the other way. Pure CSS.
View codePoint at a link and a card of where it goes unfolds above it. One card per paragraph: it glides from link to link, its picture cross-fading and its words rolling.
With your AI
Say it to your AI. It gets the exact code below, not its best guess, and knows where it goes.
Add Kodza Link Preview to the links in my blog posts.
claude mcp add -t http kodza https://kodza.dev/api/mcp
<p class="kodza-link-preview-text">We built Kodza in a room shaped like <a class="kodza-link-preview" href="#" data-preview-image="https://kodza.dev/media/kz-arch-1400.webp" data-preview-title="The arch" data-preview-url="kodza.dev/rooms/arch">an arch</a>, under <a class="kodza-link-preview" href="#" data-preview-image="https://kodza.dev/media/kz-columns-1400.webp" data-preview-title="Seven columns, no meetings" data-preview-url="kodza.dev/rooms/columns">seven columns</a>, next to <a class="kodza-link-preview" href="#" data-preview-image="https://kodza.dev/media/kz-steps-1400.webp" data-preview-title="Stairs that lead nowhere" data-preview-url="kodza.dev/rooms/stairs">stairs that lead nowhere</a>.</p>
/* Kodza License: free to use, client work included. Not to resell or redistribute, ported or not: https://kodza.dev/docs/#print-license */
/* Kodza — Link Preview
Point at a link and a card of where it goes unfolds above it: a picture, a title and the
address. One card per paragraph: move to the next link and it glides there, the picture
cross-fading and the words rolling, instead of closing and opening again. It follows the
pointer along the link with a little lag; on focus it shows above the link; on touch
screens the link is just a link. Set data-preview-image, -title and -url on each link.
Everything is tuned with the --kz-preview-* variables. */
.kodza-link-preview-text {
position: relative;
}
.kodza-link-preview {
--kz-preview-line: color-mix(in srgb, currentColor 30%, transparent);
color: inherit;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration-color: var(--kz-preview-line);
text-decoration-thickness: 0.06em;
text-underline-offset: 0.2em;
transition: text-decoration-color 0.3s ease;
}
.kodza-link-preview:hover,
.kodza-link-preview:focus-visible,
.kodza-link-preview.is-current {
text-decoration-color: currentColor;
}
.kodza-link-preview:focus-visible {
outline: 2px solid currentColor;
outline-offset: 3px;
border-radius: 3px;
}
/* The card: placed by the script; its shadow follows what is shown of it */
.kodza-link-preview__card {
--kz-preview-bg: #ffffff;
--kz-preview-fg: #0a0a0a;
--kz-preview-muted: rgba(10, 10, 10, 0.6);
--kz-preview-border: rgba(10, 10, 10, 0.1);
--kz-preview-shadow: rgba(10, 10, 10, 0.28);
--kz-preview-width: 240px;
--kz-preview-ease: cubic-bezier(0.22, 1, 0.36, 1);
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
z-index: 20;
width: var(--kz-preview-width);
color: var(--kz-preview-fg);
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: 400;
letter-spacing: 0;
line-height: 1.4;
text-align: left;
pointer-events: none;
filter: drop-shadow(0 18px 24px var(--kz-preview-shadow));
transform: translate(var(--kz-preview-x, 0px), var(--kz-preview-y, 0px));
}
/* It unfolds upwards from the link, like a curtain rising */
.kodza-link-preview__body {
display: grid;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 14px;
background: var(--kz-preview-bg);
box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px var(--kz-preview-border);
clip-path: inset(100% 0 0 0 round 14px);
transition: clip-path 0.32s cubic-bezier(0.65, 0, 0.35, 1);
}
.kodza-link-preview__card.is-open .kodza-link-preview__body {
clip-path: inset(0 0 0 0 round 14px);
transition: clip-path 0.55s var(--kz-preview-ease);
}
.kodza-link-preview__media {
display: grid;
aspect-ratio: 16 / 10;
overflow: hidden;
background: var(--kz-preview-border);
}
.kodza-link-preview__media img {
grid-area: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
object-fit: cover;
transform: scale(1.14);
transition: transform 0.9s var(--kz-preview-ease);
}
.kodza-link-preview__card.is-open .kodza-link-preview__media img {
transform: none;
}
/* Title and address: their words roll when the card moves to another link */
.kodza-link-preview__title,
.kodza-link-preview__url {
display: grid;
overflow: hidden;
}
.kodza-link-preview__title > span,
.kodza-link-preview__url > span {
grid-area: 1 / 1;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
white-space: nowrap;
}
.kodza-link-preview__title {
padding: 12px 14px 0;
font-weight: 600;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
}
.kodza-link-preview__url {
padding: 2px 14px 12px;
color: var(--kz-preview-muted);
font-family: "Geist Mono", ui-monospace, "SF Mono", Menlo, monospace;
font-size: 11.5px;
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.kodza-link-preview,
.kodza-link-preview__body,
.kodza-link-preview__media img {
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}
/* Theming example — on a dark background:
.dark-section .kodza-link-preview__card {
--kz-preview-bg: #161616;
--kz-preview-fg: #f2f2f0;
--kz-preview-muted: rgba(242, 242, 240, 0.6);
--kz-preview-border: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
--kz-preview-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7);
}
*/
/* kodza-guard 8fa0499787ae — generated by Kodza, do not edit.
Theme guard: keeps a site's own CSS (WordPress themes, Bootstrap, CSS resets…) off this
component. :not(#_) is always true and weighs as much as an id, so these lines win over
theme rules made of classes and tags. Customise the component through its --kz-* variables. */
/* What the browser gives, where the component sets it only in some states: at the lowest weight, so its own rules below put it back */
:where(.kodza-link-preview):not(#_) {
border-radius: revert;
outline: revert;
outline-offset: revert;
}
/* What the browser gives, on everything the component leaves to it */
.kodza-link-preview:not(#_) {
border: revert;
padding: revert;
list-style: revert;
box-sizing: revert;
position: revert;
background-color: revert;
background-image: revert;
box-shadow: revert;
appearance: revert;
max-height: revert;
font-family: revert;
font-size: revert;
font-weight: revert;
font-style: revert;
line-height: revert;
letter-spacing: revert;
text-transform: revert;
text-align: revert;
text-indent: revert;
text-shadow: revert;
vertical-align: revert;
}
.kodza-link-preview:not(#_):where(:not([hidden])) {
display: revert;
}
.kodza-link-preview:not(#_):where([hidden]) {
display: none;
}
/* The component's own rules, one step stronger: real buttons and fields, what it sets on tags themes style (links, lists, headings, images…), and the root width (a theme may narrow it, never widen it) */
.kodza-link-preview:not(#_) {
color: inherit;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration-color: var(--kz-preview-line);
text-decoration-thickness: 0.06em;
text-underline-offset: 0.2em;
transition: text-decoration-color 0.3s ease;
}
.kodza-link-preview:hover:not(#_),
.kodza-link-preview:focus-visible:not(#_),
.kodza-link-preview.is-current:not(#_) {
text-decoration-color: currentColor;
}
.kodza-link-preview:focus-visible:not(#_) {
outline: 2px solid currentColor;
outline-offset: 3px;
border-radius: 3px;
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.kodza-link-preview:not(#_) {
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}
// Kodza License: free to use, client work included. Not to resell or redistribute, ported or not: https://kodza.dev/docs/#print-license
// Kodza — Link Preview
// One card per paragraph (or per parent of the links): it opens above the link under the
// pointer, follows it with a little lag, and glides to the next link without closing, its
// picture cross-fading and its words rolling. Measured in the paragraph's own pixels, kept on
// screen. Opens on keyboard focus too; no card on touch screens.
(() => {
const SELECTOR = '.kodza-link-preview';
const reduceMotion = window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches;
const finePointer = window.matchMedia('(hover: hover) and (pointer: fine)').matches;
const ease = 'cubic-bezier(0.22, 1, 0.36, 1)';
const groups = new Map();
const roll = (el, text, animate) => {
const old = el.lastElementChild;
if (old && old.textContent === text) return;
const next = Object.assign(document.createElement('span'), { textContent: text });
el.append(next);
if (!old) return;
if (!animate || reduceMotion) return old.remove();
const timing = { duration: 460, easing: ease };
old.animate([{ transform: 'none', opacity: 1 }, { transform: 'translateY(-100%)', opacity: 0 }], { ...timing, fill: 'forwards' }).finished.then(() => old.remove());
next.animate([{ transform: 'translateY(100%)', opacity: 0 }, { transform: 'none', opacity: 1 }], { ...timing, delay: 50, fill: 'backwards' });
};
const makeGroup = (group) => {
const placed = getComputedStyle(group).position === 'static';
if (placed) group.style.position = 'relative';
const card = Object.assign(document.createElement('span'), { className: 'kodza-link-preview__card' });
card.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
card.innerHTML = '<span class="kodza-link-preview__body"><span class="kodza-link-preview__media"></span><span class="kodza-link-preview__title"></span><span class="kodza-link-preview__url"></span></span>';
group.append(card);
const media = card.querySelector('.kodza-link-preview__media');
const title = card.querySelector('.kodza-link-preview__title');
const url = card.querySelector('.kodza-link-preview__url');
let current = null;
let open = false;
let shut = 0;
let frame = 0;
let x = 0;
let y = 0;
let tx = 0;
let ty = 0;
let links = 0;
const fill = (link) => {
const { previewImage, previewTitle = '', previewUrl = '' } = link.dataset;
const animate = open && current && current !== link;
if (previewImage && media.lastElementChild?.getAttribute('src') !== previewImage) {
const img = Object.assign(document.createElement('img'), { src: previewImage, alt: '', decoding: 'async' });
const old = [...media.children];
media.append(img);
if (animate && !reduceMotion) {
img.animate([{ opacity: 0, transform: 'scale(1.08)' }, { opacity: 1, transform: 'none' }], { duration: 560, easing: ease });
setTimeout(() => old.forEach((el) => el.remove()), 560);
} else old.forEach((el) => el.remove());
}
roll(title, previewTitle, animate);
roll(url, previewUrl, animate);
};
// Above the line of the link under the pointer, centred on it, kept on screen
const aim = (link, clientX, clientY) => {
const box = group.getBoundingClientRect();
const k = box.width / group.offsetWidth || 1;
const lines = [...link.getClientRects()];
const line = lines.find((r) => clientY >= r.top && clientY <= r.bottom) || lines[0];
const w = card.offsetWidth;
const h = card.offsetHeight;
const centre = ((clientX ?? line.left + line.width / 2) - box.left) / k;
tx = Math.min((innerWidth - 12 - box.left) / k - w, Math.max((12 - box.left) / k, centre - w / 2));
ty = (line.top - box.top) / k - h - 12;
};
const glide = () => {
const k = reduceMotion ? 1 : 0.2;
x += (tx - x) * k;
y += (ty - y) * k;
card.style.setProperty('--kz-preview-x', `${x.toFixed(1)}px`);
card.style.setProperty('--kz-preview-y', `${y.toFixed(1)}px`);
frame = Math.abs(tx - x) + Math.abs(ty - y) > 0.4 ? requestAnimationFrame(glide) : 0;
};
const show = (link, clientX, clientY) => {
clearTimeout(shut);
fill(link);
aim(link, clientX, clientY);
// Opening: right there, no slide from wherever it was last
if (!open) {
x = tx;
y = ty;
card.style.setProperty('--kz-preview-x', `${x}px`);
card.style.setProperty('--kz-preview-y', `${y}px`);
}
current?.classList.remove('is-current');
current = link;
link.classList.add('is-current');
open = true;
card.classList.add('is-open');
if (!frame) frame = requestAnimationFrame(glide);
};
const hide = (soon = true) => {
clearTimeout(shut);
shut = setTimeout(() => {
open = false;
card.classList.remove('is-open');
current?.classList.remove('is-current');
current = null;
}, soon ? 140 : 0);
};
const add = (link, signal) => {
links += 1;
if (finePointer) {
link.addEventListener('pointerenter', (event) => show(link, event.clientX, event.clientY), { signal });
link.addEventListener('pointermove', (event) => {
if (current !== link) return;
aim(link, event.clientX, event.clientY);
if (!frame) frame = requestAnimationFrame(glide);
}, { signal });
link.addEventListener('pointerleave', () => hide(), { signal });
}
link.addEventListener('focus', () => link.matches(':focus-visible') && show(link), { signal });
link.addEventListener('blur', () => hide(false), { signal });
link.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => event.key === 'Escape' && hide(false), { signal });
// A link stopped: the card lets go of it, and leaves with the last one
signal.addEventListener('abort', () => {
if (current === link) {
clearTimeout(shut);
open = false;
card.classList.remove('is-open');
current = null;
}
links -= 1;
if (links) return;
clearTimeout(shut);
cancelAnimationFrame(frame);
card.remove();
if (placed) group.style.position = '';
groups.delete(group);
});
};
return { add };
};
// One instance. Everything it starts is tied to `signal`, so kodza:destroy stops it all
function mount(link, signal) {
if (!link.dataset.previewImage && !link.dataset.previewTitle) return;
const group = link.closest('.kodza-link-preview-text') || link.parentElement;
if (!groups.has(group)) groups.set(group, makeGroup(group));
groups.get(group).add(link, signal);
}
// Kodza lifecycle, the same in every component: `kodza:init` starts the instances inside
// event.detail.root (the whole page by default), `kodza:destroy` stops them and puts their
// markup back. For themes and apps that swap content without a page load.
const instances = new WeakMap();
const find = (scope = document) => [scope, ...scope.querySelectorAll(SELECTOR)].filter((el) => el.matches?.(SELECTOR));
const init = (scope) => find(scope).forEach((root) => {
if (root.classList.contains('is-ready')) return; // already running, maybe from another copy of this script
const controller = new AbortController();
instances.set(root, { controller, html: root.innerHTML, attrs: [...root.attributes].map((a) => [a.name, a.value]) });
mount(root, controller.signal);
root.classList.add('is-ready');
});
const destroy = (scope) => find(scope).forEach((root) => {
const instance = instances.get(root);
if (!instance) return;
instances.delete(root);
instance.controller.abort();
[...root.attributes].forEach((a) => root.removeAttribute(a.name));
instance.attrs.forEach(([name, value]) => root.setAttribute(name, value));
root.innerHTML = instance.html;
});
document.addEventListener('kodza:init', (event) => init(event.detail?.root));
document.addEventListener('kodza:destroy', (event) => destroy(event.detail?.root));
init();
// Loaded in <head>, the script runs before the markup exists: once more when it is parsed
if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => init(), { once: true });
})();
'use client';
// Kodza — Link Preview, for React. From https://kodza.dev/components/link-preview/
// Kodza License: free to use, client work included. Not to resell or redistribute, ported or not: https://kodza.dev/docs/#print-license
// Next to this file: link-preview.css and link-preview.js, the component's CSS and JS from Kodza, as they are.
// Yours to edit: the markup is plain JSX below.
// In Kodza's markup it sits in a <p class="kodza-link-preview-text">, which the CSS and the script use too:
// put yours in one for the same result.
// The script changes this markup once React has rendered it (it adds layers, splits text, moves
// nodes), so React must not patch it afterwards. When a prop changes, the key gives React a fresh
// element: kodza:destroy stops the script on the old one, kodza:init starts it on the new one.
import { useRef, useEffect, type ComponentPropsWithoutRef, type ComponentRef, type CSSProperties } from 'react';
import './link-preview.css';
export type LinkPreviewProps = Omit<ComponentPropsWithoutRef<'a'>, "children" | "vars" | "previewImage" | "previewTitle" | "previewUrl"> & {
/** data-preview-image on the root (default: https://kodza.dev/media/kz-arch-1400.webp) */
previewImage?: "https://kodza.dev/media/kz-arch-1400.webp" | "https://kodza.dev/media/kz-columns-1400.webp" | "https://kodza.dev/media/kz-steps-1400.webp";
/** data-preview-title on the root (default: The arch) */
previewTitle?: "The arch" | "Seven columns, no meetings" | "Stairs that lead nowhere";
/** data-preview-url on the root (default: kodza.dev/rooms/arch) */
previewUrl?: "kodza.dev/rooms/arch" | "kodza.dev/rooms/columns" | "kodza.dev/rooms/stairs";
/** Settings, as CSS variables on the root */
vars?: {
/** default: color-mix(in srgb, currentColor 30%, transparent) */
"--kz-preview-line"?: string | number;
};
/** The text, plain: the script reads it and rebuilds the markup around it */
children?: string;
className?: string;
};
export function LinkPreview({ previewImage = "https://kodza.dev/media/kz-arch-1400.webp", previewTitle = "The arch", previewUrl = "kodza.dev/rooms/arch", vars, children = "an arch", className, style, ...rest }: LinkPreviewProps) {
const ref = useRef<ComponentRef<'a'>>(null);
const classes = ["kodza-link-preview", className].filter(Boolean).join(' ');
// Everything the markup is made of: when it changes, React gets a fresh element (see the top)
const key = JSON.stringify([classes, previewImage, previewTitle, previewUrl, vars, children, style, rest]);
// Starts the script on this element once React has rendered it, stops it when it goes
useEffect(() => {
const root = ref.current;
let live = true;
// @ts-ignore: a plain script, no types to find
import('./link-preview.js').then(() => {
if (live) document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('kodza:init', { detail: { root } }));
});
return () => {
live = false;
document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('kodza:destroy', { detail: { root } }));
};
}, [key]);
return (
<a href="#" key={key} {...rest} className={classes} data-preview-image={previewImage} data-preview-title={previewTitle} data-preview-url={previewUrl} style={{ ...vars, ...style } as CSSProperties} ref={ref}>{children}</a>
);
}
Checked
Robots poked at it before you did. Every component goes through the same checks, and again each time it changes.