A CSS box shadow generator lets you visually design shadow effects for HTML elements without writing code by hand. Box shadows add depth, elevation, and visual hierarchy to cards, buttons, modals, and other UI components. This free tool lets you adjust horizontal and vertical offset, blur, spread, color, and opacity in real time, layer multiple shadows, and export production-ready CSS instantly.
Shadow Layers
Preset Shadows
Live Preview
CSS Output
box-shadow: 5px 5px 15px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.20);
How to Use the CSS Box Shadow Generator
The CSS box-shadow property is essential for adding depth and dimension to web page elements. Writing box-shadow values by hand requires guessing pixel offsets, blur amounts, and opacity levels, then refreshing the browser to see results. This free CSS box shadow generator gives you visual controls to design perfect shadows with instant live preview and one-click CSS export.
Step 1: Adjust Shadow Values
Use the range sliders to set the horizontal and vertical offset (how far the shadow shifts from the element), blur radius (how soft or sharp the shadow edge appears), and spread radius (how much larger or smaller the shadow is compared to the element). Each slider updates the preview in real time so you can see exactly how your changes look.
Step 2: Choose Shadow Color and Opacity
Pick a shadow color using the color picker or enter a hex code directly. Adjust the opacity slider to control how transparent the shadow appears. Lower opacity values create subtle, natural-looking shadows while higher values produce bold, dramatic effects. The tool combines your color and opacity into an rgba() value automatically.
Step 3: Layer Multiple Shadows
Click Add Layer to create up to 4 shadow layers on a single element. Professional UI designs often use multiple shadows to create realistic depth. For example, a subtle close shadow combined with a larger diffused shadow mimics how light works in the real world. Each layer has independent controls for full creative freedom.
Step 4: Use Presets for Quick Starts
Browse the curated preset shadows covering common design patterns like subtle card shadows, elevated floating effects, heavy drop shadows, and layered depth effects. Click any preset to load it into the editor, then fine-tune the values to match your design system. Presets are a great starting point for building consistent shadow styles across your project.
Step 5: Preview and Copy
Toggle between light and dark preview backgrounds to see how your shadow looks in different contexts. Change the preview shape between square, rounded, and circle to match your use case. When you are satisfied, click Copy CSS to copy the complete box-shadow property to your clipboard. The code is production-ready and works in all modern browsers.
FAQ
Is this CSS box shadow generator free?
Yes, the CSS Box Shadow Generator is completely free with no limits. All shadow calculations and previews run locally in your browser. There is no account to create and no software to install.
Is my data safe when using this tool?
Absolutely. Everything runs locally in your browser. No data is sent to any server. Your design work stays entirely on your device and is never stored or transmitted anywhere.
What is the CSS box-shadow property?
The CSS box-shadow property adds shadow effects around an element's frame. It accepts values for horizontal offset, vertical offset, blur radius, spread radius, and color. You can also set it to inset to create inner shadows, and layer multiple shadows by separating them with commas.
How do I add multiple shadows to one element?
Click the Add Shadow Layer button to add up to 4 shadow layers. Each layer has its own offset, blur, spread, and color controls. Multiple shadows are combined with commas in the CSS output, and they stack visually with the first shadow rendered on top.
What is the difference between blur and spread in box-shadow?
Blur radius controls how soft or diffused the shadow appears. A higher blur makes the shadow more spread out and faded. Spread radius controls the size of the shadow. Positive spread makes the shadow larger than the element, while negative spread makes it smaller.
What does the inset keyword do in box-shadow?
The inset keyword changes the shadow from an outer shadow to an inner shadow. Instead of appearing outside the element, the shadow renders inside it, creating a sunken or pressed-in visual effect commonly used for input fields and buttons.
Can I use box-shadow for all browsers?
Yes, the box-shadow property is supported in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. No vendor prefixes are needed. The CSS output from this tool works immediately in any current browser.
How do I copy the generated CSS code?
Click the Copy CSS button next to the code output to copy the complete box-shadow property to your clipboard. The code is production-ready and can be pasted directly into your stylesheet or inline styles.