barba-js▌
freshtechbro/claudedesignskills · updated May 4, 2026
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Modern page transition library for creating fluid, smooth transitions between website pages. Barba.js makes multi-page websites feel like Single Page Applications (SPAs) by hijacking navigation and managing transitions without full page reloads.
Barba.js
Modern page transition library for creating fluid, smooth transitions between website pages. Barba.js makes multi-page websites feel like Single Page Applications (SPAs) by hijacking navigation and managing transitions without full page reloads.
Overview
Barba.js is a lightweight (7kb minified and compressed) JavaScript library that intercepts navigation between pages, fetches new content via AJAX, and smoothly transitions between old and new containers. It reduces page load delays and HTTP requests while maintaining the benefits of traditional multi-page architecture.
Core Features:
- Smooth page transitions without full reloads
- Lifecycle hooks for precise control over transition phases
- View-based logic for page-specific behaviors
- Built-in routing with @barba/router plugin
- Extensible plugin system
- Small footprint and high performance
- Framework-agnostic (works with vanilla JS, GSAP, anime.js, etc.)
Core Concepts
1. Wrapper, Container, and Namespace
Barba.js uses a specific DOM structure to manage transitions:
HTML Structure:
<body data-barba="wrapper">
<!-- Static elements (header, nav) stay outside container -->
<header>
<nav>
<a href="/">Home</a>
<a href="/about">About</a>
</nav>
</header>
<!-- Dynamic content goes in container -->
<main data-barba="container" data-barba-namespace="home">
<!-- This content changes on navigation -->
<h1>Home Page</h1>
<p>Content that will transition out...</p>
</main>
<!-- Static footer outside container -->
<footer>© 2025</footer>
</body>
Three Key Elements:
-
Wrapper (
data-barba="wrapper")- Outermost container
- Everything inside wrapper but outside container stays persistent
- Ideal for headers, navigation, footers that don't change
-
Container (
data-barba="container")- Dynamic content area that updates on navigation
- Only this section gets replaced during transitions
- Must exist on every page
-
Namespace (
data-barba-namespace="home")- Unique identifier for each page type
- Used in transition rules and view logic
- Examples: "home", "about", "product", "blog-post"
2. Transition Lifecycle
Barba.js follows a precise lifecycle for each navigation:
Default Async Flow:
- User clicks link
- Barba intercepts navigation
- Prefetch next page (via AJAX)
- Cache new content
- Leave hook - Animate current page out
- Wait for leave animation to complete
- Remove old container, insert new container
- Enter hook - Animate new page in
- Wait for enter animation to complete
- Update browser history
Sync Flow (with sync: true):
- User clicks link
- Barba intercepts navigation
- Prefetch next page
- Wait for new page to load
- Leave and Enter hooks run simultaneously (crossfade effect)
- Swap containers
- Update browser history
3. Hooks
Barba provides 11 lifecycle hooks for controlling transitions:
Hook Execution Order:
Initial page load:
beforeOnce → once → afterOnce
Every navigation:
before → beforeLeave → leave → afterLeave →
beforeEnter → enter → afterEnter → after
Hook Types:
- Global hooks: Run on every transition (
barba.hooks.before()) - Transition hooks: Defined within specific transition objects
- View hooks: Defined within view objects for page-specific logic
Common Hook Use Cases:
beforeLeave- Reset scroll position, prepare animationsleave- Animate current page outafterLeave- Clean up old pagebeforeEnter- Prepare new page (hide elements, set initial states)enter- Animate new page inafterEnter- Initialize page scripts, analytics tracking
4. Views
Views are page-specific logic containers that run based on namespace:
barba.init({
views: [{
namespace: 'home',
beforeEnter() {
// Home-specific setup
console.log('Entering home page');
},
afterEnter() {
// Initialize home page features
initHomeSlider();
}
}, {
namespace: 'product',
beforeEnter() {
console.log('Entering product page');
},
afterEnter() {
initProductGallery();
}
}]
});
Common Patterns
1. Basic Setup
Installation:
npm install --save-dev @barba/core
# or
yarn add @barba/core --dev
Minimal Configuration:
import barba from '@barba/core';
barba.init({
transitions: [{
name: 'default',
leave({ current }) {
// Fade out current page
return gsap.to(current.container, {
opacity: 0,
duration: 0.5
});
},
enter({ next }) {
// Fade in new page
return gsap.from(next.container, {
opacity: 0,
duration: 0.5
});
}
}]
});
2. Fade Transition (Async)
Classic fade-out, fade-in transition:
import barba from '@barba/core';
import gsap from 'gsap';
barba.init({
transitions: [{
name: 'fade',
async leave({ current }) {
await gsap.to(current.container, {
opacity: 0,
duration: 0.5,
ease: 'power2.inOut'
});
},
async enter({ next }) {
// Start invisible
gsap.set(next.container, { opacity: 0 });
// Fade in
await gsap.to(next.container, {
opacity: 1,
duration: 0.5,
ease: 'power2.inOut'
});
}
}]
});
3. Crossfade Transition (Sync)
Simultaneous fade between pages:
how to use barba-jsHow to use barba-js on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
1Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version)- ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add barba-js
2Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
$npx skills add https://github.com/freshtechbro/claudedesignskills --skill barba-jsThe skills CLI fetches
barba-jsfrom GitHub repositoryfreshtechbro/claudedesignskillsand configures it for Cursor.3Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
◆ Which agents do you want to install to?││ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────│ • Amp│ • Antigravity│ • Cline│ • Codex│ ●Cursor(selected)│ • Cursor│ • Windsurf4Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
.cursor/skills/barba-jsReload or restart Cursor to activate barba-js. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g.,
/barba-js) or your agent's skill management interface.⚠Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
Additional Resources
GET_STARTED →List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
✓Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
✓Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
✓Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
✓Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.4★★★★★41 reviews
Useful defaults in barba-js — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
barba-js is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
I recommend barba-js for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
Keeps context tight: barba-js is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
barba-js is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
Useful defaults in barba-js — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
barba-js has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
Keeps context tight: barba-js is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
barba-js is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
Keeps context tight: barba-js is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
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