Description
WP Preloader displays a beautiful loading screen while your website loads — and fades it out smoothly once the page is ready.
Version 2.0 is a complete rewrite with modern features, improved performance, and full WordPress 6.x compatibility.
✨ What’s New in v2.0
- Auto-inject — No shortcode or theme file editing needed. Just activate and go.
- 5 built-in CSS spinners — Circle, Ring, Dots, Bars, and Pulse. No image required.
- Live preview in the admin settings panel
- Fade-out animation — Smooth and configurable
- Minimum display time — Control how long the preloader stays on screen
- Disable for logged-in users — Admins won’t see the preloader
- Disable on mobile — Optional, for faster mobile experience
- Exclude specific pages — Skip the preloader on chosen pages
- Background opacity control — Solid or semi-transparent overlay
- Custom image / GIF support — Still supported for those who prefer it
- PHP 8.x compatible
- WordPress 6.x compatible
🎨 Spinner Styles
- Circle — Classic rotating arc
- Ring — Dual-color spinning ring
- Dots — Three bouncing dots
- Bars — Four animated wave bars
- Pulse — Ripple / sonar effect
⚙️ Settings
All settings are available under Settings WP Preloader in your WordPress admin.
- Enable / disable the preloader
- Choose spinner type and color
- Set background color and opacity
- Upload a custom GIF or image (optional)
- Set minimum display time (ms)
- Set fade-out animation duration (ms)
- Disable for logged-in users
- Disable on mobile devices
- Exclude specific pages by slug or ID
Backward Compatibility
The legacy shortcode [new_loader] from v1.0 is still supported but no longer required.
Screenshots
Admin Settings Panel with Live Preview 
Circle Spinner on dark background 
Dots Spinner example 
Bars Spinner example 
Pulse Spinner example
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to
/wp-content/plugins/wp-preloader/, or install via Plugins Add New in WordPress admin. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
- Go to Settings WP Preloader to configure.
- That’s it — no theme file editing required!
FAQ
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Do I need to edit my theme files?
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No. WP Preloader v2.0 automatically injects the preloader HTML using WordPress hooks. No shortcode or header.php editing needed.
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Does it work with page builders like Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder?
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Yes. The preloader is injected at the WordPress level and works with any theme or page builder.
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Can I still use a GIF image?
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Yes. Upload your GIF via Settings WP Preloader Custom Image. When an image is set, it replaces the CSS spinner.
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Will logged-in admins see the preloader?
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By default, no. The “Disable for Logged-in Users” option is enabled by default so admins don’t see it while editing.
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How do I exclude a page?
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Go to Settings WP Preloader and enter page slugs or IDs (comma-separated) in the “Excluded Pages” field. Example:
contact, 42, about-us -
The preloader doesn’t go away — what’s wrong?
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There is a built-in 8-second failsafe — the preloader will always disappear after 8 seconds even if the page fails to fully load. If you’re having issues, try increasing the “Minimum Display Time” or check for JavaScript errors in your browser console.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“WP Preloader” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “WP Preloader” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.0.0
- Complete rewrite for WordPress 6.x and PHP 8.x compatibility
- Added auto-injection via wp_body_open / wp_footer hooks (no shortcode needed)
- Added 5 CSS-only spinner styles: Circle, Ring, Dots, Bars, Pulse
- Added live preview in admin settings panel
- Added spinner color picker
- Added background opacity control
- Added minimum display time setting
- Added fade-out duration control
- Added disable for logged-in users option
- Added disable on mobile option
- Added excluded pages option
- Added custom image width control
- Added 8-second failsafe timeout
- Improved security: nonces, sanitization, escaping throughout
- Improved admin UI with toggle switches and card layout
- Backward compatible: legacy [new_loader] shortcode still works
1.0
- First Release