What is a custom cursor effect?
It's a design element that follows the mouse across the site. The best ones keep a precise dot exactly where the pointer is — so visitors never lose where they're clicking — and add a larger shape that moves with a little delay, giving the interface a fluid, premium feel.
Follower's signature is velocity-based deformation (squash and stretch, a classic animation principle): while the cursor moves, the circle stretches toward where it's going; when it stops, it becomes a perfect circle again.
How to add a custom cursor in WordPress
- In your dashboard, go to Pro Effects → Cursors.
- Turn on Follower.
- Choose the size, the smoothing, the color, and whether it deforms with speed and fills on hover.
- Save. The cursor applies to the whole site on desktop.
No widget to place on each page. Only one cursor is active at a time — enabling a different one turns the previous off.
Settings you can adjust
| Setting | Options | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Size | S (32 px), M (46 px), L (64 px) | M |
| Smoothing | Tight, Smooth, Lazy (how much the circle lags) | Smooth |
| Velocity deformation | Squash & stretch on/off | On |
| Fill on hover | Fills solid over links and buttons, or just grows | On |
| System cursor | Show the normal OS pointer too | Off |
| Color | Any color for outline, fill and dot | Lime green |
Usability first
- The dot tracks the pointer 1:1, without lag or deformation, so clicking stays precise.
- On touch devices the effect doesn't activate — phones and tablets keep their normal behavior.
- It respects reduced motion: lag and deformation turn off for visitors who ask for less motion.
Other cursor styles
Pro Effects includes several cursors, each with its own personality: Dot Ring (the sober base), Magnetic (elements pull toward it), Blob (liquid metaball shapes) and Blend (a ring that inverts colors beneath it). Browse them in the effects gallery.
Related effects
- Magnetic Button — buttons that move toward the cursor.
- Image Trail — images that appear along the mouse path.
