What is a terminal GIF?

An animated GIF that looks like a terminal session, useful for showing CLI commands in documentation without video players.

Do I need to record my screen?

No. Paste or type pseudo-terminal output and export a GIF directly in the browser.

What can I use the GIF for?

README demos, blog posts, changelogs, onboarding docs, and social posts.

Ctrl+K

Terminal GIF Maker

Replays pseudo-terminal output and records it as a GIF animation for download.

Script

Preview

How to use

About this tool

This terminal GIF maker turns pseudo-terminal output into a downloadable animated GIF—without recording your screen. Paste or type the commands and output you want to show, preview the session, and export a GIF you can drop into a README, changelog, blog post, or product demo. It is built for developers and technical writers who need a lightweight way to illustrate CLI workflows. Because the animation is generated in the browser from text you provide, you avoid noisy screen captures, unnecessary UI chrome, and large video files. The tool is free and requires no registration. Use it when a short, looping terminal demo communicates faster than a static code block.

How to use

1. Enter a tagged script in the script field (see tag list below) 2. Click Play to preview; use Pause and Play from start to control 3. Click Record to record as GIF while playing; download starts when finished Lines starting with ; are comments. Empty lines are rendered as blank lines.

Options

Tag list (line-start only; colon optional for defaults)

Tag	Description	Example
`[prompt]` / `[prompt:val] text`	Prompt. Text after = typed like cmd. Value = prompt; default: "~ $ " or previous	`[prompt:/ $] npm run`
`[cmd]` / `[cmd:ms] value`	Command input. Default: 60ms/char	`[cmd] echo hello` `[cmd:100] slow`
No tag	Output	`Hello World`
`[wait]` / `[wait:ms]`	Wait	`[wait:500]`
`[progress]` / `[progress:ms] label`	Progress bar. ms = time to 100%. Default 2000ms	`[progress:3000] Installing...`
`[spinner]` / `[spinner:ms] label`	Spinner. ms = display time. Default 1500ms. Clears when done	`[spinner] Loading`
`[clear]`	Clear screen	`[clear]`
`[question]` / `[question:ms]Q[answer]` / `[answer:ms]A`	Question + answer	`[question]Name?[answer]Bob`
`[color:name]...[/color]`	Text color (black,red,green,yellow,blue,purple,cyan,gray only)	`[color:red]error[/color]`
`[color:name:r]...[/color]`	Background (same as color) + white text	`[color:green:r] OK [/color]`
`[bold]...[/bold]`	Inline bold	`[bold]bold[/bold]`
`;` line start	Comment (ignored)	`; comment`

Use cases

• CLI demo GIFs for README and documentation • Tutorial and how-to illustrations • Tool and library usage examples • Blog posts and presentation slides

Code Examples

Basic script example

Read Only

1[prompt]
2[cmd] echo hello
3Hello World
4[wait:500]

With color, bold, progress

Read Only

1[prompt]
2[cmd] npm install
3[color:green]✓[/color] installed [bold]successfully[/bold]
4[progress:2000]
5Done.

Privacy and data

Playback and GIF generation happen entirely in the browser; no scripts or GIFs are sent to any server.

FAQ

Q: What is a terminal GIF?: A: An animated GIF that looks like a terminal session, useful for showing CLI commands in documentation without video players.
Q: Do I need to record my screen?: A: No. Paste or type pseudo-terminal output and export a GIF directly in the browser.
Q: What can I use the GIF for?: A: README demos, blog posts, changelogs, onboarding docs, and social posts.
Q: Is it free?: A: Yes. No signup required.