Animated Grid Pattern

A grid of dots pulses or glows in waves.

Add a "Dot Pattern Glow" background (also called a dotted glow background or dot grid) to [where].
A fine grid of dots should stay still while a soft band of glow sweeps slowly across it, lighting the dots it passes: calm and subtle.
Keep the dots faint enough that content on top stays readable, and stop the glow for users who prefer reduced motion.

A skewed grid of tiles lights up in color as the pointer passes over them.

Add a "Background Boxes" effect (also called a tile hover background) to [where].
Fill the area with a skewed grid of tiles; each tile the pointer passes over should light up instantly and then fade back slowly, leaving a short trail.
Keep the tiles behind the content so they don't block clicks on it, and on touch devices light the tapped tile instead.

A tilted perspective grid scrolls toward the viewer like a synthwave floor.

Add a "Retro Grid" background (also called a perspective grid or synthwave grid) to [where].
A grid floor tilted away in perspective should scroll steadily toward the viewer and fade out into the horizon: smooth and endless.
Make the loop seamless so the lines never jump, and stop the scrolling for users who prefer reduced motion.

Soft blurred bands of color drift like an aurora behind content.

Add an "Aurora Background" (also called a northern lights gradient) to [where].
Soft, blurry bands of color should drift and sway slowly behind the content, overlapping and blending like northern lights: very slow and dreamy.
Keep the text on top readable, avoid re-blurring the bands on every frame so it stays smooth, and stop the drift for users who prefer reduced motion.

Thin glowing lines travel along paths, sometimes exploding when they hit a surface.

Add a "Background Beams" effect (also called light beams or background lines) to [where].
Faint curved paths should sit in the background while short glowing streaks travel along them one after another, at a calm, steady pace.
Stagger the beams so they never move in lockstep, keep them behind the content, and stop them for users who prefer reduced motion.