Glimmerwake – Seasonal Cursor Trails

1. 01In your dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin, search for “Glimmerwake”, then install and activate it. You can also upload the glimmerwake folder to /wp-content/plugins/ and activate it on the Plugins screen.
2. 02Go to Settings > Glimmerwake.
3. 03Check “Show the effect on the site”, choose an effect, adjust it with the live preview, and select Save Changes.

The effect stays off until you enable it.

Does it respect the “reduce motion” setting?

Yes. If a visitor’s device or browser asks to reduce motion, the effect does not start. If they switch that setting on while a page is open, the effect stops. On the settings screen, the live preview waits until you select “Play preview”.

Does it work with caching plugins?

Yes. Every visitor receives the same HTML. The decisions that differ per visitor, such as reduced motion and touch screen versus mouse, are made in the visitor’s browser, so a cached page is safe to share. A seasonal effect’s end time is checked again in the browser, so a cached page does not keep showing an effect that has ended. After you change the settings, clear your page cache so visitors get the new version.

If a plugin combines or minifies JavaScript, keep gsct-engine.js before gsct-frontend.js . If it delays JavaScript until the visitor interacts with the page, the effect starts after that first interaction.

Why does the trail stop over videos and maps?

Embedded videos, maps and other content from other websites run in frames that do not pass pointer movement to your page. The trail pauses while the pointer is over them and continues when the pointer leaves.

Does it show on the login page?

No. The standard WordPress login and registration screens never load it. If your site has a custom login page built as a normal page, add that page to “Excluded content”.

Does it work with page builders?

Yes. It stays out of the Elementor, Divi, Bricks, Beaver Builder and Oxygen editors and previews, and out of the Customizer preview, so it never gets in your way while you design. Your published pages show the effect.

The effect appears above or below my header, cookie banner or chat button. Can I change that?

Yes. The layer uses z-index: 9999 by default. Add this CSS, for example in Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS or in the Site Editor’s Additional CSS, and change the number:

:root { --gsct-z-index: 50; }

Whatever its position, the layer never blocks clicks.

What happens on phones and tablets?

Touch screens never show a trail. With “Tap sparkle” selected, a short burst appears where a finger taps. Choose “Off” to show nothing on touch screens. Tapping never blocks scrolling, links or buttons.

Will it slow down my site?

The scripts are small, load deferred in the footer, and load only on pages where the effect shows. The animation draws at most 190 particles and stops completely when there is nothing left to draw.

What happens to my settings when I delete the plugin?

Deactivating the plugin keeps your settings. Deleting it removes them, unless you check “Keep these settings when the plugin is deleted”. On a multisite network, each site keeps or removes its own settings.