How to make an animated arrow
Last updated 2026-10-31
An animated arrow points the viewer at something by moving: it draws itself on, slides in or pops into place, then leaves. Make one from an arrow shape, point it at the target, and start it on the word that names the thing. In Woven Video, a Mac editor, add an Arrow from the Shapes library and set its In animation to Draw, which grows the line first and then the head.
Straight, hand-drawn or curved
The kind of arrow sets the tone. A straight arrow looks precise, which suits screen recordings, diagrams and product features. A hand-drawn arrow looks personal, which suits talking-head videos and social posts. A curved arrow can point around an object or from a caption to a face.
| Arrow | Feels | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | Precise, technical | Screen recordings, diagrams, product features |
| Hand-drawn | Casual, personal | Talking-head videos, tutorials, social posts |
| Curved | Playful | Pointing around an object, or from text to a face |
Ways to animate an arrow
Pick one entrance and use it for every arrow in the video. Mixing styles makes each arrow feel like a different idea.
- Draw on. The line grows from tail to tip, then the head appears. It reads as someone pointing while they explain, so it suits tutorials.
- Slide in. The arrow travels toward its target. Good when it should feel like it is arriving at the spot.
- Pop. The arrow snaps into place with a small bounce. It suits fast social edits.
- A gentle loop. A small float or pulse while the arrow is on screen keeps eyes on it as you talk.
Timing and placement
Start the arrow as you say the thing, not before. Keep the entrance short, half a second to a second, hold it while you talk about the target, then take it away so it doesn't clutter the next shot.
Point at the target from open space, not across a face or a line of text. On a vertical video, keep the arrow inside the safe zone, clear of the app's own buttons at the edges.
Stock arrow clips or your own
Downloadable animated arrows come as GIFs, green-screen clips or videos with a transparent background. They save drawing time, but they rarely match your colors or point exactly where you need them.
An arrow you make in your editor can be recolored, turned and retimed for each shot, and it stays sharp at any size.
Make an animated arrow in Woven
Ask in chat and the agent adds the arrow, points it at the target and times it to your words: "point an arrow at the Export button when I say export, and have it draw on". By hand, arrows come from the Shapes library: Arrow on the Basic shelf for a straight one, and Arrow or Arc arrow on the Hand-drawn shelf for a sketched one. An arrow has one head. Aim a Basic Arrow by dragging its ends, and turn a hand-drawn one with its rotate handle.
Ask in chat
- Point a red arrow at the price tag at 0:08 and have it draw on.
- Add a hand-drawn arc arrow from my caption to my face and erase it after two seconds.
- Make the arrow pulse gently while I talk about the button.
Or do it by hand
- 1Add the arrow. Click the + (Add) button in the toolbar, choose Shapes, and click Arrow on the Basic or Hand-drawn shelf. It appears at the playhead for 3 seconds.
- 2Aim it. For a Basic Arrow, drag its tip onto the target and its tail into open space: the two end handles set its length and angle together. A hand-drawn Arrow or Arc arrow has corner handles and a rotate handle, so size it and turn it until it points at the target.
- 3Style it. In the Style tab, set Stroke and Stroke color, or Width and Stroke color in the Brush section of a hand-drawn arrow. On a Basic Arrow the head grows with the stroke. Turn on Shadow so a thin arrow stays visible over busy footage.
- 4Animate it. On the Animation tab, set In to Draw and keep From at Start, so the line grows first and the head follows, and set its Duration. Set Out to Erase or Fade Out. For a nudge while it is on screen, set Loop to Pulse or Float.
- 5Time it. Drag the arrow on the timeline so it starts on the word, and drag its end to where you move on.
Common questions
Add an arrow shape on a layer above your footage, point it at the target and set when it appears. In Woven, choose Arrow in the Shapes library, or ask the agent in chat.
Use a draw-on entrance, which grows the line from tail to tip. In Woven, set the arrow's In animation to Draw, and the head appears after the line.
Yes. Woven's Hand-drawn shelf has an Arc arrow that curves over to its tip. For a path of your own, draw it with the Draw tool and give it a Draw entrance.
Not in Woven: each arrow has one head. Put two arrows end to end, or draw a two-headed arrow with the Draw tool.
Stock sites offer arrow GIFs and green-screen clips. Making the arrow in your editor lets you match its color, angle and timing to each shot.
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