Interaction extension · Pro
Hover a project name and its photo appears beside the cursor and trails it. Image Hover adds this to Elementor 4 headings, buttons, cards and containers with one switch, an image and a motion preset.
The nearest free option is Elementor 4's own hover state on Classes, which can restyle colors, borders and backgrounds, but cannot add an image that follows the cursor.
The short answer
Image Hover is an Animation Addons for Elementor extension that adds an Elementor image hover reveal: when a visitor hovers an element, a floating image appears and follows the cursor. You choose the image, its size and offset from the cursor, and one of five motion presets, from an "Image Reveal on Hover" section in the Elementor 4 panel.
| Plan | Pro |
|---|---|
| Type | Interaction (cursor) |
| Works on | Elementor 4 Heading, Paragraph, Button, Image, SVG, Flexbox, Div Block and Grid, plus Animation Addons atomic widgets such as Advanced Heading, Button, Flip Box and Loop Grid. The image belongs to the whole element, not to items inside it. |
| Main controls | Enable, Hover Image, Animation Preset (None, Magnetic Lag, Spring Bounce, Tilt 3D, Trail Ghost, Elastic Snap), Width (px), Height (px), Top (px), Left (px), Z-Index, Enable in Editor |
| Engine | GSAP (runtime in Animation Addons Pro) |
| Editor preview | Enable in Editor (off by default) adds a Play button for testing on the canvas. |
| Limits | One hover image per element (for a list, use one Heading or Div Block per row). Sizes in px only. No hover on touch screens. Without an active Pro licence, settings save but nothing shows. Elementor 4.0+. |
| Plugin version | Animation Addons for Elementor 4.3 · Last updated October 2026 |
Demo variations
Every demo uses Image Hover from Animation Addons Pro on Elementor 4's own elements. The settings on each card are a good place to start.
Large project names on black; each reveals its photo trailing the cursor.
Hovering a dish name shows that dish's photo following the cursor.
Hovering a name in a staff list shows that person's portrait beside the cursor.
A short text-only list of hand-picked guides; each title shows its cover image at the cursor.
Hovering the button shows the product photo at the cursor.
A two-column list of locations; each shows its landscape photo with a plain follow.
Features
Every point below is a real control in the Image Hover panel section or part of how it works. Nothing here needs custom code.
Animation Preset offers five motion styles for the floating image: Magnetic Lag, Spring Bounce, Tilt 3D, Trail Ghost and Elastic Snap. Choose None for a plain follow, and preview each with the Play button.
Hover Image uses the WordPress media picker, so each element can show its own image.
Width (px) and Height (px) set the size (300 × 300 by default). Top (px) and Left (px) adjust where the image sits, so you can keep it clear of the text being hovered.
Z-Index decides whether the floating image sits over cards, sticky headers or other layers.
Enable works per breakpoint, so the effect can stay off on touch screens. Enable in Editor runs it inside Elementor with a Play button, so you can check size and position without leaving the editor.
Step by step
Six steps from switching it on to publishing. The bold names are the exact labels you will see on screen.
Get Animation Addons ProIn WordPress, open Animation Addon › Settings › Extensions and check that Image Hover is on.
Edit the page in Elementor 4 and select the heading, button, card or container that should trigger the image.
Open the Image Reveal on Hover section and turn on Enable.
Choose a Hover Image and an Animation Preset, then set Width (px), Height (px), Top (px) and Left (px).
Raise Z-Index if the image hides behind other elements.
Turn on Enable in Editor and press Play to test, switch Enable off for tablet and mobile if you like, then publish.
Honest comparison
Elementor 4 gives you a free hover state on Classes (Normal, Hover, Focus, Active), which is the right tool for color, border and background changes. Elementor Pro's Interactions add a Hover trigger for fade, slide and scale effects. Neither makes an image follow the cursor.
| Need | Elementor 4 hover state / Interactions | Animation Addons Image Hover |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Hover state free; Hover trigger in Pro Interactions | Animation Addons Pro (works with Elementor Free) |
| Floating image that follows the cursor | No | Yes |
| Motion feel for the follow | No | 5 presets via Animation Preset |
| Different image per element | No | Hover Image per element |
| Different on/off per device | Free Interactions apply to all devices; per-breakpoint is Pro | Enable per breakpoint |
Compared with Elementor 4.3.3 (September 2026).
Building this by hand means custom mouse-tracking and easing code; Image Hover replaces it with panel controls.
Who it's for
The people who get the most out of it, and what they use it for.
Turning a plain project list into a portfolio people remember.
That want visitors to see the dish or product without leaving the list.
Keeping a fast text index while still showing cover images.
That reuse the same effect across many client sites without custom JavaScript.
FAQ
For a static style change, use Elementor 4's hover state on a Class. For an image that appears and follows the cursor, select the element, open Animation Addons' Image Reveal on Hover section, turn on Enable, pick a Hover Image and set its size and offset. Image Hover is part of Animation Addons Pro.
Yes. That is exactly what the Animation Addons Image Hover extension does: the image follows the cursor while it is over the element. The Animation Preset control sets how it follows, with Magnetic Lag, Spring Bounce, Tilt 3D, Trail Ghost or Elastic Snap, or None for a plain follow.
Touch screens have no hover, so a cursor-following image has nothing to follow. The Animation Addons Image Hover Enable switch is set per breakpoint, so turn it off on tablet and mobile and make sure the content still makes sense without the image, for example with a visible thumbnail on small screens.
Animation Addons Image Hover appears on Elementor 4 Heading, Paragraph, Button, Image, SVG, Flexbox, Div Block and Grid, and on Animation Addons atomic widgets. Each element gets one image, so build lists as one Heading or Div Block per row. It needs Elementor 4.0+ and an active Animation Addons Pro licence; without it, settings save but nothing shows.
With Animation Addons Image Hover, the hover image is decoration; the heading or link stays in the HTML, so search engines and screen readers read it as normal. Keep key information in the text, since keyboard and touch users will not see the image. Animation Addons Pro also includes a Reduced Motion option.
Yes. In the Animation Addons Image Hover section, turn on Enable in Editor and a Play button appears, so you can test the image's size, position and preset on the canvas without opening a preview tab. Image Hover works with Elementor Free 4.0 or later; it needs Animation Addons Pro, not Elementor Pro.
Animation Addons loads only the scripts the features on a page need, and the hover image loads from your Media Library like any other image. Keep hover images reasonably sized and compressed. Animation Addons Pro also adds Lazy Animation and a Performance Wizard for animation-heavy pages.
More answers in the FAQ · Documentation · Free vs Pro
Pairs well with
What works well with Image Hover on the same page or template.
A text label that follows the cursor instead of an image, for "View" or "Drag" hints.
Add a 3D tilt to the card the image reveals from.
Reveal images on scroll instead of on hover.
Pair a hover list with a full post or project grid.
A full portfolio layout to pair with hover previews.
Elementor 4's free hover state covers color and background changes; upgrade for images that follow the cursor.
