Skip to content

Definition

What is a blurhash?

Short answer

A compact placeholder representation of an image that displays while the full image loads.

Full definition

A blurhash is a short string (~30 characters) that encodes a heavily-blurred version of an image. The browser decodes it into a soft-color placeholder that appears immediately, then the real image fades in over the top once it has loaded. Blurhashes prevent the empty-grey-box flash of a slow image load and make galleries feel polished on slow connections.

Related terms

More from 12img

Try 12img Pro free for 14 days

Galleries, contracts, invoicing, video — all in one place. No card required.

Start 14-Day Pro Trial