=== Ultimate Cursor – Interactive and Animated Cursor and Background Effects Toolkit ===
Version: 2.2.2
Author: WPXERO
Author URI: https://wpxero.com/plugins/ultimate-cursor
Donate link: https://wpxero.com/plugins/ultimate-cursor/pricing
Contributors: WPXERO
Tags: cursor, mouse, pointer, custom cursor, cursor plugin
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 7.0
Stable tag: 2.2.2
Requires PHP: 7.4
License: GPL3
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html

**Enhance your site with Ultimate Cursor Plugin—customize your cursor pointer with icons, text & images, plus stunning background effects.**✅

== Description ==

https://youtu.be/mGOVAyi9ip4

== THE #1 CUSTOM CURSOR & BACKGROUND EFFECTS PLUGIN FOR WORDPRESS WEBSITES POWERING OVER 3000+ ACTIVE SITES WORLDWIDE. ==

Transform your **WordPress website** and captivate your audience with the **Ultimate Cursor Plugin**, the all-in-one solution for creating **custom cursors** and **stunning background effects** that enhance user interactions. This **feature-rich WordPress plugin** allows you to integrate **dynamic icons**, **interactive text**, **engaging images**, and **animated background effects** directly into your website, delivering an unforgettable browsing experience.

Designed for **all WordPress users**, the Ultimate Cursor Plugin works seamlessly with **Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery, and other page builders**. It allows you to add a personalized, interactive mouse cursor and captivating background animations that align with your **brand identity** and boost **website engagement**. Whether you're aiming to improve user navigation, increase interactivity, or add unique visual elements to your website with custom mouse effects and background animations, this plugin offers seamless customization right from the **WordPress interface**—no coding required.

Unlock all features with [Ultimate Cursor Pro](https://wpxero.com/plugins/ultimate-cursor/pricing).

### 🏆 **WHY PROFESSIONALS CHOOSE ULTIMATE CURSOR PRO**

Professional web designers and developers choose our premium version for:

✅ **Multiple Cursor Configurations** - Create different cursor effects for different parts of your website

✅ **Element-Specific Targeting** - Apply custom cursors to specific elements, buttons, or sections

✅ **Advanced Animation Controls** - Fine-tune every aspect of your cursor animations

✅ **Stunning Background Effects** - Add Antigravity, Pillar, and other animated background effects

✅ **Priority Support** - Get expert help when you need it most

✅ **Regular Premium Updates** - Access to the latest mouse / cursor effects and features first

### 🎯 **Key Features of Ultimate Cursor**

* **Advanced Animated Cursor Effects:** Transform your website with cutting-edge cursor animations including **bubble effects, snowflake patterns, splash cursors, character cursors, rainbow trails**, and dynamic cursor follow text functionality.

* **Comprehensive Cursor Type Library:** Access an extensive collection of cursor styles including **image cursors, icon cursors, shaped cursors, click spark effects, click particles**, and countless other animated cursor variations.

* **Interactive Visual Feedback:** Enhance user interactions with **click spark animations, particle burst effects**, and responsive cursor transformations that react to user movements and clicks.

* **Dynamic Character & Text Integration:** Implement **character cursors** and **cursor follow text** features that create engaging storytelling elements and interactive guidance throughout your website.

* **Stunning Visual Effects:** Deploy **rainbow cursor trails, snowflake animations, bubble cursors**, and splash effects that add magical, eye-catching elements to every mouse movement.

* **Seamless Integration with WordPress Page Builders:** Built to work with **Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery**, and other page builders, this plugin allows easy drag-and-drop customization of all advanced cursor animations.

* **Performance-Optimized Animations:** All cursor effects including **splash cursors, click particles, and shaped cursors** are lightweight and optimized to maintain fast loading speeds.

* **Selective Animation Application:** Apply specific cursor effects like **bubble cursors** to certain sections, **click spark** to buttons, and **rainbow trails** to navigation areas for targeted visual impact.

* **Multi-Effect Combinations:** Layer multiple cursor animations simultaneously - combine **snowflake effects with character cursors**, or **splash animations with click particles** for truly unique experiences.

* ** Stunning Icon Library**: Replace the standard cursor with a wide array of icons. From custom designs to classic arrows, create an interactive element that grabs your visitors' attention.

* **Works for All WordPress Users**: Compatible with **Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery, and other page builders**. Customize the cursor directly in your preferred page builder or via the WordPress Customizer.

* ** Advanced Conditional Logic:** Apply different cursor effects based on specific pages, CSS selectors, HTML elements, user roles, device types, and custom conditions for precise targeting.

### 🌟 **Background Effects Features**

* **Antigravity Background Effect:** Create mesmerizing floating particle animations that defy gravity, adding depth and movement to your website sections with customizable particle density, speed, and colors.

* **Pillar Background Effect:** Implement stunning vertical pillar animations that create a dynamic, architectural visual effect perfect for hero sections, landing pages, and feature showcases.

* **Customizable Animation Settings:** Fine-tune background effect parameters including animation speed, particle count, color schemes, opacity levels, and interaction behaviors.

* **Section-Specific Application:** Apply different background effects to specific sections, pages, or elements for targeted visual enhancement without affecting overall site performance.

* **Responsive Background Animations:** All background effects are fully responsive and optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop devices ensuring consistent visual experiences across all screen sizes.

* **Performance-Optimized Rendering:** Background animations are GPU-accelerated and optimized to maintain smooth 60fps performance without impacting page load times or user experience.

### 🔥 **UPGRADE TO PRO AND UNLOCK PREMIUM FEATURES**

Take your website to the next level with [Ultimate Cursor Pro](https://wpxero.com/plugins/ultimate-cursor/pricing):

👉 **Unlimited Cursor Configurations** - Create as many custom cursors as you need

👉 **Advanced Animation Effects** - Access exclusive premium animations

👉 **Premium Background Effects** - Unlock all background animation styles and customization options

👉 **Element-Specific Targeting** - Apply different cursors to different elements

👉 **Priority Support** - Get expert help when you need it

👉 **Regular Premium Updates** - Be the first to access new features

[**UPGRADE TO PRO TODAY →**](https://wpxero.com/plugins/ultimate-cursor/pricing)

== Installation ==

1. Upload the `ultimate-cursor` folder to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress.
3. Start customizing your cursor and background effects from the **WordPress settings panel** or inside your preferred page builder (**Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery, etc.**).

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Will Ultimate Cursor slow down my website? =

No! Ultimate Cursor is optimized for performance. Our code is lightweight and loads only what's needed, ensuring your site remains fast and responsive. Both cursor and background effects are GPU-accelerated for smooth animations.

= Does it work with all themes and page builders? =

Yes! Ultimate Cursor is compatible with all major WordPress themes and page builders including Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery, Divi, and more.

= What's the difference between the free and pro versions? =

The free version includes essential cursor customization options and basic background effects. The pro version adds multiple cursor configurations, element-specific targeting, advanced animation controls, premium background effects, priority support, and regular premium updates.

= Can I apply different cursors to different parts of my website? =

Yes! With the pro version, you can create multiple cursor configurations and apply them to specific elements, pages, or sections of your website.

= What background effects are available? =

Ultimate Cursor includes stunning background effects such as Antigravity (floating particles) and Pillar (vertical animations) effects. These can be applied to specific sections or entire pages to create immersive visual experiences.

= Can I use background effects and cursor effects together? =

Absolutely! You can combine any cursor effect with any background effect to create unique, engaging visual experiences throughout your website.

= Is there a money-back guarantee? =

Yes! We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied with the pro version.

== Upgrade Notice ==

Upgrade to the **Ultimate Cursor Pro** today and unlock multiple cursor configurations, element-specific targeting, advanced animations, premium background effects, and priority support. Transform your website with premium cursor and background effects that boost engagement and conversion rates!

== Screenshots ==
1. **General Settings — Select Cursor Type** 📊 – Choose Text, Image, Icon, Shapes, or Animated cursor from one central dashboard.
2. **Multiple Cursor Configurations** 🎯 – Create and manage different cursor setups for pages, selectors, and elements (Pro).
3. **Text Cursor Settings** ✏️ – Replace the pointer with custom text and preview it live in the settings panel.
4. **Image Cursor Settings** 🖼️ – Upload any image as your cursor with a real-time preview.
5. **Icon Cursor Library** 🎨 – Pick from a built-in icon library and see your selection instantly in the preview.
6. **Shapes Cursor Selection** 🔷 – Choose from geometric shape cursors with dot, circle, star, arrow, and more.
7. **Splash Cursor Settings** 💥 – Configure fluid splash size and force with an interactive live preview.
8. **Bubble Cursor Settings** 🫧 – Add playful bubble animations that follow cursor movement.
9. **Character Cursor Settings** 🔤 – Display custom characters or words that trail behind the cursor (Pro).
10. **Snowflake Cursor Settings** ❄️ – Select emoji characters for animated snowflake-style cursor trails (Pro).
11. **Rainbow Cursor Settings** 🌈 – Customize rainbow trail length and size for a colorful cursor effect (Pro).
12. **Trail Cursor Settings** ✨ – Set a custom emoji for an animated cursor trail with live preview (Pro).
13. **Click Spark Settings** ⚡ – Adjust spark size and count for click-triggered cursor effects.
14. **Click Particles Settings** 🎆 – Fine-tune particle speed for burst effects on click.
15. **Antigravity Particles Background** 🌌 – Customize particle colors, shape, and density with a live animation preview.
16. **Light Pillar Background** 🏛️ – Configure pillar colors and width for a glowing vertical light effect.
17. **Multiple Background Configurations** 🎬 – Manage separate background animations for different areas of your site (Pro).

== Changelog ==

#### 2.2.2 [June 2, 2026]
- Added: Image cursor hotspot (Pro) — set which point of the image aligns with the real mouse position, like the tip of an arrow
- Added: Visual hotspot picker with click/drag positioning on the cursor image
- Added: Hotspot presets (center, corners) plus custom X/Y percentage controls and a 3×3 anchor grid
- Improved: Major frontend cursor performance improvements with a modular architecture refactor
- Improved: Image and bubble cursor rendering and movement smoothness

#### 2.2.1 [May 15, 2026]
- Improved: Compatibility with latest WordPress and PHP versions.
- Fixed: Minor issues and stability improvements.

#### 2.2.0 [April 16, 2026]
- Added: Support for animated cursor targeting on specific elements and CSS selectors for enhanced customization flexibility
- Enhanced: Overall plugin performance and stability improvements
- Thanks: Special appreciation to [shelleysimpson](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/target-element-not-showing/) for reporting this feature request

#### 2.1.1 [April 11, 2026]
- Improved: Compatibility with latest WordPress and PHP versions.
- Fixed: Issues with some features not working properly.

#### 2.1.0 [April 03, 2026]
- Added: New Background Animation feature with Antigravity and Pillar effects for enhanced visual website customization
- Added: Background effects customization options including particle density, speed, colors, and opacity
- Added: Section-specific background effect application for targeted visual enhancement
- Added: Responsive background animations optimized for all device types

#### 2.0.0 [March 07, 2026]
- Added: Completely redesigned Dashboard UI for a cleaner, more intuitive experience
- Fixed: Shape cursor sizing issues that caused incorrect display on some configurations
- Fixed: Splash cursor colors not applying correctly from color picker
- Fixed: Trail cursor not updating in real-time when changing settings
- Improved: Significantly enhanced cursor performance and responsiveness
- Improved: Reduced memory usage for smoother animations across all cursor types

#### 1.9.2 [February 20, 2026]
- Improved: Enhanced cursor performance and reduced memory usage

#### 1.9.1 [February 4, 2026]
- Fixed: Resolved compatibility issues with caching plugins to ensure consistent cursor behavior
- Improved: WordPress 6.9.1 compatibility added

#### 1.9.0 [January 18, 2026]
- Fixed: Resolved multiple cursor configurations not applying correctly across different page sections (Thanks to Lisa)
- Fixed: Multiple cursor instances loading simultaneously on frontend causing performance issues
- Enhanced: Improved cursor configuration management for better reliability
- Improved: Optimized frontend asset loading to prevent duplicate cursor initializations

#### 1.8.0 [January 16, 2026]
- Added: New Circular Background styling option for Text Cursor type, enabling enhanced visual customization

#### 1.7.12 [January 9, 2026]
- Improved: All plugin settings are now removed when the plugin is deactivated for a cleaner uninstall experience. (Thanks to [Rocky](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/works-with-limitations-3/))

#### 1.7.11 [December 26, 2025]
- Improved: Assets loading optimization
- Enhanced: Optimized memory usage for smoother cursor animations

#### 1.7.10 [December 5, 2025]
- Improved: WordPress 6.9 compatibility added

#### 1.7.9 [November 16, 2025]
- Improved cursor performance and enhanced compatibility with various WordPress themes.
- Resolved minor issues and made some internal improvements to enhance the overall user experience.
- Tweaked: removed enable transition and hide default cursor from animated cursor

#### 1.7.8 [11th November 2025]
- Resolved: Astra theme compatibility issue

#### 1.7.7 [27th October 2025]
- Resolved: disabled default cursor not working for the link, button input field ect. (thanks to [Daria](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dariatym/))

#### 1.7.6 [25th October 2025]
- Resolved: Disabled admin notice for the Pro version to maintain a professional and uncluttered user experience.

#### 1.7.5 [25th October 2025]
- Enhanced: Offer launched for Ultimate Cursor Pro Halloween and Black Friday promotions, aligned with WordPress's commitment to promotional events during the holiday season.

#### 1.7.4 [5th October 2025]
- Enhanced: The Freemius SDK has been updated to ensure the plugin's reliance on the SDK is maintained in a professional manner.

#### 1.7.3 [2nd October 2025]
- Enhanced: Additional 10+ cursor shapes have been added to the premium version
- Fixed: Minor issues in the settings panel have been resolved to improve overall usability.

#### 1.7.2 [17th September 2025]
- Fixed: Custom cursor now properly displays in all modal overlays and popup elements across all themes by ensuring correct z-index layering
- Thanks: Special appreciation to [logaen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/logaen/) for reporting this issue

#### 1.7.1 [15th September 2025]
- Enhanced: The Freemius SDK has been updated to ensure the plugin's reliance on the SDK is maintained in a professional manner.

#### 1.7.0 [14th September 2025]
- Added: New Cursor Type Click Particles feature added
- Added: New Cursor Type Click Particles customization options added (premium version)
- Improved: Improve license system
- Enhanced: Significant performance optimization for all cursor animations

#### 1.6.1 [3rd September 2025]
- Fixed: Resolved Click Spark cursor effects compatibility issues with default WordPress themes
- Enhanced: Optimized plugin initialization sequence for improved cross-theme compatibility
- Improved: Enhanced cursor rendering performance across various WordPress environments

#### 1.6.0 [31st August 2025]
- Added: Click Spark feature added
- Added: Click Spark customization options added (premium version)
- Added: Compatibility with Elementor latest version
- Enhanced: Significant performance optimization for all cursor animations

#### 1.5.2 [16th August 2025]
- Added: Splash Cursor Size option added
- Added: Compatibility with Elementor latest version
- Improved: Performance optimization for cursor animations
- Updated: Translation files with new strings

#### 1.5.1 [9th July 2025]
- Fixed: Security vulnerabilities in cursor rendering functions
- Fixed: XSS protection for custom cursor text content
- Improved: Code structure and documentation for better maintainability
- Improved: Admin panel responsiveness on mobile devices
- Improved: Compatibility with popular caching plugins

#### 1.5.0 [6th July 2025]
- Added: Comprehensive Pro features customization options integrated into premium version
- Enhanced: Significant performance optimization for all cursor animations
- Enhanced: Reduced JavaScript footprint for faster page loading
- Fixed: Compatibility issues with latest WordPress 6.8.1
- Fixed: Edge cases in cursor positioning on complex layouts

#### 1.4.4 [20th June 2025]
- Added: New Magnetic cursor functionality with smooth attraction effects
- Added: Enhanced cursor trail effects with customizable particle systems
- Added: Advanced cursor scaling options for different interaction states
- Enhanced: Improved performance optimization for all cursor animations
- Fixed: Resolved compatibility issues with latest WordPress 6.9
- Fixed: Optimized memory usage for better overall plugin performance

#### 1.4.3 [14th June 2025]
- Added: New Trail cursor functionality for enhanced user interaction
- Added: Advanced customization options for Shaped Cursor including color and size parameters
- Enhanced: Optimized cursor performance and reduced latency for smoother operation
- Fixed: Refined UI/UX elements in the settings panel for improved usability
- Fixed: Resolved compatibility issues with the latest WordPress version

#### 1.4.2 [30th May 2025]
- Added: New loading cursor animation with smooth transitions
- Added: Option to hide custom cursor on touch devices, mobile, and tablets for better user experience
- Enhanced: Improved cursor performance and reduced lag

#### 1.4.1 [26th May 2025]
- Fixed: Various control-related bugs and UI inconsistencies
- Fixed: Color picker and unit control issues in the settings panel
- Fixed: Border style application for text cursors

#### 1.4.0 [15th May 2025]
- Added: New Shapes cursor feature with 5 modern cursor styles for enhanced visual customization
- Added: Multiple cursor configurations - now you can have different cursor effects on different parts of your website
- Added: Selective cursor application - now you can choose to display the custom cursor on specific pages, CSS selectors, or HTML elements
- Enhanced: User experience with more control over where cursor effects are applied
- Fixed: Minor UI/UX improvements in settings panel

#### 1.3.8 [1st May 2025]
- Added: Animated cursor bubble customization options added.
- Fixed: compatibility issues with Elementor.
- Fixed: compatibility issues with WordPress 6.8.1

#### 1.3.7 [20th April 2025]
- Added: Cursor Type Icon feature with 75+ built-in icons for enhanced customization.
- Enhanced: Redesigned Dashboard UI for improved user experience and suppressed unnecessary notices for a cleaner interface.

#### 1.3.6 [15th April 2025]
- Fixed: Style not applied to the image cursor.

#### 1.3.5 [14th April 2025]
- Added: Cursor Type Image features added
- Fixed: Border Style issue to the cursor type text

#### 1.3.4 [11th April 2025]
- Added: cursor Type text styling options added.
- Enhancement: Improved Dashboard design for better user experience.
- Fixed: some minor issues are fixed.
- Fixed: compatibility issues with Elementor.
- Fixed: compatibility issues with WordPress 6.8

#### 1.3.3 [26th March 2025]
- Fixed: Some minor issues are fixed.
- Fixed compatibility issues with Elementor.

#### 1.3.0 [12th March 2025]
-  Splash Cursor feature added to the global Cursor
-  Bubble Cursor feature added to the global Cursor
-  Cursor Follow Text feature added to the global Cursor

#### 1.2.3 [30th January 2025]
- Compatibility updates for the latest versions of WordPress and Elementor.

#### 1.2.2 [21st December 2024]
- System improvements
- Compatibility updates for the latest versions of WordPress and Elementor.

#### 1.2.1 [21st October 2024]
- Compatibility updates for the latest versions of WordPress and Elementor.

#### 1.2.0 [8th October 2023]
- Fixed compatibility issues with Elementor.
- Minor bug fixes.

#### 1.1.0 [15th March 2023]
- Addressed Elementor compatibility issues.

#### 1.0.0 [Initial Release]
- Initial release of Ultimate Cursor plugin
