Do you want your Elementor gallery images to shift gently as the visitor moves the mouse? Mouse-move parallax adds depth without animation that plays on its own, so the gallery stays still until someone interacts with it.
The Gallery Listing widget in The Plus Addons for Elementor has it built in, with separate horizontal and vertical speeds.
To check the complete feature overview documentation of The Plus Addons for Elementor Gallery Listing widget, click here.
Requirement – This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor, make sure it’s installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.
Before You Start
- Edition: Pro — Mouse Move Parallax is part of The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro. In the free plugin the option is visible but shows an upgrade notice instead of its settings.
- Widget to enable: Gallery Listing, switched on under ThePlus Settings > Widgets.
This is the pointer-following effect. If you want the tiles to tip in 3D as the mouse crosses them, that is a different control — see add a 3D tilt effect to an Elementor gallery listing. The two can be combined, but the result is usually too busy.
Step 1: Build the gallery first
Drag the Gallery Listing widget onto the page, choose a layout in Content > Layout, and add your images in Content > Content. The parallax effect applies to whatever the gallery already shows, so get the layout right before adding it.
Step 2: Turn on Mouse Move Parallax
Go to the Style tab and open its Extra Options section. Turn on Mouse Move Parallax.
This is the Style tab’s Extra Options, not the Content tab’s. Both sections have the same name and hold completely different controls — the image sizing settings are on Content, the effects are on Style.
Step 3: Tune the movement
Parallax Options opens a small popover with Move Parallax (X) and Move Parallax (Y). X is horizontal travel, Y is vertical. Small values read as depth; large ones read as the page being broken.
What It Looks Like
Settings Reference
| Setting | Where | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse Move Parallax | Style > Extra Options | Switcher — Pro | Off |
| Parallax Options | Style > Extra Options | Popover | — |
| Move Parallax (X) | Parallax Options popover | Slider | Not set |
| Move Parallax (Y) | Parallax Options popover | Slider | Not set |
| Tilt 3D Parallax | Style > Extra Options | Switcher — Pro | Off |
Limitations
- It is Pro. The free plugin shows the toggle and then an upgrade notice.
- There is no mouse on a phone. Touch devices have no pointer to follow, so the effect simply does not run — never rely on it to communicate anything.
- No per-device value. The setting applies at every breakpoint; it just has nothing to respond to on touch.
- Motion preferences are not handled for you. Use small values, and consider leaving it off on pages aimed at a broad audience.
- It stacks with Tilt 3D Parallax. Both can be on at once, which rarely looks deliberate.
Troubleshooting
I cannot find Mouse Move Parallax
It is on the Style tab, in that tab’s Extra Options section. The Content tab has a section with the same name that does not contain it.
Nothing moves when I hover
Set values in Parallax Options — with X and Y unset there is no distance to travel. Then clear any page cache and regenerate Elementor files from Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
It does not work on mobile
That is expected. The effect follows a mouse pointer, and touch devices do not have one.
Related Docs
Also, read how to add a 3D tilt effect to an Elementor Gallery Listing.
- Gallery Listing widget: settings overview — every control in the widget.
- Create an Elementor masonry image gallery
- Create an image gallery in grid layout
