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[Feature Request] Soft pulse/blink animation on alias expansion in block header #8902

@MoLinesGitHub

Description

@MoLinesGitHub

Pre-submit Checks

  • I have searched Warp feature requests and there are no duplicates
  • I have searched Warp docs and my feature is not there

Describe the solution you'd like

When a user runs an alias (e.g., gsgit status), Warp shows the expanded command in the block header. This is great for discoverability and clarity.

I'd love an option to add a subtle pulse/blink animation to that expanded alias text — a brief glow effect (e.g., soft fade-in/fade-out over ~0.5s) when the block first appears. This would draw the eye to the expansion without being distracting.

Proposed behavior:

  • When a command block is created from an alias, the expanded command text in the header briefly pulses (dim → bright → dim, 1-2 cycles)
  • The animation is short (~0.5-0.8s) and uses the current theme's colors
  • A toggle in Settings > Features (e.g., "Animate alias expansion") to enable/disable it

Why it can't be done from the shell:
I attempted multiple approaches (preexec hooks, ZLE widgets, ANSI blink codes, /dev/tty output) — none work because the block header text is rendered by Warp's native UI, not by terminal output. This can only be implemented at the Warp application level.

Use case

  1. User types gs and presses Enter
  2. Warp creates a command block with git status in the header
  3. Current: The expanded text appears instantly (static)
  4. Desired: The expanded text briefly pulses with a soft green glow, drawing attention to the alias expansion before settling to its normal color

This is purely cosmetic, but it creates a nice visual feedback loop that reinforces what each alias does — especially useful for users who define many aliases and want a gentle reminder of what they expand to.

How important is this feature to you?

2 (Nice to have — purely visual polish, but would make the alias expansion feel more alive and intentional)

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