Can I disable scroll events until an interaction timeline in Webflow is completed? Why do Webflow interactions abruptly end when switching browser tabs?

Yes, you can temporarily disable scroll events in Webflow until an interaction timeline completes, and browser tab switching can interrupt interactions due to browser throttling or visibility changes.

1. Temporarily Disabling Scroll

• Webflow doesn’t provide a native way to block scroll during an interaction, but you can use custom code to disable and re-enable scroll.

• Add a div (e.g., div.block-scroll) that covers the viewport and has overflow: hidden on the body.

• Use custom code in the Page Settings or Embed Element to toggle scroll:

• To disable: document.body.style.overflow = 'hidden';

• To re-enable: document.body.style.overflow = '';

• Trigger these JavaScript snippets using Webflow’s interaction "Start" and "End" events:

• Add a Page Load interaction or manual trigger timeline.

• Use "Run JavaScript" via embedded code inside the last animation step using a Webflow embed (<script>...</script> must be manually placed in the interaction chain using HTML Embed).

2. Interaction Timeline Ends When Switching Tabs

• Webflow interactions may abruptly stop or fail to complete when the browser tab is switched. This happens because:

• Browsers throttle JavaScript execution in inactive tabs to conserve resources.

• If Webflow relies on requestAnimationFrame or timing-based transitions, these may pause or skip frames when hidden.

• When returning to the tab, Webflow does not always resume or restart interrupted timelines.

• Result: animations or interactions may appear incomplete or stuck.

3. Workarounds and Best Practices

• For scroll blocking, use custom code to control behavior outside of Webflow’s native timeline.

• Keep long animations or critical transitions shorter and event-based rather than relying purely on time.

• If tab switching is a concern, consider adding fallback states or re-triggering animations on visibility change using JavaScript:

  ```js
  document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', function() {
  if (!document.hidden) {
  // Re-trigger animation or reset state if needed
  }
  });
  ```

• Avoid chaining too many animations if maintaining cross-tab consistency is critical.

Summary

To delay scroll until an animation completes, use custom JavaScript to disable scroll at the start and re-enable it at the end of an interaction. Webflow interactions may stop if the browser tab is switched due to throttling—this is browser behavior, not a Webflow bug. Use shorter, event-based interactions or custom JavaScript to maintain control.