Is it possible to trigger different hover effects on each child element when hovering over a parent element in Webflow or CSS?

Yes, it's possible to trigger different hover effects on each child element when hovering over a parent element, using standard CSS selectors or Webflow's interactions panel.

1. Use CSS Selectors in Webflow (Limited)

• Webflow allows basic CSS-based hover interactions using the Selector Panel.
• You can apply a style to a child when the parent is hovered using custom CSS only — Webflow’s native interaction system doesn’t support that directly.
• In custom code, use:
  .parent:hover .child1 { transform: scale(1.2); }
.parent:hover .child2 { opacity: 0.5; }

However, this needs to be done in the Page Settings > Custom Code section. Webflow Designer doesn’t support parent-hovering by default for styling.

2. Use Webflow Interactions (Recommended)

• Create a hover interaction on the parent element:
• Select the parent element, then go to Interactions Panel > Element Trigger > Mouse Hover.
• Choose "On Hover", then "Affect Different Elements".
• Set a target selector to each child (e.g., .child1, .child2) and assign different animations to each.
• Repeat for the Hover Out action to reverse effects.

This method gives full visual control without needing code and is the best approach within Webflow Designer.

3. Avoid Nesting Hover States in Webflow Styles Panel

• Webflow’s Styles Panel cannot apply hover effects to children when hovering the parent.
• It only allows defining a hover state directly on the element itself.

Summary

You can achieve different hover effects on child elements when hovering over a parent in Webflow by using either custom CSS (outside Designer) or, preferably, by setting up a mouse hover interaction on the parent and applying unique animations to each child.