SVG How-To Guides

Practical, end-to-end recipes for everyday SVG work, from sanitizing user uploads to building icons, animating shapes, and cropping documents to their content. Each guide stands on its own and links out to the underlying APIs when you want to go deeper.

• Sanitize Uploads Accept SVGs from users without risking XSS. Strip scripts, event handlers, and dangerous content, then validate and optimize before serving.
• Batch Optimize Optimize an entire directory of SVG files in a build step or CI pipeline using configurable optimization passes.
• Working with Groups Use groups to scope transforms, share attributes, and structure complex SVG documents.
• Build Charts Generate SVG charts and data visualizations programmatically in PHP. Compose bar charts, add accessible metadata, and combine layouts.
• Creating Icons Build accessible, optimized SVG icons - viewBox setup, currentColor, accessibility annotations, and production export.
• Sprite Sheets Combine multiple SVG icons into a single sprite using <symbol> and <use> to reduce HTTP requests and keep icons consistent across your app.
• Animate Shapes Morph between two SVG shapes and export self-contained animated SVGs with configurable easing, frame count, and timing.
• Accessibility Audit and fix SVG accessibility: add titles, descriptions, and ARIA roles so SVGs work correctly with screen readers and assistive technology.
• Merge SVG Documents Combine multiple SVG documents into one using merge strategies, or import individual elements between documents.
• Convert Shapes to Paths Convert SVG shape elements - rect, circle, ellipse, line, polygon, polyline - to path elements for animation, morphing, and further optimization.
• Place Markers Along a Path Distribute markers, dots, or labels evenly along an SVG path using getPointAtLength() - for trails, routes, and animation guides.
• Crop SVG to its Content Trim an SVG's viewBox and dimensions to fit its actual content, removing whitespace from third-party files or after deleting elements.