Looping refers to video or animation that plays continuously from end back to beginning in a seamless cycle, with the last frame connecting smoothly to the first so that the sequence repeats without a visible cut or jump. A well-executed loop is often described as "seamless" or "perfect loop," meaning viewers cannot identify the exact point where the video restarts.

Creating seamless loops requires that the visual and motion state at the end of the sequence match the beginning, whether through identical visual framing, matched motion blur, or gradual transitions that return the scene to its starting condition. Loops are widely used in social media content (animated GIFs, short video posts), motion graphics backgrounds, ambient video installations, loading animations, and any context where a short clip needs to play repeatedly without disruption. In the AI generation context, looping is a specific output characteristic that some models can produce intentionally, generating clips designed to cycle continuously rather than play once as a linear sequence.

When prompting for looped content, specifying "seamless loop" or "perfect loop" communicates the intent, though results vary by model and content complexity. Motion-heavy content with many changing elements is harder to loop convincingly than ambient scenes like flowing water, gentle particle effects, or subtle atmospheric motion. Testing loop points and using video editing tools to refine the transition point are often part of the workflow for achieving truly seamless results.