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How to use the wiggle expression in After Effects

Wiggle adds natural randomness without keyframing — perfect for shakes, drifting motion, or anything that needs organic movement.

Steps to use the wiggle expression

Alt/Option-click the stopwatch next to Position (or any property you want to randomize). This opens the expression editor.

After Effects timeline showing a layer expression area

Type wiggle(3,30) — this means 3 wiggles per second, 30 pixels of movement.

Expression editor in After Effects with wiggle expression typed in

Preview and adjust the numbers until it feels right for your shot.

One more thing

Use this expression on Rotation for camera shake effects, or on Opacity for flickering lights. It works on any property you need randomized.

Related how-tos

How to use hold keyframes in After Effects
How to reverse animations in After Effects
How to stretch keyframes in time in After Effects

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