If you've been building on the platform for a while, you've probably realized that getting a roblox proximity prompt custom style is the best way to make your game feel polished and professional. Let's be real: the default black-and-white prompt that Roblox gives us is fine for a quick prototype, but it doesn't always scream "immersion." If you're building a sleek sci-fi shooter or a cozy cottagecore simulator, that default UI is going to stick out like a sore thumb.
The good news is that Roblox actually gives us the tools to completely override the default look. It's not even that hard once you get the hang of how the ProximityPromptService works. Instead of being stuck with the basic circle and keybind icon, you can create something that matches your game's aesthetic perfectly.
Why move away from the default style?
The default prompt is functional. It tells players what to press and how long to hold it. But it lacks personality. When you use a roblox proximity prompt custom style, you're doing more than just making it "look pretty." You're improving the user experience. You can add animations, change the colors to match your UI theme, and even change how the "hold progress" bar looks.
Think about games like Doors or Pet Simulator 99. They don't use the stock Roblox prompts. They have custom icons, smooth transitions, and distinct sounds. It makes the world feel more alive. If you want players to take your game seriously, spending twenty minutes setting up a custom prompt style is one of the highest-value things you can do.
Setting the stage for customization
The first thing you have to do is tell Roblox to stop showing its own UI. If you look at the properties of a ProximityPrompt object, there's a property called Style. By default, it's set to Default. To start your journey into custom design, you need to switch that to Custom.
Once you do that, the prompt becomes invisible. It's still there, and it still fires events when a player interacts with it, but nothing shows up on the screen. This is where most people panic and think they broke it. Don't worry; this is exactly what we want. We are basically clearing the canvas so we can paint our own masterpiece on top of it.
The UI setup
Before we even touch a script, we need the actual visuals. I usually recommend using a BillboardGui for this. Since proximity prompts exist in 3D space near a specific part, a BillboardGui allows the UI to hover over that part while always facing the camera.
Inside your BillboardGui, you'll want a few key components: 1. A Frame: This is your background. Maybe it's a rounded square or a sleek bar. 2. A TextLabel for the Action: This tells the player what they're doing (e.g., "Open Door"). 3. A TextLabel for the Object: This tells them what they're interacting with (e.g., "Chest"). 4. A Keybind Label: A small box showing the key they need to press, like [E] or [F]. 5. A Progress Bar: This is crucial if your prompt requires the player to hold the button down.
Make sure you set the Adornee of the BillboardGui to the part where the prompt is located. Also, keep the Enabled property off for now. We'll turn it on via script when the player gets close enough.
Scripting the logic
This is where the magic happens. We use the ProximityPromptService to listen for when a prompt is supposed to be shown. Instead of putting a script inside every single prompt in your game (which would be a nightmare to manage), we use a single LocalScript in StarterPlayerScripts.
You'll want to connect to ProximityPromptService.PromptShown. This event fires whenever a player gets within the MaxActivationDistance of a prompt that has its style set to custom. When this fires, you can grab the information from the prompt—like the ActionText and ObjectText—and feed it into your BillboardGui.
Here's the basic flow: * The player walks near an object. * PromptShown fires. * Your script moves your custom BillboardGui to that object. * The script updates the labels to match the prompt's settings. * You use TweenService to fade the UI in so it doesn't just "pop" into existence.
When the player walks away, ProximityPromptService.PromptHidden fires. That's your cue to fade the UI out or just hide it.
Handling the "Hold" progress
If your roblox proximity prompt custom style involves holding down a key, you need to show the player how much longer they have to wait. The ProximityPrompt has a property called HoldDuration.
To animate a progress bar, you can hook into PromptButtonHoldBegan. You can use a simple tween to scale a frame from 0 to 1 over the duration of the hold. If the player lets go early, you catch that with PromptButtonHoldEnded and reset the bar. It's a small detail, but it feels so much better than a static image.
Making it look "Game-Ready"
Let's talk about the "vibe." A custom style isn't just about functionality; it's about feel.
Smooth Transitions: Never let your UI just appear. Use TweenService for everything. When the prompt shows up, maybe it scales up from 0.8 to 1.0 while the transparency goes from 1 to 0. It takes half a second, but it looks premium.
The Keybind Icon: Don't just type "[E]" in a text box. Give it a nice background with a UICorner. Maybe make the background a bit darker than the rest of the prompt so the key stands out. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even check the player's input device. If they're using a controller, show an "X" button icon instead of an "E" key.
Colors and Contrast: Make sure your prompt is readable against different backgrounds. If your game has a lot of bright areas, give your prompt a dark stroke or a drop shadow. You don't want your "Open Door" text disappearing because the wall behind it is the same color.
Common mistakes to avoid
One thing I see a lot of developers do is forgetting about the ZIndex. If your prompt is overlapping with other UI elements, it can look messy. Since it's a BillboardGui, you can play with the AlwaysOnTop property if you want it to be visible even if a wall is in the way, though usually, it's better to let it be obscured so players don't try to click things through floors.
Another mistake is performance. If you have hundreds of prompts in your game, you don't want to be doing heavy calculations every frame. By using ProximityPromptService, you're already being efficient because you're only dealing with the prompt the player is currently looking at.
Lastly, don't forget the sounds! Even though we're focusing on a roblox proximity prompt custom style (which is visual), adding a subtle "click" or "hover" sound when the prompt appears makes the whole interaction feel tactile.
Wrapping it up
Switching to a custom style is one of those "level up" moments for a Roblox developer. It shows that you care about the details. It takes a bit more work than just dragging and dropping a prompt into a part, but the result is worth it.
You aren't just stuck with what Roblox gives you. By combining ProximityPromptService, some clean UI design, and a bit of TweenService magic, you can create an interaction system that is unique to your game. Whether it's a minimalist circle that fills up or a complex holographic display, the only real limit is how much time you want to spend tweaking the UI. So, go ahead and turn off that default style—your players will thank you for it.