diff --git a/web/app/components/document/sidebar/related-resources.ts b/web/app/components/document/sidebar/related-resources.ts
index e81294c08..d8d513d79 100644
--- a/web/app/components/document/sidebar/related-resources.ts
+++ b/web/app/components/document/sidebar/related-resources.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { assert } from "@ember/debug";
 import HermesFlashMessagesService from "hermes/services/flash-messages";
 import { FLASH_MESSAGES_LONG_TIMEOUT } from "hermes/utils/ember-cli-flash/timeouts";
 import updateRelatedResourcesSortOrder from "hermes/utils/update-related-resources-sort-order";
+import highlightElement from "hermes/utils/ember-animated/highlight-element";
 import scrollIntoViewIfNeeded from "hermes/utils/scroll-into-view-if-needed";
 
 export interface DocumentSidebarRelatedResourcesComponentArgs {
@@ -260,30 +261,7 @@ export default class DocumentSidebarRelatedResourcesComponent extends Component<
           });
         });
 
-        const highlight = document.createElement("div");
-        highlight.classList.add("highlight-affordance");
-        target.insertBefore(highlight, target.firstChild);
-
-        const fadeInAnimation = highlight.animate(
-          [{ opacity: 0 }, { opacity: 1 }],
-          { duration: 50 },
-        );
-
-        await timeout(Ember.testing ? 0 : 2000);
-
-        const fadeOutAnimation = highlight.animate(
-          [{ opacity: 1 }, { opacity: 0 }],
-          { duration: Ember.testing ? 50 : 400 },
-        );
-
-        try {
-          await fadeInAnimation.finished;
-          await fadeOutAnimation.finished;
-        } finally {
-          fadeInAnimation.cancel();
-          fadeOutAnimation.cancel();
-          highlight.remove();
-        }
+        highlightElement(target);
       });
     },
   );
diff --git a/web/app/utils/ember-animated/highlight-element.ts b/web/app/utils/ember-animated/highlight-element.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9f5b1584
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/app/utils/ember-animated/highlight-element.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import Ember from "ember";
+import { timeout } from "ember-concurrency";
+
+/**
+ * Adds a temporary highlight to a relatively positioned element.
+ * Used to draw attention to an item, such as a related resource
+ * that's been added or modified.
+ */
+
+export default async function highlightElement(target: Element) {
+  const highlight = document.createElement("div");
+
+  highlight.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
+  highlight.classList.add("highlight-affordance");
+
+  target.appendChild(highlight);
+
+  const fadeInAnimation = highlight.animate([{ opacity: 0 }, { opacity: 1 }], {
+    duration: Ember.testing ? 0 : 50,
+    fill: "forwards",
+  });
+
+  await timeout(Ember.testing ? 0 : 2000);
+
+  const fadeOutAnimation = highlight.animate([{ opacity: 1 }, { opacity: 0 }], {
+    duration: Ember.testing ? 0 : 400,
+    fill: "forwards",
+  });
+
+  try {
+    await fadeInAnimation.finished;
+    await fadeOutAnimation.finished;
+  } finally {
+    fadeInAnimation.cancel();
+    fadeOutAnimation.cancel();
+    highlight.remove();
+  }
+}