Instagram carousels
Swipeable multi-slide posts: hook on slide one, one idea per slide and a call to action on the last.
Carousels hold attention longer than a single image because every swipe is a small commitment. They are ideal for tutorials, lists, before-and-afters and stories told in steps.
Five rules apply to every format: hook first, stay consistent, tell a complete story, end with a call to action and design for the phone. Read the five rules
At a glance
| Spec | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,080 × 1,350 px (4:5) · 1,080 × 1,080 px (1:1) |
| Media per post | Up to 10 |
| Aspect ratio | Every slide takes the first slide’s ratio |
| Profile grid crop | 3:4 (1,012 × 1,350 px) |
| Max file size | 8 MB |
| Text length | 2,200 characters |
Safe zone
Your profile grid shows only the first slide, cropped to 3:4. Treat slide one as the cover: keep its headline away from the side edges.
Hook
- Slide one is the headline. State the promise of the carousel in a few words: “5 mistakes that cost you reach”.
- Show there’s more. An arrow, a number (“1/7”) or a cut-off element tells people to swipe.
- Make slide two strong too. Instagram may show the second slide to people who skipped the first, so it should stand on its own.
Design and edit
- One idea per slide. Short text, big type, lots of space.
- Same layout on every slide. Keep the title, body and page number in the same place so swiping feels smooth.
- Use one ratio for all slides. Instagram crops every slide to the first slide’s ratio; 4:5 gives you the most room.
- Five to ten slides is plenty. Enough to deliver value, short enough to finish.
Caption and copy
- Summarize the payoff. The caption should tell people what they’ll get by swiping.
- Ask for the save. Carousels are reference material; “Save this for later” works.
- Repeat the call to action. Put it on the last slide and in the caption.
Timing and cadence
- Repurpose your best ideas. A blog post, a thread or a webinar makes a strong carousel.
- Alternate formats. Mix carousels with Reels and single images so your feed stays varied.
What to measure
Saves and shares are the strongest signals for a carousel. If reach is good but saves are low, the content wasn’t useful enough to keep.
InstagramImpressionsReachLikesCommentsSharesSavesVideo views
How Octapost reports these metrics
Do it in Octapost
- Design every slide in the image editor at Feed Vertical (1080 × 1350), and duplicate the first slide’s design so they all match.
- Add all slides to one post in the composer: Octapost publishes multiple images to Instagram as a carousel.
- The composer warns you when slides have different ratios before Instagram can crop them.
Creating posts in the composer
Checklist
- All slides share one ratio (ideally 4:5).
- Slide one states the promise; slide two works on its own.
- Each slide carries one idea in large type.
- The last slide has a clear call to action.
- The caption explains why to swipe and asks for a save.
Sources
Platform guidance changes often. These are the official pages we check this guide against.