Vidpop

Guide

How to make a carousel post on Instagram

Updated

A carousel is one Instagram post with several photos or videos that people swipe through. Instagram's help center says a carousel can hold up to 20 photos and videos. Posting one takes a minute. Making one that people actually swipe through takes a bit more thought: the right size, slides in the right order, and a caption that goes with them. This guide covers both. Limits and the computer steps follow Instagram's help center as checked in October 2026.

Post a carousel in the Instagram app

Menu labels shift a little between app updates. If a label looks different on your phone, look for the nearest match.

  1. 01Tap the + button and choose Post.
  2. 02Tap the select multiple icon (two stacked squares) above your camera roll.
  3. 03Tap the photos and videos in the order you want them shown, up to 20. The numbers on each one show the order.
  4. 04Tap Next. Apply one filter to everything, or tap a single slide to edit it on its own.
  5. 05Tap Next again. Write one caption for the whole post, and add a location and tags if you want them.
  6. 06Tap Share.

Post a carousel from a computer

  1. 01On instagram.com, click Create on the left, then Post.
  2. 02Click Select from computer and choose your first photo or video.
  3. 03Click the multiple-select option and add up to 20 photos and videos.
  4. 04Drag to adjust the crop. The orientation you choose (square, portrait or landscape) applies to every slide.
  5. 05Drag slides to reorder them, then click Next.
  6. 06Add filters, then your caption and location, and click Share.

Size and format

Every slide in a carousel shares one orientation, so pick it before you design anything. The tall portrait size, 1080x1350, takes up more of the screen in the feed than a square, which is why Vidpop makes its carousels at that size.

After posting, Instagram lets you reorder or remove slides and edit the caption from the three-dot menu, but you can't add new slides. To add one, you have to delete the post and share it again.

Order the slides so people swipe

  • Slide 1: the promise. Say what the reader gets: "5 mistakes that make bread dense." This is the only slide most people see before deciding.
  • Middle slides: one point each. Big text, short lines. If a slide needs a paragraph, it's two slides.
  • Last slide: the next step. Save this, visit the link, send a message.
  • Keep the look consistent. Same fonts and colours on every slide, so it reads as one post.
  • Five to seven slides is plenty for most ideas. Twenty is only the limit.

Formats that work as carousels

  • Tips: a list of quick, useful points.
  • Myth vs fact: a common belief, then the truth.
  • Steps: how to do one thing, in order.
  • FAQ: the questions customers ask, answered.
  • Before-and-after: what changes, side by side.

Skip the design work with Vidpop

Posting is quick. Making the slides is the slow part. Vidpop is an iPhone app that makes the whole carousel: it picks a topic that fits your business, writes 5 to 7 slides, designs them at 1080x1350, and writes the caption. It uses eight formats, including the five above.

Autopilot makes three carousels a week and posts them to Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn with Post for Me. Create with AI makes one on a topic you describe. Your Instagram needs to be a Business or Creator account for Vidpop to post to it. Carousels are written in English for now, and they don't go to TikTok, which takes video posts.

For a comparison of carousel tools, see Instagram carousel makers, ranked.

Frequently asked questions

How many photos can an Instagram carousel have?
Up to 20 photos and videos in one post, according to Instagram's help center. Most good carousels use 5 to 7 slides, which is what Vidpop makes.
What size should carousel slides be?
1080x1350, the tall portrait size, fills the most screen in the feed. All slides share one orientation, so keep every slide the same size.
Can I add a slide to a carousel after posting?
No. Instagram lets you reorder or remove slides and edit the caption after posting, but not add new ones. You would need to delete the post and share it again.
Can I have a different caption for each slide?
A carousel has one caption for the whole post. Put slide-specific text on the slides themselves.
Can an app make the carousel for me?
Yes. Vidpop writes and designs carousels of 5 to 7 slides with a caption, three a week on Autopilot or on request with Create with AI, and posts them to Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Do I need a business account to schedule carousels?
To have an app like Vidpop post for you, your Instagram needs to be a Business or Creator account. Switching is free and takes a few taps.

Try it on your own app or product

Free to download on iPhone. A subscription is needed to render a reel.

Download on the App Store