How to make an Instagram carousel, from topic to finished post
Vitor Sousa ·
To make an Instagram carousel, pick a topic that solves a problem for your audience, write a cover that promises that result, split the content into 5 to 10 slides with one idea per slide, apply your brand colors at 1080 × 1350, and finish with a call-to-action slide and a caption with hashtags. Each step is covered below.
Why carousels
A carousel is the format people save and share: they come back to it later, send it to a friend, and every swipe counts as engagement. When someone doesn't get past the first slide, Instagram may show the post again starting from the second one. That's a second chance a single-image post doesn't get.
1. Pick a topic that solves a problem
A good topic answers a question your audience already asks. Three ways to find one:
- The questions in your DMs. If three people asked, it's worth a carousel.
- The most common mistake in your niche. "5 mistakes when…" works because people want to know if they're making them.
- A step-by-step. "How to do X in 5 steps" gives you the outline: one step per slide.
Avoid topics that are too broad. "Healthy eating" doesn't fit in 7 slides; "what to eat before a morning workout" does.
2. Write the cover: it decides everything
If the cover doesn't stop the scroll, nothing else matters. A cover that works has:
- a clear promise ("How to plan your week in 15 minutes");
- a number, when it makes sense ("7 ideas", "3 mistakes");
- few words: about 10 at most, in large type, readable on a phone screen.
3. Build the outline: one idea per slide
Before opening any editor, write the text for each slide:
| Slide | What goes on it |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cover: the promise |
| 2 | The problem or the context, in one sentence |
| 3 to 8 | One idea, step or example per slide |
| Last | Call to action: save, comment, follow or tap the link |
Keep each slide short. If a slide needs a paragraph, it's probably two slides.
You can ask ChatGPT for this outline, but the text is only part of the post. See why ChatGPT isn't enough to create Instagram posts.
4. Apply your brand's look
- Size: 1080 × 1350 (4:5, vertical), which takes up more of the feed than a square.
- Colors and fonts: the same on every slide and every post. That's what lets someone recognize your post before reading your name.
- Continuity: an element that "spills" from one slide into the next invites a swipe.
- Contrast: dark text on a light background, or the reverse. No text on top of a busy photo.
5. Write the caption and post
The caption adds to the carousel; it doesn't repeat it. Open with a line that pulls people into the post, sum up what they'll find and close with the same call to action as the last slide. Use a few hashtags from your niche instead of thirty generic ones.
Common mistakes
- A generic cover with no promise ("Important tips").
- Too much text on a single slide.
- A different look on every post, so people can't recognize your brand.
- No call to action at the end: whoever reached the last slide liked it, so tell them what to do next.
How long it takes
Doing it all by hand — choosing the topic, writing, laying out the slides in an editor and writing the caption — a carousel usually takes an hour or more. It's the most common reason profiles go quiet.
To see how often it's worth posting, read How many times a week should you post on Instagram?.
How to do it in 1 minute with Cardume
Cardume does these steps for you. You paste your @, and it learns your colors, your niche and the way you talk from what's already public on your profile. Then:
- Pick a topic (or one of the suggestions for your niche).
- Pick a style from six ready-made ones, all in your colors.
- Download and post: the slides at 1080 × 1350 and the caption with hashtags.
Your first carousel is free, and Cardume never asks for your Instagram password.
Frequently asked questions
How many slides should a carousel have?
Between 5 and 10 works for most topics: enough to develop the idea without tiring people out. Instagram allows up to 20, but a topic rarely needs that many.
What's the right Instagram carousel size?
1080 × 1350 pixels, in 4:5. Every slide needs the same size: Instagram crops the rest to match the first.
Can I make a carousel on my phone?
Yes. What takes time isn't the tool; it's deciding the topic, writing each slide and keeping the look consistent from one post to the next.
Carousel or reel: which works better?
They do different jobs. A reel reaches people who don't follow you yet; a carousel makes your followers save it and come back. A healthy profile uses both.