# How to make an Instagram carousel

> Pick one idea, write the slides as plain text first (a hook, one point per slide, a last slide that says what to do), then lay them out at 1080 × 1350 px in your brand's colours and post them together as one post with up to 20 slides.

## 1. Pick one idea

A carousel that tries to cover a whole topic gets skimmed. One that delivers one useful thing gets saved. Good carousel ideas are specific:

- a mistake and its fix ("Why your plants die in winter");
- a list with a number ("5 lines every menu needs");
- a before and after, with what changed;
- a short story with a result ("How we got our first 100 orders").

Ask: would someone send this to a friend, or save it to use later? Instagram's own head, Adam Mosseri, has said sends and likes per view are among the strongest signals it ranks posts on ([Social Media Today](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-shares-algorithm-2025/738034/)).

## 2. Write the slides as text first

Before you open any design tool, write the whole carousel as plain text, one paragraph per slide. It's faster to fix the story in words than in layouts.

```
5 lines every menu needs

1. The dish people come back for
Put it first, with the price.

2. One thing that's only here
Your signature, named after you.

3. Something under ₹200
A reason to try you today.

4. What's fresh this week
It changes. That's why people check.

5. How to order
Your number, your hours, your area.

Save this for your next menu
Follow for weekly restaurant ideas
```

Each slide gets one point, in as few words as possible. If a slide needs more than 30 or 40 words, split it in two.

## 3. Make the first slide a hook

The first slide decides whether anyone swipes. It needs:

- a specific promise: a number, a result or a named problem;
- big text, readable in the grid thumbnail;
- something that looks unfinished, so the next slide feels needed. A shape or line that runs off the right edge onto slide two works well.

## 4. One point per slide, in the same layout

Use the same layout for every middle slide: a short heading, one or two lines under it, the same position each time. People swipe faster when they know where to look. Use your brand's colours and one typeface, two at most.

## 5. End with a reason to act

The last slide is where people decide whether to follow. Say what they get if they do ("a new idea every Monday"), or ask for one thing: save it, send it to someone, or visit your shop. One ask, not three.

## 6. Size, export and post

Make every slide 1080 × 1350 px ([all the sizes](https://getrazzle.com/guides/instagram-carousel-size)), export as PNG for text or JPEG for photos, and post them together in order as one post. Write a caption that adds context and the words people search for, not a copy of the slides.

## Do it in Razzle

Paste the text above into Razzle's [free carousel maker](https://getrazzle.com/tools/carousel-maker): each paragraph becomes a slide, the layouts are picked for you, and you download 1080 px PNGs without an account. With a free account, your brand's colours and typeface apply to every carousel, and teammates can approve it before it's posted.

## Questions

### How many slides should a carousel have?

Five to ten for most topics: enough to teach one thing properly, short enough that people finish it. Instagram allows up to 20.

### What makes people swipe?

A first slide that promises something specific (a number, a mistake, a result) and a design that looks unfinished on its own, so the next slide feels needed.

### Should the caption repeat the slides?

No. Use the caption for context and keywords people search for, and keep the full content on the slides.

## Try it on Razzle

- [Write your slides as text in the free carousel maker](https://getrazzle.com/tools/carousel-maker)
- [Tips and how-to carousel templates](https://getrazzle.com/carousel-templates/tips)
- [Carousel sizes](https://getrazzle.com/guides/instagram-carousel-size)

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Source: https://getrazzle.com/guides/how-to-make-an-instagram-carousel · Markdown: https://getrazzle.com/guides/how-to-make-an-instagram-carousel.md · Updated 2026-11-05