---
title: "Instagram carousel: what a carousel post is"
canonical: "https://weekbird.app/glossary/carousel"
language: "en"
type: "glossaryTerm"
updated: "2026-10-11T18:03:38.923Z"
---

# Carousel post

A carousel post is one post made of several images or video slides that people swipe through in order. An Instagram carousel holds up to 10 items. Threads, LinkedIn, TikTok and Pinterest each have their own version and limits, and X has none.

## What is a carousel post

A carousel bundles slides into a single post with one caption. The first slide shows in the feed; the rest wait for a swipe. That makes the first slide your hook and the last slide your call to action.

## Instagram carousel and other networks

Check the network's current specs before you design, since slide counts differ. On Instagram, images in a carousel are cropped to the first image's aspect ratio, and a Reel cannot be one of the slides.

| Network | Format | Items per post |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instagram | Carousel of images and videos | Up to 10 |
| Threads | Carousel of images and videos | 2 to 20 |
| LinkedIn | Multi-image post | 2 to 20 images |
| LinkedIn | Document post (PDF, PPTX, DOCX) | Up to 300 pages, 100 MB |
| TikTok | Photo post | Up to 35 photos |
| Pinterest | Carousel Pin | 2 to 5 images |
| X | No carousel | Up to 4 photos |

## Example: a seven-slide outline

Example: a bakery explains its sourdough in seven slides.

1. Hook: "Why our sourdough takes 36 hours"

2. Flour and water, hour 0

3. The starter goes in

4. Overnight rest, with a photo of the dough

5. Shaping by hand

6. Out of the oven

7. Call to action: "Saturday loaves, order by Friday noon"

The same outline fits a Threads or LinkedIn carousel. On X, which takes up to 4 photos per post, cut it to four slides or turn it into a thread.

## Related terms

- Hook: the opening that earns the swipe.
- CTA: the action you ask for on the last slide.
- Alt text: a description of each slide for screen readers.

## Use it in your week

Weekbird schedules Instagram carousels of up to 10 items. You write a version of the post for each network, and Weekbird checks it against that network's limits before you schedule it. To cut one tall image into slides, use the carousel splitter.

## Questions

### How many slides can an Instagram carousel have?

Up to 10 images or videos, mixed. The caption sits on the post, not on each slide.

### What makes a good first slide?

It works like a hook: one clear promise or question, readable at small size.

### Can every platform post carousels?

No. X has no carousel and takes up to 4 photos per post. Other networks set their own limits, so check the specs before you design.

### Should carousel slides have alt text?

Add alt text where the platform allows it, so people using screen readers get the content of each slide.

## Schedule this week's carousels in one sitting

[See Weekbird plans](https://weekbird.app/)

## Carousel post

A carousel post is a single post made of several images or video slides that the viewer swipes through in order.

## Example

Example: a five-slide carousel walks through a recipe, one step per slide, with the ingredient list on slide one.

## What makes a good first slide?

It works like a hook: one clear promise or question, readable at small size.

## Can every platform post carousels?

No. Support and limits differ by platform, so check the network's current specs before you design.

## Should carousel slides have alt text?

Add alt text where the platform allows it, so people using screen readers get the content of each slide.

## Related terms

| Term |
| --- |
| Hook |
| Call to action |
| Alt text |

## Related documents

| Document |
| --- |
| [/guides/how-to-schedule-instagram-posts](/guides/how-to-schedule-instagram-posts) |

## Product tie

Weekbird schedules Instagram carousels of up to 10 items and checks each network's version of a post against that network's limits.