How to Get 20 Slides on Instagram

You've created an epic tutorial, a deep-dive case study, or a massive photo dump and you hit a wall: Instagram's 10-slide carousel limit. While you can't directly post a 20-slide native carousel, you absolutely can tell that longer story effectively. This guide breaks down the best workarounds for sharing extensive content, from clever publishing tricks to format alternatives that might even perform better.

First, Why Does Instagram Cap Carousels at 10 Slides?

Before we jump into the "how," it's worth understanding the "why." Instagram's 10-slide limit isn't just an arbitrary number. It’s a design choice rooted in user experience and engagement. Attention spans on social media are famously short, and data shows that engagement tends to drop off the more slides you add. Ten slides is often the sweet spot for telling a compelling, digestible story without losing your audience's interest. For more details on this, you might find our guide on how to add more than 10 photos to an Instagram post helpful.

Think of it as a creative constraint. It forces you to be concise, impactful, and focus on delivering value with every single swipe. Trying to cram a novel into a carousel rarely works. However, some stories genuinely need more breathing room, and for those, here are the three most effective strategies to get around the limit.

Method 1: The "Part 1 / Part 2" Carousel Series

The most direct way to publish 20 slides is to break them into two separate 10-slide carousels. This approach keeps your content in the familiar, swipeable carousel format on your grid. It creates more posts for your feed and gives you two chances to capture your audience’s attention, but it requires a bit of smart planning to guide viewers from the first post to the second. For comprehensive guidance on this, consider learning how to plan social media content effectively.

How to Execute This Strategy:

• Step 1: Divide Your Content Logically. Don't just split your content halfway through a sentence. Find a natural breaking point in your narrative. For a 20-slide tutorial on "Building a Brand," slides 1-10 might cover "Strategy &, Messaging" while slides 11-20 cover "Visuals &, Social Media."
• Step 2: Title Each Post Clearly. Make it obvious that this is part of a series.
  • Example: "How to Build a Powerful Brand (Part 1/2)"
  • Example: "Our Ultimate Guide to Content Creation: Strategy"
• Step 3: Create a Strong "End Card." The final slide (slide 10) of your first carousel is your most important navigation tool. It needs to tell people that there's more content and where to find it.
  • "Part 2 is live! Tap the link in my bio/caption for the rest of the guide."
  • "Finished Part 1? Head to our profile grid for Part 2!"
• Step 4: Use Your Caption and Timing. Post Part 2 either immediately after Part 1 so they appear side-by-side on your grid, or wait an hour or two. In the caption for Part 1, announce that Part 2 is also live. Tag your own profile in the comments of the Part 1 post so users can click your username and navigate directly to your feed. For Part 2’s caption, reference Part 1 for anyone who may have missed it.

Pros of This Method:

• You get to use the native carousel format your audience knows and loves.
• It increases your content output, giving you two pieces for your grid instead of one.

Cons of This Method:

• It relies on the user to take an extra step, so you will lose some people between Part 1 and Part 2.
• Posting two carousels back-to-back can clutter your grid unless your visuals are highly consistent.

Method 2: Convert Your Slideshow Into a Video Reel

If your primary goal is to deliver a lot of information in one post, why not use the format Instagram is prioritizing most? Reels offer a more passive viewing experience - the user just has to watch, not actively swipe - and they have huge potential for organic reach right now. Turning your 20 slides into a fast-paced, informative video is a fantastic way to deliver a ton of value in a format designed for discovery. To learn more about this process, check out our step-by-step guide on how to create Instagram Reels.

How to Execute This Strategy:

• Step 1: Design Your Slides as Graphics. Create all 20 of your graphics in a tool like Canva or Figma, optimizing them for a 9:16 vertical video format (1080x1920 pixels). Keep text minimal and easily readable.
• Step 2: Assemble Your Video. You can do this right inside Instagram's Reel editor, but for more control, use a free third-party app like CapCut or InShot.
  • Import all 20 images.
  • Set the duration for each slide. For text-heavy slides, 3-4 seconds is a good starting point. For visual-only slides, 1-2 seconds can work. Aim for a total video length that feels quick and engaging.
  • Use simple transitions like a gentle fade or a quick slide to create a smooth, polished flow. A hard cut from one to the next also can work, depending on your brand’s aesthetic.
• Step 3: Add Audio and Finishing Touches. This is what elevates a simple slideshow into a compelling Reel. Add a trending audio track directly from Instagram's library to boost visibility. To maximize your reach, understanding how to use hashtags on Instagram effectively is key. Consider adding text overlays to introduce topics or call out important points. Motion makes even static graphics much more watchable.
• Step 4: Craft a Powerful Hook and CTA. The first two seconds are everything. Make your first slide a bold headline that promises value. Your caption can then provide more details and encourage saves and shares. Since people might miss a point while watching, list the key takeaways from your slides in the caption for easy reference.

Why This Method Wins:

• Higher Reach Potential: The Instagram algorithm is heavily favoring Reels, so your content is more likely to be seen by new audiences.
• Better Completion Rate: It’s easier for someone to watch an automatically playing 45-second video than it is for them to commit to swiping 20 times.
• Reusable Content: This same video can be reused as a TikTok, YouTube Short, or Pinterest Idea Pin for maximum return on your creative investment. With a social media platform that supports short-form video natively, you can easily repurpose your content across other channels.

Method 3: Leverage Instagram Stories & Highlights

For truly epic content that extends well beyond 20 slides, your best option might be outside of traditional feed posts altogether. Instagram Stories are built for sequential, long-form narratives and are free from the constraints of the grid. While Stories are ephemeral, Highlights make them a permanent asset on your profile, so you should approach a Stories strategy with Highlights in mind. Learn more about how to add highlights on Instagram to make your content last.

How to Execute This Strategy:

• Step 1: Upload Your Slides to Your Story. You can add up to 100 stories a day, so a 20-slide tutorial is no problem. Add each slide in order, and use native Stories tools to your advantage. Add polls, quizzes, or slider stickers to keep viewers engaged and tapping through.
• Step 2: Make It Interactive. Break up long strings of information with engagement stickers. For example, after a slide that explains why A/B testing is important, use a poll sticker ("Have you A/B tested copy before? A. 'Yes' B. 'Not yet'"). This turns passive consumption into an active experience.
• Step 3: Save to Highlights. Once all your stories are live, tap the Highlight button to save them permanently on your profile. Create a new Highlight called "Brand Guide" or "Content Tips," or whatever is relevant to your piece.
• Step 4: Promote the Highlight. Don't just let it sit there! Create a separate feed post - like a single image, simple carousel, or a short Reel - that teases the content and directs people to your profile's Highlight for the full guide. This serves as a "trailer" for your long-form content.

Why This Method is So Powerful:

• It's Permanent: Highlights live on your profile until you delete them, making them long-term tutorial assets that new users can discover over and over again.
• Unlimited Space: You're not limited to 20 slides. You can create a Highlight with 100 or even more slides, making it ideal for in-depth guides, tutorials, and case studies.
• Interactive and Dynamic: Using Stories stickers, you can create a more dynamic, immersive experience that's more like a mini-course than a static slideshow.

Final Thoughts

When you want to post more than 10 slides on Instagram, the key isn’t to force a longer native post. The solution is to think strategically about which format will deliver the most value to your audience. Whether it's a linked two-part carousel series, a fast-paced Reel, or an interactive Stories Highlight, there are clever ways to tell bigger stories without losing engagement.

Planning and scheduling multi-part posts like a carousel series, a promotional Reel, and a Story can get complicated. A tool like Postbase simplifies this with a visual calendar that lets you see your entire content plan at a glance. You can easily map out your "Part 1 / Part 2" series or schedule a promotional Reel for your Story Highlight, ensuring your workflow is cohesive. It's a simple, reliable way for creators to stay organized and keep their content flowing.