How to Make a Swipe Slideshow on Instagram

Creating a swipeable slideshow, or carousel, on Instagram is one of the most powerful ways to boost engagement and tell a deeper story than a single image ever could. These multi-slide posts invite your audience to stay a little longer, absorb more information, and interact with your content in a meaningful way. This guide is your complete walkthrough for creating captivating Instagram slideshows, from the simple in-app method to designing visually stunning, seamless carousels that will stop the scroll.

Why Instagram Carousels are an Engagement Powerhouse

Before getting into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Single image posts are great, but carousels offer unique advantages that the Instagram algorithm loves, encouraging it to show your content to more people. They are a core part of any successful organic growth strategy.

1. They Stop the Scroll and Boost "Dwell Time"

The Instagram algorithm pays close attention to how long users spend looking at your content. This is called "dwell time." A carousel, by its interactive nature, naturally makes people pause their frantic scrolling. As they swipe through your slides, they're spending more time on your post. This sends a strong signal to Instagram that your content is valuable and engaging, prompting the algorithm to show it to a wider audience.

2. You Can Tell a Deeper Story

You have up to 10 slides to play with - that’s a lot of real estate to work with. This format is perfect for breaking down complex topics, sharing step-by-step tutorials, or creating a narrative that unfolds with each swipe. You can move beyond a simple snapshot and provide real, tangible value that builds trust and authority.

• A fitness coach can share a full workout, with one exercise per slide.
• A food blogger can break down a recipe into easy-to-follow steps.
• A brand can showcase a product from multiple angles or tell its origin story.

3. It's an Opportunity for Multiple Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

A carousel takes your followers on a journey. The first slide hooks them, the middle slides educate or entertain, and the final slide provides the perfect opportunity to ask them to take action. This final slide is a powerful spot to include a clear Call-to-Action (CTA), like asking people to save the post, tag a friend, share their thoughts in the comments, or visit the link in your bio.

How to Make a Basic Slideshow Straight from the Instagram App

If you're just starting out or need to post something quickly, creating a slideshow directly within the Instagram app is the simplest way to go. It’s effective, fast, and requires no outside tools.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Open Instagram and Start a New Post: Tap the + icon at the bottom of your screen to create a new post.
2. Select "Post": From the options at the bottom (Post, Story, Reel, Live), make sure "Post" is selected.
3. Choose Multiple Images: Look for the "Select Multiple" icon, which looks like two overlapping squares, and tap it. Your gallery will now allow you to select more than one photo or video.
4. Pick Your Content: Select up to 10 photos and videos from your camera roll. A number will appear on each thumbnail, indicating its order in the slideshow. Make sure to tap them in the sequence you want them to appear.
5. Proceed to Edit: Once your content is selected, tap "Next" in the top-right corner.
6. Apply Edits and Filters: On this screen, you can apply a single filter to all slides or tap on each individual slide at the bottom to edit it separately. You can adjust brightness, contrast, and other settings for each image or video independently.
7. Write Your Caption: After tapping "Next" again, you’ll be on the final screen. This is where you write your compelling caption, add relevant hashtags, tag other accounts, and add a location if you wish.
8. Share Your Slideshow: Hit the "Share" button, and your carousel is live!

Pro Tip: Mixing Photos and Videos

Don’t feel limited to just photos. Mixing in a short video clip within your carousel can make it much more dynamic and engaging. For example, you could show a photo of a finished meal on the first slide, followed by a short video of the cooking process on the second slide, and the recipe steps on the following slides. This variety keeps users swiping to see what's next.

Designing a Seamless "Panorama" Carousel for a Pro Look

While the in-app method is great, if you want to create a truly professional and eye-catching slideshow, a seamless carousel is the way to go. This technique involves creating one long image that is split into multiple squares, creating a continuous, flowing visual that encourages users to swipe through to see the full picture.

This may sound complex, but with the right tools and a clear process, it's easier than you think.

Step 1: Ideate and Plan Your Storyboard

The success of a seamless carousel lies in planning. Before opening any design software, grab a pen and paper (or open a notes app) and storyboard your idea. Ask yourself:

• What is the goal of this post? To educate, entertain, or sell?
• What is the one key takeaway I want my audience to have?
• How will it flow? What’s the hook on slide 1? What information goes in the middle? What is the CTA on the last slide?

Think about how elements like text, images, and graphics will span across the slides. This pre-planning will save you a ton of time during the design phase.

Step 2: Choose Your Design Tool

You don't need to be a professional graphic designer to create a beautiful carousel. There are plenty of user-friendly tools available:

• Canva: Perfect for beginners. It's intuitive, loaded with templates, and makes designing for social media incredibly simple. The free version is more than enough to get started.
• Figma: A powerful and free browser-based design tool loved by many creators. It has a steeper learning curve than Canva but offers more flexibility.
• Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator: These are the industry-standard tools for professional designers, offering maximum control and capabilities.

Step 3: Set Up Your Canvas Dimensions

This is the most critical technical step. To create the seamless effect, you need to create a single, wide canvas. The dimensions depend on how many slides you want and whether you're using a square or portrait format.

IG Post Dimensions:

• Square: 1080px by 1080px
• Portrait: 1080px by 1350px

The math is simple: Total Width = (Width of one slide) x (Number of slides).

Let's say you're creating a 4-slide square carousel:

• Width = 1080px * 4 = 4320px
• Height = 1080px. You would set your canvas to 4320px by 1080px.

For a 4-slide portrait carousel:

• Width = 1080px * 4 = 4320px
• Height = 1350px. You would set your canvas to 4320px by 1350px.

Step 4: Design Your Seamless Flow

Now the fun begins. Use your long canvas to design your carousel. To achieve the seamless illusion, strategically place visual elements across the "seams" - the lines where one slide will end and the next will begin.

• Guide the eye: Use arrows, lines, or background shapes that stretch from one frame to the next.
• Bleed your images: Place photos or parts of a subject so they are partially on one slide and partially on the next. A person’s arm extending into the next frame is a classic technique.
• Maintain consistency: Use the same fonts, colors, and branding elements throughout to create a cohesive look.

Step 5: Slice Your Image into Individual Posts

Once your masterpiece is complete, you need to cut the long canvas into individual posts. There are a few ways to do this:

• Online Image Splitter Tools: There are plenty of free websites that can do this for you. Just search for something like "image splitter" or "panorama slicer." Upload your long image, specify the number of slices you need, and the tool will cut it and let you download the individual files.
• In Your Design Tool: Photoshop has a built-in "Slice Tool" that's perfect for this. In Canva or Figma, you can use guides or grids to manually split and export each section as a separate 1080px wide image. This gives you more control over the final export.

Step 6: Upload the Sliced Images to Instagram

With your individual image files saved (e.g., slide1.jpg, slide2.jpg, etc.), you're ready to upload. This process is the same as the in-app method outlined earlier. The most important thing here is to select the images in the correct order (1, 2, 3...) to ensure the carousel displays seamlessly.

Carousel Ideas and Best Practices to Maximize Engagement

A well-designed carousel is only half the battle. The content itself needs to provide value. Here are some ideas and best practices to make your slideshows resonate with your audience.

Content Ideas to Get You Started:

• Tutorials & How-Tos: Break down a process into 5-7 simple, visual steps.
• Before-and-After: A highly effective format for a huge range of industries - fitness transformations, home renovations, graphic design glow-ups, etc.
• Myths vs. Facts: Dedicate an entire carousel to debunking a common misconception in your niche.
• Storytelling: Tell a customer success story, show the behind-the-scenes of your creative process, or share your brand's founding story.
• Data Visualizations & Infographics: Transform boring data into a digestible, swipeable infographic that educates your audience.
• Listicles: "3 Tools Every Creator Needs," "5 Mistakes to Avoid in [Your Niche]," or "7 of Our Favorite [X]."

Best Practices for Every Slideshow:

• Nail the Hook on Slide 1: The first slide must be compelling enough to stop someone from scrolling past. Use a bold, intriguing title, ask a provocative question, or use a captivating image.
• Prompt Them to Swipe: Don't just assume people know to swipe. Add a subtle visual cue like an arrow or a text line like "Swipe to see more."
• Be Concise and Scannable: No one likes to be confronted with a wall of text on Instagram. Use short sentences and bullet points to break down your information.
• Finish with a Clear Call-to-Action: Make your last slide count. Tell your followers exactly what you want them to do next. Simple prompts like "Share this if you found it helpful" or "Tag a friend who needs to see this," can significantly boost engagement.

Final Thoughts

Instagram slideshows are a fantastic tool for delivering value, telling compelling stories, and boosting engagement. Whether you're using the simple in-app editor or creating complex, seamless designs, the key is providing content that captures your followers' attention and encourages them to interact.

As creating slideshows becomes part of your regular content strategy, staying organized is key. Planning your entire content schedule at-a-glance and scheduling posts in advance saves time and ensures consistency. For a seamless workflow, a visual calendar tool like Postbase can make managing your content across all platforms simple and efficient.