How to Make Swipe Photos on Pinterest

Pinterest is more than a digital mood board, it’s a visual search engine where a single Pin can drive significant traffic and engagement for your brand. To stand out, you need content that stops the scroll, and one of the most effective ways to do that is with swipe photos, officially known as Carousel Pins. This guide will walk you through exactly what they are, why you should use them, and how to create your own, step-by-step.

What Exactly Are Pinterest Carousel Pins?

Carousel Pins are Pins that feature multiple images in a single post, allowing users to swipe through them like a mini-slideshow. Think of them as a photo gallery or a bite-sized story all packed into one interactive Pin. Instead of just showing one static image, you can guide a user through a process, showcase a product from different angles, or tell a memorable story with up to five distinct images (or ‘cards’).

Unlike regular Pins that offer a single glimpse into your content, carousels invite active engagement. The simple act of swiping builds curiosity and keeps users interacting with your Pin for longer, which is a big win in the eyes of the Pinterest algorithm. They are incredibly versatile and can be used for almost any niche, from e-commerce and cooking to education and DIY projects.

Why Should You Bother with Carousel Pins?

Creating five images might seem like more work than creating one, but the payoff is often well worth the effort. Carousels give you more room to provide value and persuade your audience.

1. They Tell a Deeper Story

A single image can capture a moment, but a carousel can tell a complete story. You can build a narrative that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. For instance, a food blogger could use a carousel to show:

• Card 1: The beautiful, finished dish.
• Card 2: A flat lay of the fresh ingredients.
• Card 3: A mid-process shot of the cooking action.
• Card 4: A close-up of a delectable detail.
• Card 5: A graphic with the recipe title and a call to action to "Save for later!"

This storytelling approach creates a much more immersive experience than a lone photo ever could.

2. They're Perfect for Step-by-Step Tutorials

Is your content educational? Carousels are the perfect format for breaking down a complex process into simple, digestible steps. Whether you’re showing users how to master a workout move, apply a makeup look, or assemble a piece of furniture, each card can represent one clear step. This visual guidance is far more effective than trying to explain everything in a lengthy description.

3. They Showcase Products Brilliantly

For e-commerce brands, carousels are a game-changer. You're no longer limited to a single product shot. You can use the multiple slides to:

• Show the product from different angles.
• Highlight specific features with text overlays.
• Display the product in different colors or styles.
• Feature user-generated content of real customers using it.
• Present a "Get the Look" carousel showing how to style the item.

4. They Boost Engagement and Reach

Because carousels are interactive, users spend more time on them. This increased "dwell time" signals to Pinterest that your content is valuable and engaging, which can lead the algorithm to show your Pin to more people. Every swipe is a micro-commitment, deepening the user's connection with your content and making them more likely to save it or click through to your website.

Planning an Effective Pinterest Carousel

Before you jump into a design tool, a little bit of planning goes a long way. A great carousel feels intentional and guides the viewer smoothly from the first image to the last. Spontaneously throwing five images together won't get you the results you want.

Map Out Your Narrative

Think like a storyteller. Every carousel should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

• The Hook (First Card): Your first image is the most important one. It's the "cover" of your story and must be compelling enough to make someone stop scrolling and feel curious enough to swipe. Use your most vibrant image, ask an intriguing question with text, or show a jaw-dropping "after" photo.
• The Build-Up (Middle Cards): These cards deliver on the promise of your hook. They provide the steps, show the details, reveal the process, or build the story. Make sure there’s a logical flow from one card to the next.
• The Payoff (Last Card): Your final image should provide a satisfying conclusion and a clear call to action (CTA). What do you want the user to do next? "Visit our blog for the full recipe," "Shop the collection now," or "Save this Pin for inspiration" are all effective CTAs. Don't leave them guessing.

Keep the Technical Specs in Mind

To avoid frustrating alignment or cropping issues, design your images with Pinterest’s requirements in mind:

• Number of Cards: You can use between 2 and 5 images per carousel.
• File Type: PNG or JPEG formats work best.
• File Size: Keep each image under 32 MB.
• Aspect Ratio: The standard 2:3 vertical aspect ratio (e.g., 1000 x 1500 pixels) is your best bet. While square Pins (1:1) also work, vertical formats take up more screen space on mobile and tend to perform better. Make sure all images in your carousel have the same dimensions for a seamless swipe.

How to Make Swipe Photos on Pinterest: Step-by-Step

Ready to create your first Carousel Pin? Here’s a detailed walkthrough of the entire process, from design to publishing.

Step 1: Design Your Images ("Cards")

Consistency is your friend. Your carousel should feel like a single, cohesive piece of content, not a random set of photos. Use a tool like Canva, Adobe Express, or your preferred design software to create your cards.

Design Best Practices:

• Branding: Use your brand's fonts, colors, and logo to create a consistent look. Placing your logo or website URL subtly on each card is a good way to reinforce brand recognition.
• Text Overlays: Add clear, concise text to your images to provide context. For a tutorial, label each card "Step 1," "Step 2," and so on. Bold, readable fonts are a must.
• Visual Cues to Swipe: Encourage the swipe! Add small arrows, ellipses (...), or a playful graphic element that crosses over from one slide to the next to visually signal that there is more to see. Some creators number their cards (e.g., 1/5, 2/5) to manage expectations.
• High-Quality Imagery: Blurry or poorly lit photos will get scrolled past immediately. Use crisp, bright, professional-looking images that represent your brand well.

Once your cards are designed, download them as individual PNG or JPG files and name them in order (e.g., Pin A Card 1, Pin A Card 2) to keep them organized.

Step 2: Upload Your Carousel Pin to Pinterest

Now it’s time to assemble your Pin on Pinterest. The process is straightforward on both desktop and mobile.

On Desktop:

1. Log in to your Pinterest business account.
2. Click the Create button in the top-left corner, then select Create Pin.
3. In the Pin builder, click the upward arrow icon and select all the images you created for your carousel. Pinterest will automatically recognize the multiple files and set them up as a carousel.
4. If the images aren't in the right order, you can easily drag and drop the card thumbnails on the left panel to rearrange them.
5. Click on each card's thumbnail to see how it looks in the main preview window.

Step 3: Optimize Your Title, Description, and Link

This is where you tell Pinterest what your Pin is about, helping it show your content to the right audience. It's your moment to shine with some smart keyword usage.

• Title: Create a compelling, keyword-rich title. Instead of "Living Room Makeover," try something more descriptive like "Cozy and Modern Living Room Makeover on a Budget." Aim for titles that pique curiosity and include terms people are actually searching for.
• Description: Write a few sentences describing what the Pin is about. Naturally work in your primary and secondary keywords, and remember to add a human touch. Explain the value a user will get from your carousel and include a clear call to action. You can also add a few relevant hashtags here.
• Destination Link: Add the URL you want to drive traffic to. This could be a blog post, a product page, or a category page. All the cards in your carousel will point to this single link.

Step 4: Publish or Schedule Your Pin

The final step is getting it live. You're almost there!

1. Choose the most relevant board for your Pin from the dropdown menu at the top. Putting your content on specific, well-organized boards helps both users and the Pinterest algorithm understand its context.
2. You have two options: Publish immediately or click Publish at a later date to schedule your Pin for an optimal time when your audience is most active.
3. Once you're happy with everything, hit that big red Publish button!

And that’s it! You've successfully created and published a Carousel Pin that is ready to engage your audience and build your brand on Pinterest.

Final Thoughts

Creating Carousel Pins is a fantastic way to level up your Pinterest strategy by telling deeper stories, providing more value, and encouraging direct engagement from your audience. By planning your narrative and following a few design best practices, you can create interactive content that not only stands out but also drives meaningful results for your blog or business.

As you build out your strategy, planning Carousels alongside Pins and Idea Pins for Pinterest - not to mention Reels, TikToks, and posts for every other platform - can quickly become a serious scheduling headache. We built Postbase to solve that chaos. Our visual calendar lets you see all your content across every platform in one clean view, so you can map out your entire strategy and trust that everything will publish reliably. It gives you back the time you’d otherwise spend juggling platforms so you can focus on creating.