How to Post a Carousel on LinkedIn

Wondering how to create those engaging, swipeable carousels you see all over your LinkedIn feed? You’re in the right place. This guide walks you through exactly what LinkedIn carousels are, why they work so well, and the step-by-step process for creating and posting them to capture your audience’s attention.

What Are LinkedIn Carousels (and Why Should You Care)?

First things first: a LinkedIn carousel isn't a native feature like it is on Instagram. You won't find a "carousel" button when you create a post. Instead, it's a clever use of the platform's document sharing feature. Simply put, you upload a PDF file, and LinkedIn automatically displays it as an interactive, multi-page format that users can click or swipe through directly in the feed.

So, why bother with this "hack"? Because it’s one of the most effective ways to grab attention and boost engagement on the platform. The LinkedIn algorithm tends to reward posts that keep users on the platform longer - and nothing keeps people engaged like a compelling, multi-slide story.

Here’s why carousels are so powerful:

• They Stop the Scroll: A well-designed opening slide with a bold headline can cut through the noise of a busy feed much more effectively than a standard text post. The visual format is naturally more appealing and gives you a bigger piece of real estate on the screen.
• Increased Dwell Time: The act of swiping through multiple slides - even just for a few seconds - signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your content is interesting. This "dwell time" is a positive engagement metric that can help push your post out to a wider audience.
• Perfect for Storytelling: Carousels give you the space to tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. You can break down complex ideas, share step-by-step guides, showcase a transformation, or walk your audience through data in a way that’s easy to follow. Each slide builds on the last, keeping the reader hooked.
• Outstanding Educational Value: This format is tailor-made for establishing yourself as an expert. You can share tips, industry insights, quick tutorials, myth-busting facts, or recap key takeaways from an article or podcast. By offering genuine value in a concise format, you build trust and authority with your audience.

How to Design a LinkedIn Carousel That Gets Attention

Before you even think about uploading your post, you need to create content that’s worth swiping through. The quality of your content and design is what separates a carousel that gets ignored from one that goes viral. You don't need to be a professional graphic designer, but you do need a solid plan.

Step 1: Choose Your Topic and Outline Your Story

Start with a single, clear idea. What do you want your audience to learn or feel after seeing your post? Don't try to cram too much into one carousel. Simplicity is your friend.

Good carousel topic examples include:

• A 5-step guide to improving your resume.
• 3 common mistakes people make in your industry (and how to fix them).
• A case study showing a client's success story.
• Little-known stats from a recent industry report.
• An introduction to your team members and their roles.

Once you have a topic, structure it like a micro-presentation:

• Slide 1: The Hook. This is your title slide and the most important element. It should have a bold headline that creates curiosity or promises a specific outcome. Think "The 5 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Marketer" instead of "Marketing Tips."
• Middle Slides (2-9): The Value. Each slide should focus on a single point. Use minimal text, big fonts, relevant icons, or images. Break your information into small, digestible chunks.
• Final Slide: The Call-to-Action (CTA). End with a clear instruction. What do you want people to do next? Don't just end your carousel abruptly. Ask a question to encourage comments ("What’s your #1 tip?") or direct them to do something else ("Follow me for more daily tips!").

Step 2: Get the Design and Specs Right

Consistency and clarity are fundamental for a professional-looking carousel. You can use simple tools like Canva, Google Slides, or even PowerPoint to create your slides.

Dimension Recommendations:

• Square (1080x1080 pixels): A classic, clean look that works very well on all devices.
• Portrait (1080x1350 pixels): Highly recommended! This vertical format takes up more space on mobile screens, making your post harder to scroll past.

Whichever dimension you choose, stick with it for all slides in the carousel. Consistency looks more professional. When you're done designing, export the entire presentation as a single PDF file. This is the format you’ll need for LinkedIn.

Design Best Practices:

• Brand Consistency: Use your brand fonts and colors on every slide. Drop your logo or website URL discreetly in the corner to reinforce brand recognition.
• Readability is a Must: Use large, easy-to-read fonts. Your audience will be seeing this on a small mobile screen, so don't make them squint.
• Visual Flow: Use visual cues like arrows, numbers, or a continuous background graphic to encourage people to swipe to the next slide. A simple "Swipe →" can make a big difference.
• Visuals over Text: Let images, icons, and whitespace do the heavy lifting. Avoid dense paragraphs. If you have a lot to say, say a little on each slide. A good rule of thumb is no more than 20-30 words per slide.

How to Post a Carousel on LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once your PDF is ready, it's time to post it. The process is straightforward, but the correct button is a little hidden if you don't know where to look. Follow these simple steps.

Note: We're showing the desktop process, as it's the most common workflow for uploading documents.

1. Navigate to the LinkedIn homepage and click on the "Start a post" box at the top of your feed.
2. A pop-up window will appear. At the bottom, ignore the familiar Photo and Video icons. Instead, click on the three dots for "More".
3. From the next menu that appears, select the "Add a document" icon. It looks like a piece of paper with a folded corner. This is the magic button!
4. Click "Choose file" and select the PDF you created from your computer.
5. After uploading, you'll see a preview of your document. At the top, give your carousel a descriptive, SEO-friendly file name. This isn't visible on the slide itself but appears above the carousel post. For example, use "5 LinkedIn Headline Tips for Job Seekers" instead of "Untitled_Final_V2.pdf".
6. Click "Done" in the bottom right corner of the document preview window.
7. Now you’re back in the post-creation window. Your carousel preview is loaded. It’s time to write your post's caption in the text box above it.
8. Once your caption and hashtags are added, click the "Post" button. That's it! Your carousel is live.

Tips to Maximize Your Carousel's Reach and Engagement

Hitting "post" is only half the battle. To give your carousel the best chance of performing well, you need to optimize the entire package.

Write a Hook-Worthy Caption

The text accompanying your carousel is extremely important. The first two lines are all people see before having to click "...see more," so make them count. Your caption should add context, stir curiosity, and encourage people to look at the slides.

A good caption formula for a carousel is:

1. A Strong Opening Hook: Start with a question, a bold statement, or a relatable problem. For example, "Are you making this common profile mistake?"
2. Context & Benefit: Briefly explain what value the carousel provides. ("I'm breaking down the 3 changes you can make today to fix it.")
3. A Clear Call-to-Action: End by telling people what to do. Link this to the CTA on your final slide for consistency. ("Let me know in the comments which one you're going to try first!")

💡 Pro Tip: To drive traffic, many creators put a relevant link in the first comment of their post. The theory is that this tells the algorithm to prioritize engagement within the post itself, rather than sending users off-site.

Use Relevant Hashtags

Hashtags help LinkedIn categorize your content and show it to users interested in those topics. Don't go overboard, use 3-5 highly relevant hashtags. Include a mix of broad terms (like #Marketing or #Leadership) and more niche terms (like #B2BContentStrategy).

Engage with Your Audience

Your work isn't done after a couple of minutes. Stick around for the first hour after posting to respond to comments. This activity sends strong positive signals to the algorithm and encourages more people to join the conversation. Ask follow-up questions and acknowledge every comment individually if you can. It builds a real community around your content. Fostering that conversation is what turns a good post into a great one.

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn carousel posts are an incredibly versatile and engaging way to share your expertise, tell brand stories, and capture attention in a crowded feed. By using the hidden document feature and pairing it with well-designed content and a thoughtful caption, you can create a powerful piece of marketing that serves your audience and grows your personal brand.

Of course, creating compelling carousels is just one part of a consistent content strategy. Planning when and where to post them, alongside your other videos, text posts, and articles, is also essential. We designed Postbase with this in mind. Our visual content calendar gives you a bird's-eye view of your entire social media schedule, making it easy to see where your high-impact carousels fit and ensure you maintain a consistent, balanced presence across all platforms without any of the usual stress.