How to Post More Than 10 Slides on Instagram

Caught by Instagram’s 10-slide limit? You’ve created an amazing, in-depth tutorial, a detailed case study, or a heartfelt brand story only to realize you can’t fit it all into a single carousel post. This article breaks down three effective methods you can use right now to share more than 10 slides, turning that frustrating limitation into a creative opportunity.

Understanding the 10-Slide Limit and Why It Matters

First, let's acknowledge why the 10-image or video limit exists for carousel posts. Instagram is built for quick, digestible content. A limit forces creators to be concise and impactful, which generally aligns with how users consume content on the platform. However, for educators, service providers, and storytellers, this cap can feel restrictive. Detailed how-to guides, comprehensive product tours, and client success stories often need more than 10 frames to be told effectively.

Trying to cram too much information into each slide makes your content cluttered and hard to read. Trying to cut valuable information weakens your message. So, instead of fighting the limit, let's look at a few smart ways to work around it.

The Best Method: Turning Your Slides into a Single Video

The cleanest and most powerful way to bypass the 10-slide limit is to stop thinking in slides and start thinking in motion. By converting your individual graphics into a single, seamless video, you can present 15, 20, or even 30+ "slides" of information within a Reel or a video post. This method keeps all your content in one place, packages it perfectly for the algorithm, and gives you full control over the pacing.

Modern design and video editing apps make this process surprisingly straightforward, even if you’re not a video pro.

How to Create a Video Slideshow Step-by-Step (Using Canva)

Canva is an excellent tool for this because it was designed for creating social media graphics and has simple-to-use video features baked right in. The steps are similar in other popular apps like CapCut or InShot.

1. Choose the Right Format: Start a new design in Canva. You can use the "Instagram Post (Square)" or "Instagram Reel (Vertical 9:16)" template. For maximum reach, the Reel format is currently your best bet.
2. Design Your Slides as Pages: Treat each page in your Canva project as an individual slide. Create your first page, designing it exactly as you would for a static carousel. When you’re ready for the next slide, simply click "Add page" to create another one below it. Repeat this process until you have all 15, 20, or however many slides you need.
3. Set the Timing for Each Page: This is the most important part. By default, each page will have a duration set. Click the little clock icon at the top of the editor (it usually shows '5.0s' by default). Adjust the timing for each page.
   • For purely visual slides or headlines, 2-3 seconds might be enough.
   • For slides with text to read, set the duration to 4-7 seconds. A good rule of thumb is to read the text aloud twice, that’s roughly how long it should stay on screen. A "pause to read" prompt in a corner can also signal viewers to stop the video if there's a lot of text.
4. Add Transitions: To mimic the swiping feel of a carousel, you can add transitions between pages. Click the small plus (+) icon that appears between two pages in the timeline view at the bottom of the editor. Canva offers different animations like "Slide," "Flow," or "Wipe," which can make the video feel more dynamic. A simple "Slide" transition is very effective for this.
5. Incorporate Music or a Voiceover: Video content on Instagram performs much better with audio. Search Canva’s audio library for trending or atmospheric background music. Even better, record a voiceover where you explain the content on each slide. This adds a personal touch and makes your content more accessible and engaging.
6. Download as an MP4: Once you're happy with the design, timing, and audio, click the "Share" button in the top right corner, then select "Download." Make sure the file type is set to "MP4 Video." If you have multiple pages, an option to "Download pages as separate files" may appear – do *not* check this box. You want all pages to be downloaded as a single video file.
7. Post on Instagram: You can now upload your newly created MP4 file to Instagram as a Reel. You'll get all the benefits of a video - better reach, the ability to use trending audios, and a seamless viewing experience - while presenting far more than 10 pieces of information.

This method is perfect for: Detailed tutorials, data-driven reports, step-by-step guides, and telling a compelling story from beginning to end without interruption.

The Multi-Post Series: Breaking Down Your Content

If your content is naturally episodic or can be broken into distinct chapters, the series approach might be a better fit. Instead of trying to put 20 slides in one post, you create two 10-slide carousels or three 7-slide carousels. This strategy encourages profile visits and can increase engagement across multiple pieces of content.

The key to making this work is to treat it like a mini-campaign, making it obvious to your followers that the posts are connected.

Best Practices for Creating a Post Series

• Clearly Label Each Post: Your audience needs to know they’re looking at a piece of a larger story. Use text overlays on your cover slide to label each post clearly, like "Part 1 of 3," "Step 1/3," or "Chapter One." This manages expectations and immediately signals that there’s more to discover.
• Create Cliffhangers and Hooks: The final slide of each carousel in your series is your most valuable real estate. Use it to create a compelling reason for someone to seek out the next part. Ask an engaging question, tease the outcome you'll reveal in the next post, or use a direct call to action like, "Find Part 2 on our profile for the next 5 steps!"
• Maintain a Consistent Visual Theme: All posts in the series should look like they belong together. Use the same fonts, brand colors, and layout templates. This creates a cohesive, professional look on your grid and makes the subsequent parts instantly recognizable to followers who enjoyed the first one.
• Strategize Your Posting Schedule: You don't have to post the entire series at once. You could post one part per day to build anticipation and keep your audience coming back. Alternatively, you could "batch drop" them all within an hour or two so they appear chronologically for anyone visiting your profile.
• Use Your Captions Wisely: In the caption of Part 1, mention that this is part of a series and tell people what to expect. Once Part 2 is live, you can go back and edit the caption of Part 1 to tag the next post (unfortunately, you can't add a direct link, but you can say "@yourusername for Part 2!").

This method is perfect for: In-depth educational content, dividing a large case study into problem/solution/results sections, or breaking down a long listicle ("21 Ways to...") into manageable chunks.

Using Instagram Story Highlights to Create a Permanent 'Carousel'

Your Instagram feed isn't the only place to share multi-slide content. Instagram Stories, which allow you to post up to 100 individual clips or images at once, are an incredibly powerful tool for this. When you save those Stories to a Highlight on your profile, you create a permanent, tappable resource that functions like an endless carousel.

Highlights live right below your bio, making them one of the first things a new visitor sees. This makes them ideal for evergreen, foundational information.

How to Set Up a Story Highlight Guide

1. Design for a Vertical Format: Create your slides in a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080x1920 pixels). Tools like Canva have Story templates ready to go. Make sure fonts are large and readable on a mobile screen.
2. Upload to Your Story: Once your slides are designed and saved to your phone, go to your Instagram Story and upload them one by one in the correct order. You can use the "Select Multiple" feature to make this faster.
3. Create the Highlight: As you upload each slide (or after they're all live), tap the small "Highlight" icon at the bottom of the screen. You'll be given the option to add it to an existing Highlight or create a new one. Choose "New."
4. Give It a Clear Title and Cover: Name your Highlight something clear and descriptive, like "Start Here," "How It Works," or "Pricing." Then, select a custom cover image to keep your profile grid looking clean and on-brand. A simple icon usually works best.
5. Arrange Your Stories in Order: After adding all your slides, edit the Highlight to arrange the stories in the correct sequence. This ensures viewers can watch your guide from beginning to end as you intended.

The beauty of this method is its permanence and capacity. A single Highlight can hold 100 stories, far exceeding the feed post limit. You can build out comprehensive guides, welcome sequences for new followers, or detailed portfolios.

This method is perfect for: FAQs, behind-the-scenes processes, team introductions, onboarding guides for new clients, and any core information you want users to access easily at any time.

Final Thoughts

Instagram's 10-slide limit doesn't have to be a creative roadblock. By converting your slides to a video for a Reel, breaking your content into a well-branded series, or creating a permanent resource with Story Highlights, you can share deep, valuable stories that build authority and connect with your audience.

Planning these more complex content formats can be a challenge, and that’s a big reason we built Postbase. With platforms shifting so heavily toward video, managing Reels, TikToks, and Shorts is now a core part of any social strategy. Our visual calendar was designed to help you plan everything at a glance - from a single Reel that contains 20 talking points to a three-part carousel series scheduled across a week. It simplifies the process of creating and scheduling modern content, so you can focus more on the great ideas you want to share.