How to Make a LinkedIn Carousel: Sizes, Examples, and How to Post

The first confusing thing about making a LinkedIn carousel is that LinkedIn does not call it a carousel.

You look for a carousel button. You find photos, videos, polls, maybe a document icon, but nothing that says carousel. That is because a LinkedIn carousel is really a document post. You upload a multi-page file, and LinkedIn turns each page into a swipeable slide.

Once you know that, the process gets much simpler. The hard part is not the upload. The hard part is choosing the right LinkedIn carousel size, making each slide readable on a phone, and writing a first slide that earns the swipe.

This guide covers what a LinkedIn carousel is, the sizes that work, how to post a carousel on LinkedIn, and a few carousel examples you can use without copying anyone else's brand.

TL;DR

• 📄 A LinkedIn carousel is a document post. Upload a multi-page file and each page becomes one swipeable slide.
• 🧩 There is no carousel button. Use the document upload option, then LinkedIn renders the PDF as a carousel in the feed.
• 📐 The best default size is 1080 x 1350 px. Portrait 4:5 takes up the most vertical space on mobile and gives your idea more room to breathe.
• 🧾 PDF is the safest format. LinkedIn also accepts PPTX and DOCX, but PDF is the most consistent across devices.
• 🔁 Every slide needs the same dimensions. Mixed page sizes can break the display or make the deck look sloppy.
• 🪶 Keep it light. LinkedIn allows up to 300 pages and 300MB, but most strong carousels are 6 to 12 slides and under about 10MB.
• 🪝 The caption still matters. Use the carousel for depth, then use the post text to frame the promise and earn the first swipe.

What is a LinkedIn carousel?

A LinkedIn carousel is a post where readers swipe sideways through several slides inside the feed. It feels like a native carousel, but the actual post type is a document post.

Here is what is happening behind the scenes. You create a file with multiple pages. Each page is one slide. You upload that file to LinkedIn as a document. LinkedIn turns the pages into a swipeable deck that people can move through without leaving the feed.

That is why the most practical answer is: a LinkedIn carousel is a PDF document post.

LinkedIn also accepts PPTX and DOCX files, but PDF is the safest choice. A PDF keeps your fonts, spacing, and layout locked in place, so the slide you designed is the slide people see on mobile and desktop. If you build the deck in Canva, Figma, Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote, export the final version as a single PDF before uploading.

This matters because the format is easy to misunderstand. You are not uploading a set of separate images. You are not choosing a special carousel post type. You are publishing one document, and each page becomes a slide.

LinkedIn carousel size and dimensions

Choose the LinkedIn carousel size before you design the first slide. Resizing a finished deck is painful, and mixed page sizes can break the display.

The simple rule: every slide in the PDF must use the same dimensions.

Use 1080 x 1350 px (4:5 portrait) unless you have a specific reason not to.

Most people read LinkedIn on a phone. A portrait carousel takes up more vertical space in the feed than a square or landscape deck. That means your headline is larger, your slide has fewer competing distractions around it, and the reader has a better chance of stopping long enough to swipe. That extra attention is the whole point of the format.

Square works fine when you want a cleaner, simpler design canvas. Landscape works when you are repurposing a deck that already exists, but it usually gives you less readable space on mobile.

For the full dimensions reference, including exact pixel specs, aspect ratios, and file limits, see our LinkedIn carousel size guide.

The official ceiling is much higher than you need. LinkedIn allows large PDFs, up to 300 pages and 300MB. In practice, keep the PDF under about 10MB so it loads quickly, and keep the deck tight. Most good carousels are 6 to 12 slides: enough room to teach one idea, not so much that the reader gives up halfway through.

How to post a carousel on LinkedIn

Once the deck is ready, posting it is straightforward. The upload flow changes small labels from time to time, but the underlying process is the same.

1. Design your slides. Start with 1080 x 1350 px if you want the safest default. Put one idea on each slide. Use large text, generous spacing, and a consistent layout so the deck feels like one piece rather than twelve unrelated images.

2. Export the deck as one PDF. Do not upload one file per slide. Export the full deck as a single PDF, with every page the same size. Open the PDF before posting and quickly check that the order, spacing, and page sizes look right.

3. Start a new LinkedIn post. Go to your feed and click the normal post composer. You are not looking for a special carousel composer.

4. Add a document. Choose the document option, sometimes shown as a document icon or hidden behind a more menu. This is the option that turns your PDF pages into swipeable slides.

5. Upload the PDF. Select the PDF and give the document a short title. The title should describe the value of the deck, not your internal file name. A title like 7 client onboarding mistakes is clearer than carousel final v4.

6. Write a hook caption. The caption above the carousel still does important work. The first line should tell people why the deck is worth swiping. If you want to check how the caption will look before you publish, use the LinkedIn post preview.

7. Publish and stay nearby. After you post, reply to early comments while the conversation is fresh. A carousel can hold attention, but comments still help the post become a real discussion.

If the caption is the part slowing you down, draft a few options with the LinkedIn post generator, then rewrite the best one until it sounds like you. The upload is mechanical. The hook is where the post earns the swipe.

What makes a good LinkedIn carousel?

A good LinkedIn carousel feels easy to finish. The reader understands slide one immediately, knows why to keep swiping, and gets one clean idea per slide.

The basic shape is simple:

• Slide one earns the stop with a clear problem, promise, or tension.
• Each middle slide moves one step forward.
• The last slide gives a next step, such as save this, try this, comment with a question, or use the framework.

The mistake is treating every slide like a mini blog post. A carousel is not the place for dense paragraphs. It is closer to a guided sequence of thoughts. One slide, one point. If you need three paragraphs to explain a slide, the idea probably needs two slides.

Here are a few LinkedIn carousel examples by structure, without pretending they came from a famous brand.

The how-to teardown. Use this when your reader wants a process. Slide one names the outcome. The next slides walk through each step. The final slide summarizes the sequence and gives the reader one thing to try. Example concept: how to turn a client call into three LinkedIn posts.

The listicle. Use this when the value is a set of examples, mistakes, prompts, or checks. Slide one promises the number. Each middle slide gives one item and one short explanation. Example concept: 9 first lines that make a LinkedIn post easier to read.

The story. Use this when the lesson only makes sense with context. Slide one opens with the tension. The middle slides show what changed. The final slide lands the lesson. Example concept: the post I almost deleted, and what it taught me about writing for the right people.

The framework. Use this when you want people to remember a way of thinking. Slide one names the framework. Each middle slide explains one part. The last slide shows how the pieces fit together. Example concept: a 4-part checklist for turning expertise into a post idea.

If you are stuck on the angle, start with LinkedIn post ideas. Many text post ideas become better carousels when the reader needs a sequence, a checklist, a visual comparison, or a framework they might save. For ready-made structures, see our LinkedIn carousel examples, six slide-by-slide skeletons you can adapt.

Why carousels work right now

Carousels work because they can hold attention. Not automatically, and not because LinkedIn has promised a special boost. They work when a reader wants to keep swiping.

That matters because time spent with a post is one of the signals people watch when they talk about LinkedIn distribution. A carousel gives the reader more moments to stop: the first slide, the second slide, the next swipe, the final takeaway. If the deck is useful, those moments add up to real dwell time.

We cover the larger feed mechanics in how the LinkedIn algorithm works. The short version for carousels is simple: the format gives you more surface area for attention, but only the content earns it.

A weak carousel is still weak. A dense carousel is still hard to read. A carousel with a vague first slide will still get skipped. The format helps only when the idea is sharp enough to deserve the extra swipes.

How to write the slides without sounding generic

The hardest part of a LinkedIn carousel is not exporting the PDF. It is writing the words that go on each slide.

A strong deck needs the same things as a strong text post: a clear hook, a specific reader, one point at a time, and a reason to keep going. Our guide on how to write a LinkedIn post applies almost directly. The first slide is your hook. The middle slides are your body. The final slide is your close.

Before you design, write the deck in plain text. One line for the first slide. One idea for each middle slide. One final line that tells the reader what to do next. If it does not work as a simple outline, design will not fix it.

The deck is only as strong as the words on each slide. WriteHero helps you turn a rough idea into hook options, slide copy, and a caption that still sounds like you. Use the LinkedIn post generator to draft the words, then use the LinkedIn post preview to check the caption before you publish.

Once the words are sharp, the production part is simple: lay them out at 1080 x 1350 px, export one PDF, upload it as a document, and give people a reason to swipe.