Design3 min read
LinkedIn Carousel: A Document Post That Reads
A LinkedIn carousel is a PDF rendered as swipeable pages. Here is the page size, the type size, and the structure that keeps people swiping.
A LinkedIn carousel is a PDF uploaded as a document post, which LinkedIn renders as swipeable pages in the feed. It takes more feed space than any other format and holds attention longer — provided the pages are built for a phone rather than for a slide projector.
The LinkedIn carousel specification
| Thing | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | |
| Page ratio | 1:1 or 4:5 — square is safest |
| Page size | 1080×1080 or 1080×1350 |
| Pages | 5-10 works; more loses people |
| Type size | Large. Assume the page is read at about 400 pixels wide |
Landscape pages are the common mistake. A 16:9 slide deck uploaded as a document renders as a small strip on a phone, and the type is unreadable.
FreeMentioned in this article
Social Image ResizerOne image, cropped to every size the networks actually use.Full sizing reference: LinkedIn image and document sizes.
The structure that keeps people swiping
Page 1 is the entire post. It appears in the feed as the cover, and it decides whether anyone swipes at all. It is a hook, not a title page — no logo-and-title layout, no "Introduction".
Page 2 delivers immediately. The largest drop-off in any carousel is between the first and second pages, and the cause is almost always that page two was setup rather than substance.
One idea per page. A page is read in about two seconds. If it needs a paragraph, it needs to be two pages.
The last page asks for one thing. A follow, a comment, or a link — one, and only after the reader got something.
Building it without design software
You need square pages with large type, which almost anything can produce. If you are starting from one wide image or a set of images rather than a document, the cutting is the fiddly part:
FreeMentioned in this article
Carousel SplitterOne wide image, sliced into panels that line up when you swipe.The splitter produces exact panels, which matters when pages are meant to connect visually — a few pixels of drift is invisible while you work and obvious when swiped.
What to put in one
The format suits anything that is a sequence:
- A process, one step per page, with the result on page one.
- A comparison, one option per page, verdict last.
- A teardown — the thing, then what is wrong with it, then the fix.
- A checklist somebody would screenshot. Screenshots are the LinkedIn equivalent of
a save.
What it does not suit is an essay. If the content is prose, write a text post — the structure for that is in LinkedIn post length, formats and reach.
The post text still matters
A document post has a text field above it, and that text is subject to the same fold as any other post: two or three lines before "see more".
FreeMentioned in this article
LinkedIn Post PreviewSee exactly where “…see more” cuts your post.See where LinkedIn puts See more. Use it to say what the document contains and why it is worth swiping — not to summarise every page.
LinkedIn documents its supported post formats in its help centre.
What size should a LinkedIn carousel be?
Square pages at 1080×1080, or 4:5 at 1080×1350, exported as a PDF. Landscape pages are unreadable on a phone.
How many pages should a LinkedIn carousel have?
Five to ten. Attention runs out after that, and a long document reads as work rather than as a post.
How do I post a carousel on LinkedIn?
Upload a PDF as a document post. LinkedIn renders the pages as a swipeable carousel in the feed.
Do carousels perform better than text posts on LinkedIn?
They take more feed space and hold attention longer, which usually helps. A weak carousel still loses to a strong text post.
Cut exact pages from one source image with the carousel splitter.
Put it to work
Tools for the job you just read about
Free to run, most of them without an account.
FreeImages & video
Social Image Resizer
One image, cropped to every size the networks actually use.
Resize →5 runs
FreeImages & video
Carousel Splitter
One wide image, sliced into panels that line up when you swipe.
Split →4 runs
FreePreviews
LinkedIn Post Preview
See exactly where “…see more” cuts your post.
Preview →1 runs
FreeContent
Jargon & Acronym Detector
The words that make sense to you and not to whoever just arrived.
Detect →
FreeContent
Sentence Rhythm Analyzer
Why a draft with nothing wrong with it still reads flat.
Analyze →
FreeContent
Crutch Phrase Finder
The phrases you use every time, which you are the last to notice.
Find →1 runs
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