Instagram carousel size (2026)
The short answer: make Instagram carousel slides 1080 x 1350 pixels, a 4:5 portrait. Square 1080 x 1080 works too. Use the same ratio for every slide, and you can include up to 20 slides.
Instagram carousel dimensions
- Square, 1080 x 1080 (1:1). Safe everywhere and easy to reuse on other platforms.
- Portrait, 1080 x 1350 (4:5). The tallest the feed allows, so it fills the most screen.
- Story and Reels, 1080 x 1920 (9:16). Full-screen vertical, separate from the feed carousel.
Which size should you use?
For most feed carousels, choose portrait 4:5. It takes the most vertical space, so each slide is larger as people scroll. Pick square 1:1 when you want one set that also fits LinkedIn and X without re-cropping. Keep 9:16 for Stories and Reels.
Keep every slide the same ratio
Instagram sets the shape of the whole carousel from the first slide. If later slides use a different ratio, Instagram crops them to match, and parts of your design can get cut. Build the set at one size from the start.
How many slides, and how much text
A carousel can hold up to 20 slides. For readability, aim for roughly 40 to 60 words per slide so the text stays large enough on a phone. Cards splits a long draft into slides for you, and you can adjust any break by hand.
Leave room at the edges
Keep important text away from the outer edges. Instagram overlays the username, caption, and buttons near the bottom of feed posts, and a small margin keeps your content clear of them.
Export the right size from Cards
Cards has presets for Instagram square, portrait, and Stories. Pick one, paste your text, and the preview matches the exported PNG, so the size you see is the size you post. Export one slide or the whole set as a ZIP.