Carousel Ads on Facebook and Instagram: Specs and Setup
A carousel ad on Facebook or Instagram is a paid post with 2 to 10 cards the viewer swipes through, each with its own image or video, headline and link. The safe image size is 1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1). You build it in Meta Ads Manager by choosing the carousel format when you create the ad. Carousel ads work best when the cards tell one story in order, or show several products side by side. Below are the specs, the card structures that work, the setup steps, and a fast way to make the card images when your text comes from an AI.
What are the specs for a carousel ad?
The numbers most guides agree on, as of October 2026. Meta changes ad specs from time to time, so check its ads guide for your placement before you upload.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Cards | 2 to 10 |
| Recommended image size | 1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1) |
| Image files | JPG or PNG |
| Per card | Image or video, headline, optional description, destination link |
| Shared across cards | Primary text and the call-to-action button type |
Keep the image text short and large: on a phone, each card shows small. If a card needs more than a short line on the image, the extra belongs in the card headline or the primary text.
Carousel ad vs organic carousel post: what is the difference?
| Carousel ad | Organic carousel | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Paid placements in Facebook and Instagram | Your feed |
| Size | 1:1 recommended | 4:5 portrait recommended on Instagram |
| Links | A link per card | No clickable links on the slides |
| Cards | 2 to 10 | Up to 20 on Instagram |
| Set up in | Ads Manager | The app |
An organic carousel from your feed can be boosted, but a carousel ad built in Ads Manager gives you a headline and link per card, which is the main reason to use the format. For the organic version, see how to make a carousel on Instagram.
What should go on each card?
Pick one of three structures and keep to it:
The story in steps
- Card 1: The problem, as the viewer would say it
- Cards 2 to 4: One step of the fix per card
- Card 5: The result you can show, with the call to action
The product lineup
- Card 1: The hook that ties the products together
- Cards 2 to 6: One product per card, each with its own headline and link
- Card 7: “See all” card linking to the category
The objection list
- Card 1: The promise
- Cards 2 to 4: One objection per card, answered in a line
- Card 5: The offer and the call to action
The first card does the work of a carousel hook: it decides whether anyone swipes. The last card does the work of the last slide. Every claim on a card should be one you can back up; ad review checks.
How do you set up a carousel ad in Ads Manager?
The outline, since Meta’s screens change often:
- Create a campaign with your objective, then an ad set with the audience, budget and placements.
- At the ad level, choose your Page and Instagram account and pick the Carousel format.
- Write the primary text (shared by all cards).
- For each card, upload the image, add the headline, optional description and the destination URL.
- Choose the call-to-action button, check the previews per placement, and publish.
Meta can reorder cards by performance: look for the option to show the best-performing cards first. Turn it off when the cards are a story that only works in order.
How do you make the card images quickly?
The card images are where a carousel ad stalls: ten images, same layout, short text on each. Two ways:
- An editor such as Canva: one 1080 by 1080 master, duplicate it per card, change the text. The slide types in Instagram carousel template work as card layouts too. See Canva carousel template for the routine.
- Render them from your AI chat. If you write the ad with Claude or ChatGPT, Karou renders the cards in the same chat. Ask for a 1:1 carousel with one short line per card, and you get a PNG per card (1080 by 1080), a ZIP and a PDF.
Karou renders text cards only (hook, text, list, quote, stat and closing layouts), so product photos still come from your own files. It does not build or run ads either: you upload the PNGs in Ads Manager. What it removes is the layout work, and it keeps every card in the same template so the ad looks like one piece. Carousel design covers the type and contrast rules that matter even more at ad size.
FAQ
How many cards should a carousel ad have?
As many as the story needs, from 2 to 10. Three to five is a common range for a story; product lineups can use more.
What size are Facebook carousel ad images?
1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1) is the recommended size. Karou renders 1:1 at exactly that.
Can I use the same carousel for an ad and an organic post?
The text can be the same, but the size usually differs: 1:1 for the ad, 4:5 for the Instagram feed. With Karou, ask for the other format and the same slides re-render; edits do not count against the daily limit.
Is Karou free for ad images?
Free renders 3 carousels a day with a small watermark, which is fine for drafts and tests. For live ads you will want Pro, because a watermark on a paid ad puts another brand’s name in front of the audience you pay to reach. Pro has no watermark (plans): free for 14 days, then $12 a month or $97 a year.
Start free and render your next carousel ad’s cards in the chat you write it in.