The LinkedIn carousel is a useful feature that allows you to showcase multiple pieces of content in one post. With carousels, you can include up to 10 images, videos, PDFs, or links to articles in a single post.
But despite its usefulness, the carousel does come with limitations. One of the most common questions about LinkedIn carousels is: what’s the limit for how many you can create? Here, we’ll take a look at the carousel limits and best practices to keep in mind when using them.
What is the LinkedIn carousel limit per post?
The main LinkedIn carousel limit is that you can only include up to 10 cards or pieces of content per carousel post. Each card in the carousel can contain an image, video, PDF, link, or text update.
So the per post carousel limit is:
- 10 cards maximum per carousel post
This 10 card per post limit applies whether you’re posting from LinkedIn’s website and mobile app. It’s the hard cap for how much you can fit within a single carousel.
What types of content can you include in the LinkedIn carousel?
As mentioned above, each card in the LinkedIn carousel can contain:
- An image file like JPEG, PNG, etc.
- A video file (up to 10 minutes long) or YouTube video link
- A PDF document (up to 25MB file size)
- A link to an external website or article
- Text-only update without any media
So those are the main content types you can include in each of your 10 maximum carousel cards per post.
The most popular and eye-catching carousel posts typically include a mix of high-quality images, short videos, articles, and text captions. But you can customize your carousels with any combination of those supported content types.
What is the LinkedIn daily carousel post limit?
Beyond the per post carousel limit, LinkedIn also enforces limits on how many carousels users can post per day.
Here are the standard daily limits for publishing carousel posts:
- Free LinkedIn members: 1 carousel post per day
- LinkedIn Premium subscribers: 2 carousel posts per day
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscribers: 4 carousel posts per day
- LinkedIn Pages: 1 carousel post per day
So if you want to maximize your carousel posting, upgrading to a premium LinkedIn account can allow you to post more per day.
For free members, it’s important to carefully plan your one daily carousel post – both the timing and content.
What are the image dimension requirements?
To display properly in the carousel, any image files you upload must meet these requirements:
- Minimum width of 400 pixels
- Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 1:1 (height relative to width)
- File size of 8MB or less
- JPG, PNG, or GIF format
Image files that are too small or too wide may get cropped or distorted within the carousel. Using high-quality images sized specifically for LinkedIn will deliver the best visual results.
What are the video requirements for LinkedIn carousels?
For video, the requirements include:
- Minimum resolution of 720p
- Maximum length of 10 minutes
- File size of 1GB or less
- Can be uploaded as MP4, MOV, AVI, or other standard formats
- Can be embedded from YouTube or other platforms by link
Shorter videos tend to get higher engagement on LinkedIn. Animated GIFs also work great in carousels.
What’s the ideal number of cards for LinkedIn carousels?
While you can include up to 10 cards in a carousel, that doesn’t mean you should always max out the limit. Generally, 5-7 cards is recommended for most carousel posts.
Here are some best practices for optimizing your carousel length:
- Carousels with 5-7 cards tend to keep viewers engaged without overwhelming them
- One-off important announcements can work well as 1-3 card carousels
- Carousels with 8-10 cards are best reserved for listing content like job openings, conference sessions, product lines etc.
- Avoid going over 7 cards for general content sharing carousels
- Use text-only buffer cards between media-heavy cards to space things out
Testing different carousel lengths and content combinations will show you what resonates best with your audience.
What’s the ideal image size for LinkedIn carousel posts?
The maximum image size for the LinkedIn carousel is 8MB. But most LinkedIn experts recommend using more optimized image sizes, even if they are smaller.
Here are the ideal image dimensions to use in your carousel posts:
- Square Images: 1200 x 1200 pixels
- Horizontal Images: 1200 x 675 pixels
- Vertical Images: 818 x 1200 pixels
These sizes are optimized for how LinkedIn displays and crops images in the feed. Avoid very small images or skinny vertical images in your carousels.
Can carousel posts include hashtags and tagging?
Yes, regular LinkedIn post features like hashtags, @mentions, and company/person tagging also work for carousel posts.
You can add hashtags, tags, and mentions in the main post text that appears with your carousel. This helps extend the reach and discovery of your carousels.
Here are some tips for tagging with LinkedIn carousels:
- Include relevant hashtags for your industry, topic, event etc.
- Tag any companies, products, or influencers featured
- Use no more than 2-3 hashtags and tags total to avoid looking spammy
- Add tags in your post caption rather than in each carousel card
Can I reuse content from an existing carousel?
Technically, LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to reuse the exact same carousel more than once. The platform will detect duplicate content.
However, repurposing and reusing carousel content strategically is still possible. Here are some ways to reuse carousel content without duplicating:
- Rearrange the same cards in a different order
- Create a new carousel using a subset of cards from an old one
- Update old cards with new info like “As of [date]” for evergreen content
- Rotate different combinations of cards from a master set bank
Get creative with repackaging old carousel content into new permutations and combinations avoiding outright duplicates.
How often should I post LinkedIn carousels?
When publishing carousels to your LinkedIn feed, quality and consistency are more important than quantity and frequency.
Here are some best practices to follow:
- Limit carousel posts to 1-2 per day as a free member
- Better to post 2-4 great carousels per week than 7 mediocre ones
- Avoid posting carousels back to back each day
- Allow 2-4 days between carousel posts for maximum visibility
- Post your daily carousel during peak LinkedIn activity hours from 8-10am or 12-2pm
Posting your top carousel content consistently on the best days and times will drive more high-quality engagement.
What’s the ideal text length for carousel content?
The text you include in your carousel cards and main caption can impact their performance. Here are some recommendations for carousel text length:
- Main caption: 1-2 concise paragraphs or 50-100 words
- Individual card captions: 1-2 tight sentences or 25-50 words
- Avoid giant blocks of text on any single card
- Use succinct statements, statistics, or quotes rather than paragraphs
- Let your visuals do the heavy lifting rather than long text
A balance of snappy text and eye-catching visuals is key for engaging LinkedIn carousel posts.
Should I use call-to-action buttons in LinkedIn carousels?
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons can be a great addition to LinkedIn carousel posts. You can include up to 1 CTA button for each card in your carousel.
Some best practices for using CTAs in carousels:
- Choose action-driven button text like “Register Now” or “Download”
- Make sure your CTA links are fully functional
- Use CTAs sparingly to highlight your most important content
- Avoid vague CTAs like “Learn More” or “Shop Now”
- Test different CTA placements and wording options
When used strategically, CTAs will boost your LinkedIn carousel’s ability to drive clicks and conversions.
Should I use emojis and stickers in LinkedIn carousel posts?
Emojis and stickers can be a fun way to spice up your LinkedIn carousels and add some personality. But they also need to be used with care on the platform.
Here are some tips for using visuals like emojis on LinkedIn:
- Use occasionally for accent rather than peppering all cards with emojis
- Pick simple smiley or celebratory emojis rather than flashy elaborate ones
- Stick to 1-2 emojis maximum per carousel
- Make sure they align with your brand voice and tone
- Avoid emojis in professional industries like IT or finance
Test emojis sparingly with your audience and check the reactions to them. When in doubt, play it safe by keeping it more formal.
Can I promote my LinkedIn carousels with ads?
Yes, you can absolutely amplify the reach of your carousel posts by promoting them with LinkedIn ads.
Here are some tips for promoting carousel content:
- Use LinkedIn Sponsored Content ads to boost your best carousel posts
- Target your ads very precisely with audience demographics and interests
- A/B test carousel ads against regular image/text ads
- Measure the engagement rate and cost per click on your ads
- Set a lifetime budget cap per ad to contain costs
With thoughtful targeting and testing, LinkedIn ads can expand your carousel reach 10x or more.
Conclusion
Mastering the LinkedIn carousel takes both art and science. You need to work within the platform limits while also optimizing your content for maximum effectiveness. The 10 card per post limit is fixed. But things like image sizing, text length, and frequency can be customized based on what drives engagement with your target audience.
With the right mix of compelling visuals, succinct text, and clear calls to action, LinkedIn carousels offer a dynamic way to engage your professional network. Experiment, analyze the results, and improve over time as you make the most of this versatile LinkedIn content feature.
