On LinkedIn, a carousel is a document post. You upload one PDF or slide file and each page becomes a slide readers move through. LinkedIn's Help Center calls it a document upload, gives file limits and preparation rules, and says nothing about a page size. This guide covers the steps, the rules, how it differs from Instagram's carousel and from LinkedIn's paid Carousel Ads, and how to plan the pages.
A LinkedIn carousel is a document post. You make a multi-page file, usually a PDF, and upload it to a post, which is why you will also see it called a LinkedIn PDF carousel. Readers then page through it. To post one, click Start a post, open More, choose the document icon, pick your file, add a title and click Done, write a description, then click Post. LinkedIn accepts PDF, PPT, PPTX, DOC and DOCX files up to 100 MB and 300 pages.
LinkedIn's Help Center does not use the word carousel. Its page is called "Upload and share documents on LinkedIn", so search there for "document".
What a LinkedIn carousel is
It is one file attached to one post. Each page of the file is one slide. Because LinkedIn carousel posts are documents, three things follow from LinkedIn's help pages:
- You can attach only one document to a post.
- You can edit the title and description afterwards, but not the document itself. To change a slide you delete the post and upload the corrected file as a new post.
- Anyone who can view the post can download the document as a PDF. LinkedIn says this is for accessibility. It also means the slides can leave LinkedIn, so put nothing in the file that you would not hand to a stranger.
You may read that LinkedIn removed a separate carousel option in December 2023. Several guides say so, and this guide found no LinkedIn page that confirms or describes it. What the Help Center documents today is the document upload.
How to post a carousel on LinkedIn
Make the file first (see the next two sections), then:
On a computer:
- Click Start a post at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Click More, then the Add a document icon. LinkedIn's general posting page puts the same Document option under a plus icon, so the label can differ by layout.
- Click Choose file. You can also pick a file from Dropbox or Google Drive.
- Select your file. You can choose only one.
- Add a title and click Done.
- Write the description. Hashtags and @ mentions are optional.
- Click Post.
In the mobile app: tap Post, tap the More icon, tap Document, choose the file from your device or a cloud service, add a title and tap Next, write the description and tap Post. To use a cloud service you need that service's app installed on your phone.
You can post a document from your homepage, a Group or a Page. The Help page was labeled "Last updated: 3 years ago" when checked, so menus may have moved.
Prepare the file the way LinkedIn asks
LinkedIn lists these rules under "Preparing your document". None of the top-ranking guides read for this page quote them:
- Convert files to PDF whenever possible, which LinkedIn says gives the highest-quality upload.
- A PDF with several layers must be flattened or merged.
- Videos and animations inside a document are not supported. They display as static images.
- Every page must be the same size. A PDF with pages of different sizes must be fit to one page size.
- Add a title. LinkedIn's troubleshooting list includes a missing title as a reason an upload fails.
- Use secure hyperlinks in the PDF.
If an upload fails, LinkedIn's checklist is: the file is PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX or PDF, it is 100 MB or less, it is 300 pages or fewer, and it has a title.
LinkedIn does not state a page size for documents. For pixel sizes, ratios and what third-party guides get wrong about them, see the LinkedIn post size guide.
How to make a LinkedIn carousel
The Help page describes no slide editor, only a file upload, so you build the pages elsewhere and export one file. Any tool that exports a multi-page PDF works: a presentation app, a word processor or a design app. Check that the one you use can export PDF on its free plan. The tool does not matter to LinkedIn; the file does.
A workable order:
- Write the slide text first, one idea per slide.
- Create a file with one page size and keep it for every page.
- Lay out the pages. Use large type so a slide is readable on a phone.
- Export as PDF.
- Check the PDF against the rules above: one page size, no layers, no video, under 100 MB.
- Open the PDF on your phone to check that it is readable before you upload it.
You can upload a PowerPoint or Word file directly because LinkedIn lists those formats, but it recommends converting to PDF where possible.
Not the same as multi-photo posts or Carousel Ads
LinkedIn has three formats that get called carousels:
| Document post | Multi-photo post | Carousel Ads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you upload | One PDF, PPT, PPTX, DOC or DOCX | Up to 20 images | 2 to 10 image cards |
| Limits from LinkedIn | 100 MB, 300 pages | Images at a maximum 4:5 ratio; 5 MB per photo | JPG or PNG, 1:1, 10 MB, a landing page URL |
| How it shows | A document readers open and page through | A layout of images in the post, such as side by side or a column | A paid ad |
The Help Center describes a multi-photo post as a layout of images, with extra emphasis on the first image. It does not describe it as a page-by-page post. The numbers in the last column belong to the paid format. Several guides tell you to keep a document to 10 slides or 10 MB, or to size it 1080 by 1080. Those match the ads numbers. LinkedIn's document page gives none of them.
LinkedIn carousel versus Instagram carousel
| Built from | One uploaded file | Up to 20 photos and videos |
| Video inside | Not supported, shown as a static image | Allowed |
| Adding or changing slides after posting | Not possible, delete and repost | Cannot add; can reorder and remove |
| Where the text goes | Title of the document and description of the post | Caption on the post |
If you came here to make one for Instagram, see the Instagram carousel guide.
Planning the slides (advice)
LinkedIn does not publish a recommended page count, text size or layout, and it states no performance figures for documents. This section is advice built from the rules above, not measured guidance.
- The cover. Page one is where a reader starts, so say in a few words what the document gives them, not who made it.
- One idea per slide. Small text is easy to miss on a phone. If a slide needs a paragraph, split it.
- The close. End with the one next step you want, such as a link in the description or a question for comments.
- The length. The limit is 300 pages. How many to use depends on the idea; there is no official number to aim for.
- Your name. Because viewers can download the file, a small name or handle on each slide keeps the source with the pages.
- The description. LinkedIn's posting page says a post can contain up to 3,000 characters, so the description has room to add context without repeating the slide text.
If you plan to post on a schedule, note that LinkedIn's scheduling help lists only events and jobs as unsupported for profile posts, so a document post is not excluded. Check by scheduling a test post first. The steps are in the guide to scheduling LinkedIn posts.
Sources
The facts come from these pages, read on October 19, 2026, with the label each showed that day:
- Upload and share documents on LinkedIn (3 years ago)
- Document uploads on LinkedIn FAQ (3 years ago)
- Post and share updates (1 week ago)
- Share photos on LinkedIn (2 years ago)
- Schedule posts (1 week ago)
- Carousel Ads specifications (LinkedIn Marketing Solutions)
- Share a post with multiple photos or videos on Instagram (Instagram Help Center)
The document pages are three years old, so LinkedIn may have changed details since. Check the Help Center if one matters to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a carousel post on LinkedIn?
It is a document post: one PDF or slide file whose pages readers move through. LinkedIn's Help Center calls it a document upload.
How do I post a carousel on LinkedIn?
Click Start a post, click More, choose Add a document, pick one file, add a title and click Done, write a description, and click Post. On mobile, tap Post, More, then Document.
Can I make a LinkedIn carousel from images?
Not directly. LinkedIn lists only PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX and PDF for documents. Put your images on the pages of a file and export it as a PDF. Uploading images as a multi-photo post gives a layout of up to 20 images, not a page-by-page document.
How many slides can a LinkedIn carousel have?
Up to 300 pages, with a 100 MB file limit. LinkedIn gives no recommended number.
What file type should a LinkedIn carousel be?
PDF. LinkedIn accepts PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX and PDF, and says to convert files to PDF whenever possible for the best quality.
Can I edit a LinkedIn carousel after I post it?
Only the title and description. To change a slide, delete the post and upload a new file.
Can I add more than one document to a post?
No. LinkedIn says you can add only one document to a post.
Can people download my LinkedIn carousel?
Yes. Members who can view the post can download the document as a PDF.
Do LinkedIn carousels get more reach?
LinkedIn's Help Center does not say. Figures you see for carousel engagement come from third-party studies, not from LinkedIn, and this guide does not repeat them.
Where do I find carousels I have posted?
Documents you uploaded are listed on the Activity page of your profile.