What size are LinkedIn carousel ad cards?

Every card must be exactly 1080 x 1080 pixels in a 1:1 square ratio. It is the only supported size: horizontal and vertical images are not available. Each card can be up to 10 MB in JPG or PNG.

How many cards can a LinkedIn carousel ad have?

Between 2 and 10 cards. Based on performance data, 5 to 6 cards is the sweet spot for engagement and completion. Drop-off increases after card 6, so keep your key messages in the first five cards.

Can each carousel card link to a different URL?

Yes. Each card can point to its own destination URL, which is useful when different cards cover different products or resources. If you use a Lead Gen Form instead, all cards share the same form.

What is the text limit for carousel ads?

Introductory text caps at 255 characters and truncates around 150 on some mobile devices. Each card headline allows up to 45 characters, or 30 when the card uses a Lead Gen Form CTA.

Do LinkedIn carousel ads support video?

No. Carousel cards are static images only. If you need motion, use a single video ad. For animated formats, note carousel cards do not accept animated GIFs either.

What is a good CTR for a LinkedIn carousel ad?

Median CTR is about 0.32%, slightly below single image ads. Carousels trade a bit of CTR for higher engagement time, since members spend longer swiping through the cards.

Guide · LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn Carousel Ads

A series of cards that tells a full story in one ad unit. The exact specs, the strict 1:1 card size, the character limits, and the card sequence that keeps people moving through to the CTA.

Last verified June 2026 against LinkedIn's Help Center

The short answer

Carousel ads are an underused format that let you fold a whole campaign message into a single ad unit: 2 to 10 cards, each with its own image, headline, and link. That makes them efficient for storytelling, comparisons, product walkthroughs, and step-by-step frameworks, the kind of mid-funnel education that one static image cannot carry.

The catch is that carousels have the strictest creative spec on LinkedIn. Every card must be exactly 1080 x 1080, a 1:1 square, with no horizontal or vertical option. Get the ratio wrong and the ad is rejected or cropped. This guide covers the hard numbers you need to ship, plus the card sequence that decides whether anyone makes it past card one. For every format's dimensions in one place, see the full ad specs guide.

Carousel ads at a glance

The quick orientation before the spec tables: what the format is, where it runs, and what it is best at.

Attribute	Detail
Format family	Sponsored Content, a multi-card unit in the feed
Placement	Desktop and mobile feed, native like an organic post
Components	2 to 10 cards, each with its own image, headline, and destination URL
Objectives	Brand awareness, engagement, website visits, and lead generation
Video	Not supported. Cards are static images only
Best for	Storytelling, product walkthroughs, comparisons, and step-by-step frameworks

Card specs

Carousel is the strictest format on LinkedIn for image size. Every card is locked to a 1:1 square at 1080 x 1080, and there is no horizontal or vertical alternative. Once the ad is saved, the cards cannot be edited, so get them right before you launch.

Attribute	Requirement
Card image size	1080 x 1080 px (1:1 square), mandatory for every card
Aspect ratio	1:1 only. Horizontal and vertical are not supported
File type	JPG or PNG recommended (GIF must be non-animated)
Max file size	10 MB per card
Number of cards	Minimum 2, maximum 10
Consistency	All cards must share the same 1:1 ratio

Build every card 1080 square

There is no choice to make on shape here, which actually simplifies production: design one 1080 x 1080 template and reuse it for every card. Build at 2x resolution (2160 x 2160) and export down to 1080 so text and logos stay crisp on high-density screens.

Leave a 50px safe zone at the bottom of each card. The card headline overlaps the image slightly on some devices, so keep critical elements clear of the bottom edge. And remember members see roughly 1.5 cards at a time on mobile, so the right edge of card one should hint that there is more to see.

Text and character limits

Carousel text limits are tighter than single image ads. Intro text caps at 255 characters versus 600, so you have a sentence or two to set up the cards. Each card headline is 45 characters, dropping to 30 when the card uses a Lead Gen Form CTA. CTAs are chosen from a preset list; there is no free-text CTA.

Field	Max characters	Recommended	Notes
Ad name (optional)	255	n/a	Internal only, not shown to members
Introductory text	255	150 or fewer	Truncates around 150 chars on some mobile devices
Card headline (URL)	45	45 or fewer	Truncates after 2 lines. One headline per card
Card headline (Lead Gen Form)	30	30 or fewer	Tighter limit when the card uses a Lead Gen Form CTA
Destination URL	2,000	n/a	http:// or https:// required. Each card can use a different URL

How many cards to use

LinkedIn allows 2 to 10 cards. The right number depends on the content and the goal, but engagement data points to a clear sweet spot. Keep your most important messages inside the first five cards, because engagement drops off after card six.

Card count	Best for	Consideration
3 to 4 cards	Quick comparisons and simple frameworks	Most users will see every card
5 to 6 cards	Product walkthroughs and case-study stories	The sweet spot for engagement and completion
7 to 10 cards	Detailed guides and multi-step processes	Drop-off increases noticeably after card 6

Creative best practices

Meeting the 1:1 spec is just the baseline. What separates a good carousel from a great one is the sequence: a hook that earns attention, value delivered early, and a close that converts. Most strong carousels nail the first three.

Make card 1 a pattern interrupt

On mobile members see about 1.5 cards at a time, so the first card decides whether they keep going.
Lead with a bold claim, a question, or a surprising stat. Not your logo or company name.

Deliver value in cards 2 and 3

Do not save everything for the end. Land the core insight or comparison early.
If the first three cards are useful, most people move through the rest.

Close with a CTA and proof

The final card is where conversion happens, so make the ask explicit.
Pair it with social proof: a customer count, a named result, or a short quote.

Design every card at 1080 square

1:1 is the only supported ratio. Anything else gets rejected or cropped.
Build at 2160 x 2160 and export at 1080 x 1080 for sharper text on retina screens.

Leave a 50px bottom safe zone

The card headline overlaps the image slightly on some devices.
Keep logos, text, and key visuals clear of the bottom edge.

Use large, bold, legible text

Cards render small in the feed, especially on mobile. Text must read at a glance.
Roughly 24pt minimum for body, 36pt and up for headlines.

Push contrast against the feed

LinkedIn's UI is blue-grey, so bright backgrounds or dark cards with white text pop.
High contrast is what stops the scroll before the copy even registers.

Build a visual through-line

Repeat a color, layout, or numbering system so the cards read as one story.
Continuity is what makes someone keep going instead of bouncing.

Use per-card URLs deliberately

Each card can point to a different page, so a feature card can deep-link to its feature.
For most ABM campaigns, send every card to one focused landing page instead.

Performance benchmarks

Carousel CTR sits just below single image ads at a 0.32% median, but the format's real edge is engagement time: people spend longer moving through cards than they do glancing at one image. That extra dwell time is why carousels punch above their CTR for mid-funnel education. Data from the ZenABM 2026 benchmarks. Treat these per-format figures as directional medians for comparing formats, not exact prices; real-world CPCs commonly land between $8 and $33 depending on objective and audience. Treat every number here as a typical range, not an expected result: your creative quality and audience fit move performance more than any platform average.

Metric	Carousel	Single image	Thought leader	Video
Median CTR	0.32%	0.42%	2.68%	0.24%
Median CPC	~$13	~$13	~$2.30	~$16
Median CPM	~$45	~$59	~$49	~$39
Efficiency score	3.8	3.2	9.5	1.5

How to set one up

Seven steps from a fresh campaign to a clean, testable carousel ad.

1
Pick the objective first
Carousel ads support brand awareness, engagement, website visits, and lead generation. Your objective controls the bids, optimization goals, and whether cards use a destination URL or a single shared Lead Gen Form.
2
Storyboard the card sequence
Plan the flow before you design. A pattern-interrupt hook on card 1, value on cards 2 and 3, and a CTA on the last card. Aim for 5 to 6 cards as a default.
3
Design every card at 1080 x 1080
Export 1:1 squares as JPG or PNG, under 10 MB each (under 2 MB is better for loading). Keep a 50px safe zone at the bottom so headlines do not overlap key content.
4
Write tight headlines
Each card headline maxes at 45 characters (30 if the card uses a Lead Gen Form), and intro text caps at 255. Keep intro under 150 so it does not truncate on mobile.
5
Set destination URLs
Add a landing page URL per card. Use one shared page for most campaigns, or deep-link individual cards when each covers a distinct topic. Lead Gen Form cards all share one form.
6
Add alt text and preview
Add alt text per card for accessibility, then preview on desktop and mobile. Confirm nothing is cropped, because once the ad is saved the cards cannot be edited.
7
Launch and read per-card data
Carousel reporting breaks down impressions and clicks by card. Watch where engagement drops off, retire weak cards, and refresh creative before fatigue sets in on narrow audiences.