How to post on Instagram: photos, carousels and what to write

Post one photo

1. 1

   Tap the plus icon

   In the Instagram app, tap the plus (+) icon and choose Post.

2. 2

   Pick the image

   Select a photo from your phone. You can crop it before you continue.

3. 3

   Edit

   Apply a filter or adjust brightness if you want. Tap Next.

4. 4

   Write the caption

   Add the caption, tag people, add a location, then choose who sees it.

5. 5

   Share

   Tap Share. The post appears on your profile and in your followers' feeds.

Post a carousel (several images)

Follow the same steps, but before you tap Next, use the option to select multiple images and pick them in the order you want. Vendor guides report a limit of 20 slides, and Instagram uses the shape of the first slide for all of them, so make every slide the same size. Our page on the Instagram carousel size has the details.

The right size

Portrait 4:5, at 1080 x 1350 pixels, takes the most room in the feed. Square (1080 x 1080) also works. Use JPEG or PNG.

What to write in the caption

• Put the point in the first line. Long captions are cut off after a few lines.
• Add the context the image leaves out.
• End with one action: save, share or comment.

Make the carousel images first

If you need images to post, carouselgen designs a whole carousel from a prompt and exports the slides as images, ready to upload. See how to make an Instagram carousel and Instagram carousel ideas.