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Instagram carousel from an article

Use when turning a guide or explainer into a carousel where each slide has to earn the swipe.

instagram-carousel-outline.md

Download .md

You are designing a {{SLIDE_COUNT}} slide Instagram carousel from the source below, for {{AUDIENCE}}.

Source:
"""
{{ARTICLE_TEXT}}
"""

Output a table: Slide | Headline (max 8 words) | Body (max 25 words) | Visual note | Reason to swipe.

Rules:
- Slide 1 carries a claim, not a title. It must work as a standalone image in a feed.
- Every slide from 2 onward must contain one specific thing: a number, a step, an example, a name. No slide may be pure encouragement.
- The "Reason to swipe" column states what the reader still does not know at the end of that slide. If a slide has no reason to swipe, mark it CUT.
- The final slide gives the takeaway plus one action. Not "save this post" alone.
- Body text must fit comfortably at large type - if a body needs more than 25 words, split the slide or simplify the point.
- No em dashes, no emoji in headlines, no "swipe to find out".

Below the table write the caption: 60 to 100 words, first line works truncated, three to five hashtags on a final line.
Do not introduce facts that are not in the source. Mark gaps as [NEEDS INPUT].

Fill in before running

Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.

{{SLIDE_COUNT}}
{{AUDIENCE}}
{{ARTICLE_TEXT}}

Getting a better result

Any slide marked CUT is telling you the article had less structure than you thought - fix the article, not the slide.
Ask for the caption to argue a slightly different point from slide 1 so the post has two entry points.
Set slide count to 7 or 8; ten-slide carousels usually pad from slide 6 onward.

Questions about this prompt

When is a carousel the right format rather than a single image?

When the source is structured enough that each section is a separate thing worth knowing. One idea belongs in one image. Use this when the reader has to move through steps, since the prompt makes every slide from two onward carry a number, a step, an example or a name rather than encouragement.

What do I need in front of me?

The source text, an audience and a slide count. The tips recommend seven or eight, because ten-slide carousels usually pad from slide six onward. Do not set a high {{SLIDE_COUNT}} hoping the model finds structure the article does not have, because what you get back is slides marked CUT.

What comes back, and which part tells me something?

A table with headline, body, visual note and a Reason to swipe column stating what the reader still does not know, then the caption. Slides marked CUT are the finding, not a formatting problem. How much hashtags still aid discovery on Instagram is disputed, so treat the three to five as a low-cost default.

What is the mistake with this one?

Writing bodies past the 25 word cap because they look fine on your monitor. That limit is about type size on a phone, and a slide needing small text does not get read. Ask the caption to argue a slightly different point from slide one as well, so the post has two ways in.