--- title: "Instagram carousels with Claude, step by step | SocialMaker" description: "Ask Claude for a carousel in your own words and it shows up ready in your Studio, with design and photos. Step by step, 10 prompts to copy and how to ask well." url: https://socialmaker.ai/blog/instagram-carousels-with-claude language: en --- # How to create Instagram carousels with Claude, without designing slide by slide Ask Claude for a carousel in your own words and it shows up ready in your Studio, with design and photos. Step by step, 10 prompts to copy and how to ask well. Published on October 24, 2026 · 8 min read ![A young content creator smiles while taking notes with colorful sticky notes at her desk, with her laptop open and a tripod holding her phone, next to a window.](https://socialmaker.ai/blog/instagram-carousels-with-claude/portada.webp) A good carousel gets saved, shared and looked at again. The hard part is making it: picking the idea, writing every slide, designing them so they match and building a cover that makes people stop. A single carousel can easily take a whole afternoon. With Claude connected to SocialMaker, you ask for it in your own words and it shows up ready in your Studio: the copy, the design, your photos and the cover. You see it in the chat, ask for changes and, if you want, Claude schedules it. And it doesn't use your SocialMaker credits: Claude does the work. Animation: the Claude app with SocialMaker connected. You ask for a 4-slide carousel for your coffee shop, Café Aurora. Claude uses SocialMaker, builds it in your Studio and shows you the preview: the cover with a latte, the fresh beans, the freshly baked breakfast and the invitation to stop by. It asks whether to schedule it for Tuesday at 7 p.m.; you say yes and it's scheduled. This is how it looks in the Claude app: you ask for the carousel, it shows you the slides and, when you say yes, it schedules it. ## Why carousels are worth it A [Buffer analysis](https://buffer.com/resources/instagram-reach-engagement-analysis/) of more than 4 million posts found that carousels get more engagement (likes, comments and shares) than Reels and single photos. Reels reach more people, but the carousel is the format people save to read again. And since August 2024, Instagram allows up to 20 photos or videos in a single carousel ([Social Media Today](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-expands-carousels-to-20-frames/723792/)). Space isn't the problem: filling it well is, and that's what Claude does for you. ## What you need - **Your SocialMaker account on the Pro or Max plan** ([see the plans](https://socialmaker.ai/pricing)). If you've never had a paid plan, you can try Pro free for 30 days. - **Claude:** it works even with a free Claude account, on your computer or in the phone app. - **Your photos:** Claude doesn't create images. It builds the carousel with your photos: you send them in the chat and it uploads them to your library (or gives you a link to upload them in two taps). Without photos, it designs with text, colors and stickers. - **Two minutes to connect them,** just once. After that, you just write to it. ## How to create your carousel with Claude, step by step 1. Connect SocialMaker to Claude · In Claude, add SocialMaker as a connector and choose what it can do in your account. The steps with screenshots are in [how to connect Claude](https://socialmaker.ai/help/connect-claude). 2. Ask for the carousel in your own words · Say the topic, who it's for and how many slides you want. For example: “Make me a 6-slide carousel for my salon: 5 things to do after a hair color, for clients who just had their first one”. 3. Check the preview in the chat · Claude builds the slides in your Studio and shows them to you right there, one by one, so you see them before anything else happens. 4. Ask for any changes · “Make the cover stand out more”, “use my shop photo on the first one”, “switch to a handwritten font”. It fixes the same carousel. 5. Touch it up by hand if you like · The carousel stays as a draft in your Studio: open it in the editor and change whatever you want, like any of your designs. 6. Download it or ask Claude to schedule it · Download it to post it yourself, or say “schedule it for Tuesday at 7 p.m. on my Instagram”. Before publishing anything, it shows you the caption, the account and the time, and waits for your yes. Only until October 31 Connect Claude with Pro free for 30 days - Claude makes your carousels without using credits - Builds automations and your link in bio when you ask - You pay $0 today and cancel anytime [Connect Claude for free](https://socialmaker.ai/social30) If you've never had a paid plan or a trial. Card required: cancel before the 30 days and you pay nothing, and we remind you 7 days before any charge. ## 10 prompts to copy for your business Copy one, swap in your details and paste it into the Claude chat: - Prompt for Claude · Coffee shop · `Make me a 6-slide carousel: “5 mistakes when making coffee at home”. Warm colors, big text and my photo of the bar on the cover.` - Prompt for Claude · Clothing store · `7-slide carousel: “How to style a white shirt 5 ways”. Use the photos in my library and end with “Message me SIZE and I'll help you”.` - Prompt for Claude · Salon or beauty · `6-slide carousel with aftercare tips for a hair color, for clients who just had their first one. Clean style, pale pink.` - Prompt for Claude · Coach or mentor · `Make me an 8-slide carousel: “3 signs you need to sort out your finances”, with a question to think about on each one.` - Prompt for Claude · Real estate · `6-slide carousel: “What nobody tells you before buying your first apartment”. Friendly tone and one idea per slide.` - Prompt for Claude · Personal trainer · `5-slide carousel with a 15-minute home workout, no equipment. Bold text, energetic colors.` - Prompt for Claude · Bakery · `6-slide carousel with the seasonal flavors and their prices, using my cake photos. End with “Order yours by message”.` - Prompt for Claude · Online course · `7-slide carousel: “What you'll learn in my course”, one lesson per slide, and on the last one: “Comment COURSE and I'll send you the free lesson”.` - Prompt for Claude · Vet clinic · `6-slide carousel: “5 signs your dog needs to see the vet”. Calm, clear tone.` - Prompt for Claude · Any business · `Turn this text into a 6-slide carousel, one idea per slide and in my style: [paste your post, email or notes here].` Want more ideas of what to ask Claude? See [how to use Claude for your Instagram](https://socialmaker.ai/blog/how-to-use-claude-for-instagram). ## How to ask so it comes out right the first time - **Say who it's for:** “for new clients” or “for restaurant owners” changes the tone of the whole carousel. - **Ask for 5 to 8 slides:** one idea per slide. If each slide says too much, nobody gets to the end. - **The cover does the selling:** ask for a short title that promises something concrete, like “5 mistakes” or “in 15 minutes”. - **The last slide asks for something:** save, share or comment a word. If you have a [keyword automation](https://socialmaker.ai/automations), use it there. - **Use your photos:** upload them to your SocialMaker library and tell Claude which ones to use. With your own photos, the carousel looks like your brand. - **Describe the style in simple words:** “warm colors”, “handwritten font”, “minimal with lots of white”. ![A young man smiles sitting on a sofa with his laptop on his lap, in a living room with plants and a bike, with the city and mountains through the window](https://socialmaker.ai/blog/instagram-carousels-with-claude/sofa.webp) You write to Claude from wherever you are and the carousel is built in your Studio. ## What Claude can use in your carousels Claude works with the same editor you use in SocialMaker, so it can use everything in it: - **More than 200 fonts,** including handwritten ones. - **The photos in your library** and the ones you send it in the chat. - **Stickers, doodles and paper backgrounds** for a more handmade look. - **Effects:** handwriting, neon, highlighted words and frames. - **Animations and seamless slides,** where one image flows from one slide into the next as you swipe. **Good to know** What Claude creates doesn't use your SocialMaker credits. Credits are for creating with the AI in the [carousel LAB](https://socialmaker.ai/ai-carousels), inside the Studio. ## Claude or the SocialMaker LAB: which one to use | | With Claude | With the Studio LAB | | --- | --- | --- | | **How you ask** | You write to it in the Claude chat, like to a person | You type the topic inside the Studio | | **Plan** | Pro or Max | From Starter | | **SocialMaker credits** | Doesn't use them | Uses AI credits | | **Photos** | Uses yours (doesn't create images) | Can also create them with AI | | **Changes** | You ask for them in the chat | You make them in the editor | | **Scheduling** | You ask and it confirms with you | From the planner | ## Common mistakes - **Asking for “a carousel about my business”:** with no topic or audience, it comes out generic. Say what it's about and who it's for. - **Ten ideas on one slide:** one idea per slide, with big text. - **A cover with no promise:** “Tips” stops nobody; “3 mistakes that cost you clients” does. - **Posting without checking:** look at the preview and ask for changes. Claude doesn't publish anything without your yes. - **Forgetting the closing slide:** if you don't ask for anything at the end, nobody does anything. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does creating carousels with Claude use my credits? No. What Claude creates in your account doesn't use your SocialMaker credits. Credits are for the AI in the LAB, inside the Studio. ### Do I need to pay for Claude? No. It works even with a free Claude account. What you need is the SocialMaker Pro or Max plan. ### Does Claude create the photos? No. Claude doesn't generate images: it builds the carousel with your photos. You send them in the chat and it uploads them to your library (or gives you a link to upload them in two taps). AI-generated images are made in the SocialMaker LAB. ### Can I edit the carousel afterwards? Yes. It stays as a draft in your Studio and you open it in the editor like any of your designs. ### Does Claude publish it on its own? Only if you ask it to. Before scheduling it shows you the caption, the account and the time, and waits for your confirmation. ### Does it work with ChatGPT? For now, SocialMaker connects with Claude. ### How many slides can it have? Instagram allows up to 20 per post. For people to reach the end, 5 to 8 usually works best. If you haven't connected Claude yet, start with [the ways to connect Claude to Instagram](https://socialmaker.ai/blog/connect-claude-to-instagram). And to turn your carousels into sales, keep going with [how to turn followers into customers](https://socialmaker.ai/blog/turn-followers-into-customers). Written by **Andros Blandon** SocialMaker **Share this article** [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=How%20to%20create%20Instagram%20carousels%20with%20Claude%2C%20without%20designing%20slide%20by%20slide%20https%3A%2F%2Fsocialmaker.ai%2Fblog%2Finstagram-carousels-with-claude) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsocialmaker.ai%2Fblog%2Finstagram-carousels-with-claude) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsocialmaker.ai%2Fblog%2Finstagram-carousels-with-claude) [X](https://x.com/intent/post?text=How%20to%20create%20Instagram%20carousels%20with%20Claude%2C%20without%20designing%20slide%20by%20slide&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsocialmaker.ai%2Fblog%2Finstagram-carousels-with-claude) **Create your first automation for free** Pick a template, connect your Instagram and let SocialMaker reply for you in minutes. [Start for free](https://socialmaker.ai/register?quiero=carruseles) ## Keep going with the step-by-step guides [**Connect SocialMaker to Claude** Add SocialMaker as a connector in Claude, give it permission and ask for what you need in plain words: your Instagram and Facebook automations, your link in bio, your carousels, your bookings and your menus.](https://socialmaker.ai/help/connect-claude) [**What your AI assistant can do in SocialMaker** Everything your AI assistant can do for you in SocialMaker (your automations, link in bio, carousels, files, bookings and menus), what it never does and how you stay in control.](https://socialmaker.ai/help/what-your-ai-assistant-can-do) [**Collages and seamless carousels** Build photo grids on a slide, and make a photo continue from one slide to the next with no cuts, just like on Instagram.](https://socialmaker.ai/help/collages-and-seamless-carousels) [**Schedule a post** Schedule a post, a carousel, a reel or a story on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, or publish it right away.](https://socialmaker.ai/help/schedule-a-post)