How to Add a Caption to Each Instagram Carousel Slide

Until June 2026 a carousel had one caption for the whole post, so anything you wanted to say about slide 6 had to sit in the same block of text as slide 1.

Now, when you reach the caption step, Instagram's Help Center says you can "Choose Single caption to add one caption for your post, or Multiple captions to add a caption for each photo or video". A carousel holds up to 20 photos and videos, so a post can have up to 20 captions.

People who view the post see the caption for the slide they're on; it changes as they swipe. Single caption still works as before, and launch coverage describes it as the default.

Instagram tested per-slide captions with some accounts in May 2026 and then started a wider rollout. Coverage from launch week disagrees on whether everyone got it on day one, so if you don't see the option you may still be waiting.

Per-slide captions work best when each slide carries one idea. Put the short version on the slide, where it's readable at a glance, and the detail, the example or the link prompt in that slide's caption.

The first slide's caption is what people read before they swipe, so treat it like a headline: say what the carousel is about and why it's worth swiping.

In the Carousel Maker each point you type becomes its own slide, so your list of points doubles as the outline for each caption. Instagram takes up to 20 slides, cover included. Check long captions in the character limits guide before you post.

A panorama split across slides reads as one picture, and a single caption can only describe all of it. With Multiple captions, each part can have its own line: the left of the view, the detail in the middle, the far end.

The Carousel Splitter cuts a wide photo into 2 to 20 slides that join up when people swipe. Write a caption for each slide in the order they're cut. For sizes, see Instagram post sizes and how to post without cropping.