In practice
- You attach a document, usually a PDF or a presentation file, while creating a post.
- The feed shows the file page by page instead of a download link. Readers swipe on mobile or click arrows on desktop.
- Because it looks like a slideshow, most people call it a “carousel” or “PDF carousel.”
- Each one has three parts: the post text above, a document title you set, and the pages.
- The first page is visible before anyone swipes, so it does the job of a headline.
- Depending on its settings, readers may be able to download the file.
What the format is good at
Document posts suit ideas that have structure: a step-by-step process, a framework, a checklist, a before-and-after comparison. One idea per page makes dense material easy to follow, and a reader who swipes through ten pages has spent real time with your work. A useful document also gets saved and revisited.
They are a poor fit for a single chart or photo (a plain image post is simpler) and for a long argument that needs paragraphs (an article handles that better).
An outline you can copy
Here is an example outline for a carousel called “The 15-minute weekly 1:1.” Swap the topic for your own; the shape works for most how-to content.
- Cover: the title and one line on who it is for, such as “For new managers with five or more reports.”
- The problem: why long, unstructured 1:1s drift.
- Minute 0 to 3: their wins since last week.
- Minute 3 to 8: what is blocking them.
- Minute 8 to 12: one piece of feedback, in each direction.
- Minute 12 to 15: agree on one next step.
- Summary: the four parts on a single page.
- Last page: a question for readers, or where to find the template.
Eight pages, one idea each, and a summary page someone could screenshot.
Before you post
- Read every page on a phone. If you have to zoom, the text is too small.
- Keep the layout consistent so readers know where to look on each page.
- Write real post text above the document. It needs its own opening line, and it is cut off at the see more fold like any other post. Check where it cuts with the free Post Preview.
- Repeat the main takeaway in the post text. Page-by-page descriptions may not be available to people using screen readers, so this keeps the core idea accessible.
Document post or multi-image post?
A post with several images can also show more than one visual, but a document keeps the pages in a fixed order with a page counter. For step-by-step content, that order is the whole point.
Build the pages in your brand colors with the free Carousel Generator. The guide on how to make a LinkedIn carousel walks through design and export, and LinkedIn carousel ideas has topics if you need a starting point.