4 real LinkedIn carousel examples to study in 2026

ViralBrain Team · Published: August 14, 2026 · Updated: August 15, 2026

Most "best LinkedIn carousel examples" roundups do not link to a single real post. They show mockups built for the article itself, then attach a made up like count to make the point land. That is not useful if you are trying to learn what an actual carousel that performed well looks like slide by slide.

This article does the opposite. One example below links directly to the live LinkedIn post so you can open it and see the whole thing yourself. A second, our own cofounder's post, is shown as an actual slide from the real carousel, with a link to the real product page it points to, since LinkedIn's bot defenses made a stable public permalink unreliable to hand you for that one. The last two are real, named creators whose carousel work is documented by a real secondary source, without a claim that we verified one specific carousel post URL of theirs, since the specific posts that source links to turned out to be text posts, not carousels, when we checked them ourselves. We kept the list to four because four is what we could back this way. A longer list built on invented examples would be easier to write and less useful to you.

One quick disclosure: the first example is a post by David Arnoux, ViralBrain's cofounder. We are including it because it is a real, strong example of the format, not because it is ours.

What these four carousels have in common

Before the breakdown: every carousel here opens with a bold headline slide that states one specific promise, uses one idea per slide instead of cramming several points onto a slide, and closes with an explicit call to swipe or a next step. None of them opens with a logo slide or a generic "let's talk about X" line. If you only take one thing from this article, take that.

LinkedIn carousels are PDF document posts, not a native carousel format. Since LinkedIn retired the native carousel option in late 2023, every swipeable post you see in the feed, including all four below, is a PDF uploaded through the document post option. If you are still deciding whether the format is worth the effort, see do LinkedIn carousels still work. Our LinkedIn carousel guide covers the export settings and the 5 slide structure that tends to work if you want the full how to before you look at these, and our LinkedIn carousel size guide has the exact pixel dimensions and safe zone for the slides themselves.

On engagement numbers: LinkedIn reaction and comment counts change after you look at them, and a screenshot from months ago will not match what a post shows today. Where we mention a number below, it is what the live post showed at the time we checked, not a fixed fact, and you should treat it as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. Buffer's own analysis of the format is a steadier data point: per Buffer's State of Social Engagement report, based on more than 52 million posts across over 200,000 accounts, LinkedIn carousels perform 585% better than text only posts. See Buffer's carousel research for the full report.

1. David Arnoux, "How I built a second brain that actually works"

David Arnoux is ViralBrain's cofounder, and this carousel is his own real post. LinkedIn's own search and unauthenticated crawler defenses make it hard to hand you a permalink that resolves the same way for every reader, so instead of guessing at a link, we are showing you the actual opening slide below rather than just describing it.

The opening slide is black background, white text: "How I built A Second Brain That Actually Works," with a smaller line underneath, "(this might be the best time investment you make this year)." A brain icon sits above the headline, and a "swipe to learn" prompt sits at the bottom with a footer link to iwoszapar.com/second-brain-ai, the real product page the carousel points to. Nothing about the first slide explains what a second brain even is yet. It just states a specific, personal claim and tells you exactly what to do next.

Why this carousel works

• The headline is a personal result ("I built"), not a generic tip, which is harder to skip past than "5 ways to organize your notes"
• The subhead adds a stakes line under the headline instead of repeating it in different words
• The swipe prompt spells out "swipe to learn" in words, so nobody has to interpret a bare arrow icon
• The footer link gives you somewhere to go after the carousel instead of ending on a bare final slide

We are not stating a reaction or comment count for this one, since we could not independently confirm a stable public number the way we could for the next example below.

2. Rosie Chong, "My quick 5-step guide to making a LinkedIn carousel"

Rosie Chong posted a genuinely meta example: a carousel about how to make a carousel, tagged with #howtoguide #creatortips #linkedincarousel.

The post uses a recurring guinea pig visual motif across the slides, which gives it a consistent, recognizable look instead of five slides that feel like separate images stitched together. Each slide in the 5 step structure covers exactly one step, so a reader can stop on any single slide and still walk away with something usable.

Why this carousel works

• A repeating visual character or motif makes a multi slide post feel designed rather than assembled
• One step per slide means the post still delivers value even to someone who does not swipe through all five
• The title states the exact number of steps, which sets a clear expectation for how long the carousel is before anyone opens it
• Tagging the post with format specific hashtags (#linkedincarousel) is a small, easy step most creators skip

The live post showed 1,034 reactions and 424 comments when we checked it for this article. That number will have moved by the time you read this, since it is a live post, not a fixed result.

3. Eddie Shleyner, VeryGoodCopy

Eddie Shleyner runs VeryGoodCopy, a copywriting newsletter with some 95,000 email subscribers per its own site, and is well known in the copywriting and marketing community for turning single copywriting lessons into carousel format micro-lessons. Buffer's own carousel roundup features him as a reference point for the format. We checked the specific post Buffer embeds and it turned out to be a short text post, not a carousel, so we are not linking it here as a carousel example. What is verifiable is the pattern he is known for: pick one narrow copywriting principle, explain it in plain language across a handful of slides, and stop before it turns into a full course.

Why this pattern works

• One lesson per carousel, not a compressed masterclass, keeps each post usable on its own
• Plain language over jargon matches how the audience actually talks about the craft
• A narrow topic is easier to make a strong hook slide for than a broad one

4. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a real marketing platform company, and Buffer's roundup features its Klaviyo Champions program, real customers and partners who share their own tips, as an example of brand content that does not read like a generic company slide deck. We checked the specific post Buffer embeds for this and it is a text post with a single image, not a carousel, so we are describing the program rather than linking that post as a carousel example. Brand carousels tend to fail when they turn into a thinly disguised product pitch on slide one. Klaviyo's approach puts customers front and center instead of opening with a feature list.

Why this pattern works

• Leading with a useful stat or insight earns the swipe before any product mention shows up
• A consistent brand template across slides builds recognition without needing a logo on every slide
• Education flavored carousels get shared by people who have nothing to do with the product, which a feature list post rarely does

What to steal for your own carousels

Across all four: the first slide never explains what the post is about in general terms. It makes a specific, sometimes personal claim, and the carousel exists to back that claim up. The two we could show you slide by slide also share a plain, consistent visual system (Arnoux's black background and brain icon, Chong's guinea pig motif) instead of five slides that each look like they came from a different template.

If you want to build one yourself, the free carousel planner helps you outline the slide by slide structure before you touch design, and the carousel generator turns a topic or an existing post into a drafted slide deck you can edit. Our best LinkedIn carousel makers roundup compares the design tools themselves if you already have the content and need the visual side.

FAQ

Are LinkedIn carousels the same as the old native carousel format?

No. LinkedIn retired the native carousel ad and post format in late 2023. Every swipeable carousel you see in the feed now, including all four examples above, is a PDF uploaded through LinkedIn's document post option. See our LinkedIn carousel guide for the export settings that work best.

What makes a LinkedIn carousel example worth copying?

Look for a first slide that states one specific, concrete claim rather than a general topic, one idea per slide instead of cramming several points onto a slide, and an explicit next step on the final slide. All four examples above follow that pattern.

Why do LinkedIn carousels get more engagement than regular posts?

Per Buffer's State of Social Engagement report, based on over 52 million posts, LinkedIn carousels perform 585% better than text only posts. The swipe interaction itself counts as engagement, and a well structured carousel gives people a reason to keep swiping instead of scrolling past after the first line.

Can I reuse the structure from these examples for a different topic?

Yes. The structure, a specific headline claim, one idea per slide, a consistent visual system, and an explicit closing prompt, works across topics. What should not be copied is the exact wording or design, since that belongs to the original creator.

How many slides should a LinkedIn carousel have?

Most well performing carousels run 5 to 10 slides. Rosie Chong's example above runs exactly 5, one per step. Our LinkedIn carousel size guide covers the practical slide-count range and LinkedIn's file limits in more detail, and our LinkedIn carousel guide covers the 5 slide structure if you want a starting template.

Is there a free way to build a carousel like these?

Yes. The carousel planner and carousel generator are both free to use, no account required to try the outline and draft steps.