Tools
Claude (or another AI assistant), Canva or Figma
Price
Free with the Claude Free plan
Time
15 min, layout included
Level
Beginner

A finished post already holds everything a carousel needs: the real work is cutting. The prompt below does that cutting for you and keeps the post apart from your instructions with tags (markers such as <article>), a method Anthropic recommends so that Claude does not mix the two.

The prompt to copy

Prompt
You are my Instagram copywriter. Turn the post below into a carousel.

<article>
[Paste the text of your post here]
</article>

<audience>
[Who this carousel is for. Example: restaurant owners who are short on time]
</audience>

Rules:
- 7 to 9 slides, one idea per slide.
- Slide 1: a hook of 8 words or fewer that makes people swipe. No vague question, no exclamation mark.
- Following slides: a title of 6 words or fewer and 1 or 2 sentences, 25 words maximum in total.
- Only use facts, numbers and examples that appear in the post. Do not make anything up. If something is missing, write [TO CHECK].
- Second-to-last slide: the key points in 3 bullets.
- Last slide: one single action (save the post, read the full article or ask a question in the comments).
- Tone: plain, direct, no emoji, no jargon.

Return the result as a table: number | title | copy | visual idea.
Then suggest 3 alternative hooks for slide 1 and a 3-line caption for the post.

The steps

  1. Prepare the postCopy the text only, without the site menu or footer. A post of 600 to 1,500 words usually gives enough material.
  2. Fill in the two blocksPaste the post between <article> and </article>, then describe your reader in one line. The more precise the audience, the better the chosen examples.
  3. Run it and proofreadSend the prompt in a new conversation. Check every number against the post and look for any [TO CHECK].
  4. Adjust in one sentenceToo long? Just reply "Cut each slide's copy by a third". Flat hook? Ask for "5 more concrete hooks, each with a clear benefit".
  5. Lay it outDuplicate your carousel template in Canva or Figma: one table row = one slide. The "visual idea" column tells you what to look for or draw.

What makes the difference

  • Keep the same design template from one carousel to the next: people recognise your account before they read your name.
  • A slide should read in a few seconds. When in doubt, cut.
  • Keep the prompt in a note: next time you only change the post and the audience.

Sensitive data. Do not paste confidential text (a client's figures, an unpublished post under embargo) into an AI assistant before checking its privacy settings and getting the consent of the people involved.

Sources

Want every new post on your site to produce its carousel draft automatically? That is an automation I can set up.