Short answer: A Facebook carousel ad shows 2 to 10 images or videos in one ad, each card with its own headline, description, link and call to action. Use it when you have more than one thing to show: several services, a process or the steps of a story. In Ads Manager, choose a compatible conversion location and the Carousel format, then add your cards.
What a carousel ad is
Meta describes the carousel as a format that shows two or more images and videos in a single ad, each with its own headline, description, link and call to action. People swipe on a phone or click the arrows on a computer to move through the cards.
You can include up to 10 cards. Carousel ads run across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Meta Audience Network, and you can create them in Ads Manager or from your Facebook Page.
Meta may also show your carousel as a slideshow video when it predicts that format will perform better.
When a carousel fits
Meta lists what a carousel does best:
| Use | What the cards show |
|---|---|
| Several products or services | One per card, each linking to its own page |
| One product in detail | Different angles or features of the same product |
| A story | Images and videos in sequence |
| A process | How your business works, step by step |
| A larger canvas | One large image split across all the cards |
| The benefits of a service | What a new customer gets, card by card |
Uses listed by Meta’s Business Help Center, read November 5, 2026.
If your ad asks for one thing and one picture says it, a single image may be enough. That kind of ad is the subject of our click-to-WhatsApp ads guide.
Design the cards
Use images or videos that look like they belong together, ideally from the same shoot, Meta advises. It recommends square (1:1) cards, and 15 seconds for video cards.
Use every part of the card: the image catches the eye, and the headline, description and button give context and a reason to act. The ratios each placement accepts are in our Facebook ad sizes guide.
Where each card leads
If the cards show different products or services, give each card the link to the one it shows, Meta suggests. A smaller business can send every card to the page that lists all its products in that category.
Choose the images for the people you want to reach: product images for those who already visited your product pages, and lifestyle images for new prospects.
How to create a carousel ad
- In Ads Manager, click Create and choose Awareness, Traffic or Engagement as the objective.
- In the Conversion section of the ad set, choose a compatible location, such as message destinations, calls or your website.
- In the Ad setup section, choose Manual upload and then Carousel as the format.
- Click Add cards and upload between 2 and 10 images or videos.
- Add a headline, description and website URL to each card, or apply the same ones to all.
- Drag the cards into the order you want people to see them.
- Pick the carousel optimizations you want to keep, then review and publish.
If Carousel doesn’t appear, the conversion location may not support it: Meta lists “On your ad” and Facebook Page as incompatible. Go back to the ad set and change it.
The carousel optimizations
Ads Manager may offer to show the best performing cards first or to display cards as a video. It may also offer a last card with your Page’s profile picture, music, or a map card with your nearest stores.
Turn off the first one if your cards tell a story or a process in order, so the order stays yours. On Instagram, Meta may start the carousel on a different card for each person, while the card order and the creative stay the same.
How our own ads use the carousel
We checked how our own Meta ads are built on November 5, 2026. There are 48, and every one opens a chat with us on WhatsApp. We looked at formats only, not results.
4 of the 48 are carousels, each with 4 cards. The other 44 show one image or one video at a time: 40 single image ads, each with 4 or 5 images for Meta to choose from, and 4 single video ads with 3 videos each.
Before you publish
- The ad has more than one thing to show.
- It has between 2 and 10 cards.
- The images look like they belong together.
- Each card has a headline and, if needed, its own link.
- The card order works, or best-first is on on purpose.
- The conversion location supports the carousel.
RememberUse a carousel when there is more than one thing to show. Keep the cards consistent, give each one a job and decide who sets their order.
Carousels or single images, in Spanish, English or both: our Meta Ads service builds and runs them for you. Write to us through the form or on WhatsApp and tell us what you sell. If Ads Manager is new to you, our guide on how to run Facebook ads covers the first campaign.
Quick answers about Facebook carousel ads
How many cards can a Facebook carousel ad have?
Between 2 and 10. Each card holds one image or video with its own headline, description, link and call to action. People swipe on a phone or click the arrows on a computer to move through them.
What size should carousel images be?
Meta recommends square images, a 1:1 ratio, for carousel cards, and 15 seconds for video cards. Some placements and catalog ads take other ratios; our Facebook ad sizes guide lists them by placement.
Can each carousel card link to a different page?
Yes. Meta suggests giving each card the link to the product or service it shows. A smaller business can send every card to the page that lists all its products in that category instead.
Why does my carousel ad show as a video?
Meta may show a carousel as a slideshow video automatically when it predicts that format will perform better. In Ads Manager, the optimization that displays cards as a video can be turned off.
Can I use a carousel for a WhatsApp ad?
Yes, if the conversion location is compatible. With the Engagement objective, message destinations work with carousels, while the “On your ad” and Facebook Page locations don’t. If Carousel doesn’t appear, change the conversion location.
Sources
Read on November 5, 2026. Meta Business Help Center: About carousel ads, Best practices for carousel ads, Design specifications for carousel ads and How to create a carousel ad in Meta Ads Manager. Our case: how our own Meta ads are built, checked on November 5, 2026.