Agent skill

Ig Carousel Planner

by sergebulaev in sergebulaev/instagram-skills

Plan an Instagram carousel slide by slide, up to 10 slides, with a hook slide that opens a loop, value slides that front-load the payoff, and a payoff slide that earns the save and follow.

MITAuto-check passedDocuments & Office

Install Ig Carousel Planner

skills CLI
$ npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-carousel-planner -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install sergebulaev/instagram-skills ig-carousel-planner --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sergebulaev/instagram-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ig-carousel-planner .claude/skills/ig-carousel-planner && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ig-carousel-planner
GitHub stars
308
Token cost
~1.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,037 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
10
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Plan an Instagram carousel slide by slide, up to 10 slides, with a hook slide that opens a loop, value slides that front-load the payoff, and a payoff slide that earns the save and follow.

  • Works in 10 steps: Gather inputs. Topic, the… → Pick the formula. Use the goal table;… → Set the slide count. Match it to the… → …
  • Structure a multi-slide carousel
  • SKILL.md covers When to use, Formulas this skill uses…, Slide architecture (the… and Steps, plus 5 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Ig Carousel Planner is an agent skill from sergebulaev/instagram-skills. Plan an Instagram carousel slide by slide, up to 10 slides, with a hook slide that opens a loop, value slides that front-load the payoff, and a payoff slide that earns the save and follow. Picks a 2026 carousel formula (listicle, before/after, myth-buster, framework) by goal (saves, shares, follows), drafts each slide's text plus the caption, then publishes the images you supply via Publora. Use to structure a multi-slide carousel. Not for single-image captions (use ig-caption-writer).

Its SKILL.md is about 1.9k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/slide-architecture.md`).

It sits in Documents & Office, covering Slides and decks. It works with Instagram. The repository describes itself as: Instagram marketing skills for Claude Code and Codex: captions, carousels, hooks, hashtag strategy, and a weekly plan. Draft, humanize, and publish via Publora. MIT. Content… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Structure a multi-slide carousel
  • Tasks that involve Slides and decks

Example prompts

  • “/ig-carousel-planner”

Workflow steps

10 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Gather inputs. Topic, the list/framework/transformation, target audience,
  2. Pick the formula. Use the goal table; suggest 2-3 that fit and let the
  3. Set the slide count. Match it to the real content (6-10 typical). Never
  4. Write slide 1. The promise plus the loop. Big, single-idea on-image text.
  5. Map the value slides. Put the strongest point on slide 2 or 3. One point
  6. Write the payoff slide. A one-slide recap that is worth saving on its own,
  7. Write the caption. The caption supports the carousel (it can be short),
  8. Humanizer pass on the on-image text and caption. Scrub 2026 AI vocab
  9. Approval card. Show: formula, slide-by-slide outline with each slide's
  10. On approval, publish with media. Call `lib.publish(kind="carousel",

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 652be40. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • instagram.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Ig Carousel Planner loads about 1.9k tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.8k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 128 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,037 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~128
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.9k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~2.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from sergebulaev/instagram-skills at commit 652be40, republished under its MIT licence (© sergebulaev). 1,037 words, ~1,887 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ig-carousel-planner/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
ig-carousel-planner
description
Plan an Instagram carousel slide by slide, up to 10 slides, with a hook slide that opens a loop, value slides that front-load the payoff, and a payoff slide that earns the save and follow. Picks a 2026 carousel formula (listicle, before/after, myth-buster, framework) by goal (saves, shares, follows), drafts each slide's text plus the caption, then publishes the images you supply via Publora. Use to structure a multi-slide carousel. Not for single-image captions (use ig-caption-writer).

Plan a carousel that gets swiped to the end and saved. The whole game is slide 1 (the swipe-earning hook) and the last slide (the saveable payoff). This skill maps every slide, writes the on-image text, and drafts the caption that frames it.

When to use

  • User wants to turn a topic or notes into a multi-slide carousel
  • User has a list, a framework, or a transformation to teach
  • User wants a slide-by-slide structure, not just a caption
CodeFormulaPrimary goalBest for
IG5Listicle Carouselsavesa numbered teaching list, one item per slide
IG6Before/After Transformationsaves, followsproof of a result with the steps between
IG7Myth-Bustersharescorrecting beliefs your niche holds
IG8Steal-This Frameworksavesa named, repeatable framework

Full skeletons in ../../references/hook-formulas.md.

Slide architecture (the 10-slide spine)

A carousel is 2-10 slides (API limit). The reliable spine:

SlideRole
1 (hook)the promise + an open loop ("most miss #4"). Earns the swipe. Big text, one idea.
2-3the strongest value, front-loaded (swipe-through decays with depth).
4 to N-1one point per slide, each standing alone, each readable in 2 seconds.
N (payoff)the one-slide summary (the saveable artifact) + one clear ask (save / follow).

6-10 slides is the sweet spot for a teaching carousel. Fewer than 4 is usually a single image. See references/slide-architecture.md for per-formula spines.

Steps

Voice profile first (all drafts). If ../../references/voice-profile.md has filled: yes, load it and match the user's voice fingerprint, hard rules, and CTA/link style throughout. If it is not filled, mention once that ig-humanizer --mode profile can learn their voice from a few posts, then proceed with the generic voice rules.

Never invent the specifics. The rules below ask for a concrete number, a date and a named entity, because that is what separates a real post from a generated one. Take them from what the user actually said in this conversation. Do not invent a figure, a date, a client name or a result, and do not soften a vague claim into a plausible-looking number. If the user has nothing concrete for a beat, ask them once, and if they still have nothing, drop the claim rather than decorate it. A published invented number is a retraction; a missing one is only a weaker post.

  1. Gather inputs. Topic, the list/framework/transformation, target audience, and the goal (saves / shares / follows).
  2. Pick the formula. Use the goal table; suggest 2-3 that fit and let the user choose.
  3. Set the slide count. Match it to the real content (6-10 typical). Never pad to hit 10; viewers feel filler and bail.
  4. Write slide 1. The promise plus the loop. Big, single-idea on-image text. Front-load a number if one fits.
  5. Map the value slides. Put the strongest point on slide 2 or 3. One point per slide, each able to stand alone. Draft the on-image text for each (keep it short, it has to read in 2 seconds on a 4:5 frame).
  6. Write the payoff slide. A one-slide recap that is worth saving on its own, plus a single ask (save it / follow for more).
  7. Write the caption. The caption supports the carousel (it can be short), restates the hook for the fold, and carries the hashtags. Hand off to ig-hashtag-strategist or apply the 3-5 sized set.
  8. Humanizer pass on the on-image text and caption. Scrub 2026 AI vocab by density (per slide, per caption paragraph), cap em dashes (at most one per slide, about one per 100 words in the caption; never swap one for a period), break stacked triads and reveal bridges. Slides are short by design: never chop or pad a slide for rhythm. Canonical rules: ig-humanizer V3.
  9. Approval card. Show: formula, slide-by-slide outline with each slide's text, the caption, hashtag set, primary goal, and a reminder that the user supplies 2-10 images (all images, no mixed media) in this order.
  10. On approval, publish with media. Call lib.publish(kind="carousel", draft_text=<approved caption>, target_url="https://www.instagram.com/", media=[<slide image paths in order>], platforms=[<INSTAGRAM_PLATFORM_ID>], scheduled_time=<iso_or_None>). The wrapper uploads each image in order and schedules. With no media or no Publora key it returns the plan as a copy-paste block plus the slide order.
Show full SKILL.md (331 more words)Show less

Hard rules

Global voice rules: see root SKILL.md Voice rules. Additional skill-specific rules:

  • Slide 1 is a promise with an open loop, never a bare title.
  • Front-load value to slides 2-3; never bury the best point at the end.
  • One point per slide, readable in 2 seconds on a portrait 4:5 frame.
  • 2-10 slides only. Never pad to a round number.
  • All images, no mixed media (the API rejects an image+video carousel).
  • The last slide must earn the save with a one-slide summary and one ask.

Anti-patterns (skill will refuse)

  • A title-only slide 1 with no promise or loop.
  • A 10-slide carousel padded from a 4-point idea.
  • The strongest point saved for the final slide.
  • Three competing CTAs on the payoff slide.
  • Mixing images and a video in one carousel.
  • On-image walls of text that cannot be read in a swipe.
  • Em dashes above the cap (more than one on a slide), AI vocab clusters, stacked or hollow rule-of-three.
  • "The result?" reveals and staccato stacks added for punch.

Resources

  • ../../references/hook-formulas.md - the carousel formulas (IG5-IG8) with skeletons
  • ../../references/algorithm-heuristics.md - 2026 carousel ranking and swipe-through rules
  • ../../references/hashtag-strategy.md - the 3-5 sized hashtag recipe
  • ../../references/media-workflow.md - uploading 2-10 images in order
  • references/slide-architecture.md - per-formula slide spines and on-image text rules

Optional illustration

Offer a generated image when a visual would lift reach. Draft a prompt and call lib.illustrate(prompt, kind="carousel"), pulling brand handle/color from Voice & Brand Profile section 6 for a pixel-exact overlay. Show the returned url + cost, attach it as your Instagram media via media_urls=[url] in one shot (Publora fetches the hosted URL server-side): a single image posts as a photo, and the carousel planner can pass 2-10 URLs for a carousel. For a Reel cover instead, set platformSettings.instagram.coverUrl. Full workflow (incl. quote-cards): ../ig-humanizer/sub-skills/illustration.md. No Pixfaro key -> it drafts the prompt for you to generate manually.

  • ig-caption-writer - when the idea is a single image, not a carousel
  • ig-hashtag-strategist - build the sized hashtag set
  • ig-humanizer - scrub the on-image text and caption
  • ig-hook-extractor - reverse-engineer a carousel you admire

© sergebulaev, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in skills/ig-carousel-planner of sergebulaev/instagram-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/slide-architecture.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 652be40

Compare with similar skills

Ig Carousel Planner next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Ig Carousel Planner compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Ig Carousel Planner this skillsergebulaev/instagram-skills308—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Threads Carouselitchernetski/threads-carousel-claude-skill107—~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Social Media Carouseldanielmeppiel/agentic-sdlc-handbook1571 repos~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Carousel Writer Smsblacktwist/social-media-skills560—~4.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Ig CarouselJakeschincariol/instagram-agent-skill615—~1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Carousel Conveyornestyme/awesome-prompts151—~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassNone

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Works with

Questions about Ig Carousel Planner

What does Ig Carousel Planner do?

Plan an Instagram carousel slide by slide, up to 10 slides, with a hook slide that opens a loop, value slides that front-load the payoff, and a payoff slide that earns the save and follow. Ig Carousel Planner is an agent skill from sergebulaev/instagram-skills. Plan an Instagram carousel slide by slide, up to 10 slides, with a hook slide that opens a loop, value slides that front-load the payoff, and a payoff slide that earns the save and follow.

When should I use Ig Carousel Planner?

Ig Carousel Planner fits situations like: structure a multi-slide carousel; tasks that involve Slides and decks.

How do I install Ig Carousel Planner in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-carousel-planner -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ig-carousel-planner in sergebulaev/instagram-skills) into .claude/skills/ig-carousel-planner in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Ig Carousel Planner in Codex?

Run `npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-carousel-planner -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ig-carousel-planner in sergebulaev/instagram-skills) into .agents/skills/ig-carousel-planner in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Ig Carousel Planner in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-carousel-planner -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ig-carousel-planner, .gemini/skills/ig-carousel-planner, .github/skills/ig-carousel-planner and .opencode/skills/ig-carousel-planner in your project.

What does Ig Carousel Planner need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Ig Carousel Planner is instructions for the agent only.

Does Ig Carousel Planner access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: instagram.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Ig Carousel Planner safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Ig Carousel Planner use?

Ig Carousel Planner is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Ig Carousel Planner use?

About 1.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 865 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Ig Carousel Planner?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Ig Carousel Planner: Threads Carousel (itchernetski/threads-carousel-claude-skill, 107 stars), Social Media Carousel (danielmeppiel/agentic-sdlc-handbook, 157 stars), Carousel Writer Sms (blacktwist/social-media-skills, 560 stars) and Ig Carousel (Jakeschincariol/instagram-agent-skill, 615 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Ig Carousel Planner?

sergebulaev (a GitHub user) maintains it in sergebulaev/instagram-skills, which has 308 GitHub stars. The repository holds 10 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: sergebulaev/instagram-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.