Carousel covers are a decision

It should make the next swipe feel worthwhile, and it should look acceptable as a small tile. Those goals can conflict with a cover that is a full poster of fine print. Fine print belongs deeper in the carousel.

If the offer is the reason to stop, the offer can be the cover. Just make the words survive the crop.

Some teams export the cover as slide one and also as the thumbnail, then wonder why the swipe feels stuck. Decide whether the cover is an extra frame or the first slide. Say it in the file names.

When you change the cover after the slides were approved, show the cover again. It is the piece that represents the whole post in the grid.

A repeating cover system helps people recognize a series. Identical covers with tiny numbers help nobody. Change the one word that tells the slides apart.

Check the series in the grid together. Three related covers in a row can look strong or like a glitch. You cannot tell from the file alone.

The cover does not replace alt text or the first line of the caption. People using assistive tech, and people who only read the caption preview, never see your careful type. Write those as their own lines.

Approve them with the cover so the promise matches.