# LinkedIn Carousel Ads Benchmarks 2026: CTR, CPC, and the Card-by-Card Data > Carousel ads make up just 2.73% of total LinkedIn ad spend across the 211 companies in our 2026 LinkedIn ABM benchmarks report. Almost nobody is using them. And the people who skip carousels are usually doing so because the blended CTR (0.32%) looks lower than single image ads (0.42%). That comparison misses the real story. Author: Emilia Korczynska Published: 2026-02-16 Updated: 2026-02-16 Categories: Ad Formats & Creatives Source: https://zenabm.com/blog/linkedin-carousel-ads-benchmarks --- ![LinkedIn Carousel Ads Benchmarks cover with a sample carousel ad mockup showing card-by-card layout](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/LinkedIn-Carousel-Ads-Benchmarks.png) Carousel ads make up just 2.73% of total LinkedIn ad spend across the 211 companies in our [2026 LinkedIn ABM benchmarks report](/blog/linkedin-abm-performance-benchmarks-report-2026). Almost nobody is using them. And the people who skip carousels are usually doing so because the blended CTR (0.32%) looks lower than single image ads (0.42%). That comparison misses the real story. Carousel ads have a unique card-level engagement pattern where later cards deliver dramatically higher CTRs – up to 2.89% on Card 7. The swipe mechanic acts as a self-qualification filter. People who keep swiping are increasingly likely to click. In this post, I will share the complete carousel ads benchmark data from our 2026 report – overall metrics, card-by-card performance, and how carousels compare to every other [LinkedIn ad](/blog/how-do-linkedin-ads-work) format. These numbers come from 44 carousel ads analyzed across 211 companies and $5.5M in total LinkedIn ad spend. Here is the summary. ![LinkedIn Carousel Ads benchmarks table from ZenABM showing a 0.32% median CTR and $13.31 median CPC](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/ZenABM-Carousel-ads-performance-benchmarks.png) ## Key Takeaways – Linkedin Carousel Ads Benchmarks Here is what you should take away from the 2026 carousel ads benchmark data. - **0.32% median CTR is the blended number.** Card-level CTRs range from 0.117% (Card 1) to 2.890% (Card 7). The blended metric dramatically understates the format’s effectiveness for engaged viewers. - **$13.30 [CPC is on par with single image](/blog/linkedin-single-image-ads-benchmarks) ads.** You are not paying more per click for carousel, but you are getting 25% more dwell time per impression. - **4.56 seconds of dwell time beats single image and video.** The swipe mechanic keeps people engaged longer, making carousels ideal for educational and [ABM](/) content where message absorption matters. - **Card 2 gets 2.3x the CTR of Card 1.** Design your first card to earn the swipe, not to generate clicks. - **Later cards have progressively higher CTR** because only engaged, self-qualified users reach them. This is a built-in qualification mechanic that no other ad format offers. - **Carousels get just 2.73% of budget** – they are the most underused format on [LinkedIn relative to their performance](/blog/linkedin-abm-performance-benchmarks-report-2026). ## Carousel Ads Benchmarks at a Glance | Metric | Median | Context | | **CTR** | 0.32% | Blended across all cards | | **CPC** | $13.30 | Comparable to single image ($13.23) | | **CPM** | $45.28 | Lower than single image ($47.43) | | **Dwell Time** | 4.56 seconds | 25% higher than single image (3.64s) | | **Budget Share** | 2.73% | Lowest of all major formats | The blended 0.32% CTR tells you what happens on average across all cards and all impressions. But the card-level data below tells a very different – and more useful – story. ## Carousel Ads CTR and CPC Benchmarks Let me put the carousel CTR and CPC numbers in perspective. At $13.30 CPC, carousel ads cost essentially the same per click as single image ads ($13.23). The difference is negligible. Where things get interesting is what happens between the [impression and that click](/blog/linkedin-ad-roi-attribution-clicks-vs-impressions). With a single image ad, someone [sees your creative and either clicks](/faq/see-companies-clicked-on-linkedin-ads) or scrolls past. That is one moment of engagement. With a carousel, someone might swipe through 3-4 cards before clicking. Even if they don’t click, they have spent significantly more time with your message. The 4.56-second median dwell time reflects this. That is 25% more attention than single image ads (3.64s) and 17% more than video ads (3.91s). Only Thought Leader Ads generate higher dwell time – but those are a fundamentally different format. For [ABM campaigns](/blog/running-abm-on-linkedin-the-ultimate-guide) where you need target accounts to absorb your message (not just see it), that extra dwell time matters. You are getting more content consumed per dollar spent. The CPM of $45.28 is also worth noting. It is lower than single image ads ($47.43), which means you are paying less per thousand impressions while getting more engagement time per impression. That is a good trade. ![Carousel Linkiedin ads example](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/Carousel-Linkiedin-ads-.png) ## The Card-by-Card Engagement Pattern This is the data that changes how you think about carousel ads. Most advertisers look at the blended 0.32% CTR and move on. But when you break it down by card position, a powerful pattern emerges. | Card Position | Impression Share | Weighted CTR | CTR Multiplier vs Card 1 | | **Card 1** | 76.32% | 0.117% | 1.0x (baseline) | | **Card 2** | 22.75% | 0.274% | 2.3x | | **Card 3** | 0.43% | 0.597% | 5.1x | | **Card 4** | 0.29% | 0.905% | 7.7x | | **Card 5** | 0.13% | 1.121% | 9.6x | | **Card 6** | 0.05% | 1.837% | 15.7x | | **Card 7** | 0.02% | 2.890% | 24.7x | Card 2 already gets 2.3x the CTR of Card 1. By Card 7, you are looking at a 2.890% CTR – the highest CTR of any card position in any ad format in our dataset. Why does this happen? Every swipe is a self-qualification signal. Someone who swipes past Card 1 to Card 2 is saying “I am interested enough to keep going.” By the time someone reaches Card 5, 6, or 7, they are deeply [engaged with your content](/blog/abm-engagement-penetration-strategy). These are your most qualified viewers, and the CTR proves it. 76% of viewers only see Card 1 and scroll past. That is completely fine. Card 1 is not meant to convert – it is a pattern interrupt. Its job is to earn the swipe. The real engagement happens on Cards 2-3, and the conversion opportunity lives on your final card. ### What This Means for Card Design **Card 1:** Pattern interrupt only. Bold visual, curiosity-driven headline. Do not put your CTA here – people are not ready yet. **Cards 2-3:** This is where the real engagement happens. Deliver your core value proposition or the most compelling data points. Card 2 gets 2.3x the CTR of Card 1, so treat it as your most important content card. **Final card:** Clear CTA with a specific next step. The people who reach this card have self-selected through every previous card. They are ready to act – make it easy for them. ## How Carousel Ads Compare to Other LinkedIn Ad Formats Here is how carousels stack up against every other major [LinkedIn ad format in our 2026 benchmark](/blog/linkedin-video-ads-benchmarks) data. | Metric | Carousel Ads | Single Image | Video Ads | Thought Leader Ads | | **Median CTR** | 0.32% | 0.42% | 0.24% | 2.68% | | **Median CPC** | $13.30 | $13.23 | $15.61 | $2.29 | | **Median CPM** | $45.28 | $47.43 | $36.50 | $49.37 | | **Dwell Time** | 4.56s | 3.64s | 3.91s | 6.63s | | **Budget Share** | 2.73% | 41.42% | 19.55% | \~7-10% | ![LinkedIn Ad format performance table comparing CTR and CPC across TLAs, carousel and video ads](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/LinkedIn-Ad-format-performance-overview-ZenABM.png) A few things stand out from this comparison. **Carousel dwell time (4.56s) beats both single image and video.** The swipe mechanic keeps people engaged longer than a static image and longer than auto-playing video. Only Thought Leader Ads (6.63s) generate more attention time – but [TLAs are a completely](/blog/linkedin-thought-leader-ads-for-abm) different format that leverages personal profiles rather than company pages. **CPC is nearly identical to single image.** You are not paying a premium for the additional engagement time. At $13.30 vs $13.23, the cost per click is essentially the same – but you are getting 25% more dwell time per impression. **CTR looks lower, but the comparison is misleading.** The 0.32% blended CTR includes Card 1 impressions where 76% of people scroll past without swiping. For the audience that actually engages (swipers), the CTR on Cards 2+ ranges from 0.274% to 2.890%. These are highly qualified viewers. **Video is the underperformer, not carousel.** Video ads have the lowest CTR (0.24%), highest CPC ($15.61), and lower dwell time (3.91s) than carousels. If you are choosing between video and carousel for educational content, the data favors carousel. ## How to Optimize Carousel Ads Based on These Benchmarks The benchmark data points to a clear optimization framework. Here is how to apply it. ### 1. Design Card 1 as a Pattern Interrupt, Not a Conversion Tool ![LinkedIn carousel ad preview whose first card uses a bold pattern-interrupt line about stuck revenue](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/Carousel-ad-pattern-interrupt-first-card-.png) Card 1 has a 0.117% CTR. Its job is not to generate clicks – it is to stop the scroll and earn the swipe. Use a bold visual, an unexpected data point, or a curiosity-driven headline that makes people want to see Card 2. Avoid putting your CTA or product pitch on Card 1. ### 2. Front-Load Value on Cards 2-3 ![Userpilot LinkedIn carousel ad with swipeable cards on 2026 product challenges for B2B teams](https://cdn.zenabm.com/assets/Userpilot-Carousel-linkedin-ad.gif) Card 2 gets 2.3x the CTR of Card 1, and Card 3 gets 5.1x. This is where your most engaged viewers are making the decision to keep going or stop. Put your strongest content here – the most compelling stat, the clearest benefit, or the most relatable problem statement. ### 3. Use Carousels for Story-Based Content ![ZenABM LinkedIn carousel ad with two cards previewing Zena AI for ad performance and revenue attribution](https://cdn.zenabm.com/assets/ZenABM-carousel-ad-product-showcase.gif) The formats that work best as carousels are the ones that benefit from sequential storytelling: step-by-step processes, data visualizations with progressive reveals, before-and-after scenarios, and educational frameworks. If your message works as a single image, use a single image. Carousels shine when the story builds across cards. ### 4. Keep It to 5-7 Cards Card 7 has the highest CTR (2.890%) but only 0.02% impression share. Very few people reach it. The sweet spot is 5-7 cards – enough to tell a complete story and let engaged viewers self-qualify, without padding the carousel with filler content that dilutes the experience. ### 5. Make the Last Card a Clear CTA ![Final card of a Userpilot LinkedIn carousel ad, with a Get the demo button marked by an arrow](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/Userpilot-linkedin-carousel-ad-conversion-card-last-one-.png) People who reach your final card have swiped through every previous card. They are your most qualified viewers. Give them a clear, specific call to action – not a vague “Learn More” but something tied to the story you just told. “Get the full framework” or “See how it works for your team” connects the CTA to the value you delivered in earlier cards. ### 6. Track Performance at the Company Level Standard [LinkedIn analytics show you blended metrics](/blog/linkedin-ads-metrics-b2b). For [ABM campaigns, you need to see which target companies](/faq/see-companies-engaging-with-linkedin-ads) are engaging with your carousel ads and which cards they are interacting with. Company-level [engagement data tells you which accounts](/abm-campaign-analytics-dashboards) are in-market and moving down the funnel. [**ZenABM**](/) allows you to easily track how your ads are performing for specific companies you’re targeting: at campaign, adset and individual ad level: ![ZenABM Company LinkedIn ad engagements in ZenABM](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/Company-LinkedIn-ad-engagements-in-ZenABM-1-1-scaled.png) ## FAQs ### What is a good CTR benchmark for LinkedIn carousel ads in 2026? The median CTR for [LinkedIn carousel ads](/blog/linkedin-carousel-ads) is 0.32% based on our analysis of 211 companies. But this is the blended rate across all cards. Card 2 delivers a 0.274% CTR (2.3x Card 1), and later cards push above 1-2%. If your blended CTR is above 0.35%, you are performing above median. If your Card 2+ CTR is above 0.3%, your carousel is engaging the right people. ### Are LinkedIn carousel ads better than single image ads? It depends on your goal. Single image ads have higher blended CTR (0.42% vs 0.32%) and are simpler to create. Carousel ads deliver 25% higher dwell time (4.56s vs 3.64s) and a unique self-qualification mechanic through the swipe pattern. For ABM campaigns, educational content, and story-based messaging, carousels outperform single image. For direct response with a simple offer, single image is usually the better choice. ### How many cards should I use in a LinkedIn carousel ad? The data supports 5-7 cards. You need enough cards to tell a complete story and let engaged viewers self-qualify through swiping, but not so many that you are padding with filler content. Card 7 has the highest CTR in our dataset (2.89%), but only 0.02% of impressions reach it. The real engagement happens on Cards 2-3, so make sure those cards deliver your strongest content regardless of total carousel length.