TikTok photo mode

Photo mode is TikTok's format for posting still images instead of video. Viewers swipe sideways through the photos, usually with a sound playing underneath and text on each image. Most people simply call it a TikTok slideshow.

Photo posts appear in the For You feed alongside videos, so they can reach people who do not follow you. TikTok's photo mode supports many images per post; for stories and tips, five to seven usually works best. The full-screen vertical size is 1080×1920. See our TikTok photo mode guide for setup details.

1. Hook: 'Things I wish I knew before buying a standing desk'
2. Tip 1 with a photo
3. Tip 2 with a photo
4. Tip 3 with a photo
5. The desk you ended up with
6. 'Link in bio' plus the product name

That is the same structure as an Instagram carousel, which is why one set of slides can often be adapted for both.

Note the arc: the first slide makes a promise, each middle slide pays off a piece of it, and the last slide tells the viewer what to do next. Keep one idea per slide, with short text in a large font that is easy to read at a glance.

Slideshows need no filming, no presenter and no editing timeline. That makes them one of the easiest ways for a small team to keep a steady posting cadence. They also suit list-style content that is awkward on video.

The TikTok slideshow generator turns a product link into ready-to-post 6-slide slideshows, and our step-by-step guide covers posting them.

• A weak first slide. It is the hook; treat it like one.
• Text placed low, where the caption and buttons cover it.
• Landscape images that end up letterboxed.
• Every slide a product shot, with no story in between.