TOP 20 IMAGE CAROUSEL USAGE TRENDS 2025
When I first started looking into image carousel usage trends, I didn’t expect it to be quite as revealing as it was—kind of like when you go to buy just one pair of socks and end up with an entire drawer full because the patterns were too good to resist. Carousels have been around for years in both websites and social media, yet the way people interact with them has changed a lot. Some trends show they can be surprisingly engaging in the right context, while others reveal they often get overlooked entirely. Having spent a fair bit of time analyzing user behavior, I’ve seen how subtle tweaks—like better navigation or more compelling first slides—can make or break their effectiveness. So, let’s walk through what the latest numbers and real-world examples are telling us about how people truly use carousels today.
Top 20 Image Carousel Usage Trends 2025 (Editor's Choice)
| # | Metric / Trend | Statistic / Insight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regular usage (U.S. adults) | 10% of adults regularly use visual search tools. |
| 2 | Interest level (U.S. adults) | 42% are at least somewhat interested in using visual search. |
| 3 | Gen Z & young Millennials (16–34) | 22% have seen or purchased fashion items via visual search. |
| 4 | Adults 35–54 | 17% have used visual search for fashion discovery. |
| 5 | Adults 55+ | 5% have used visual search in fashion contexts. |
| 6 | Global visual searches YoY | Approximately +70% year-over-year growth in visual search activity. |
| 7 | Google Lens volume | ~20 billion queries per month, significant share for shopping. |
| 8 | Visual vs. text trust | 85%+ of shoppers trust images more than text when buying. |
| 9 | Average order value lift | ~+20% AOV increase after adding visual search. |
| 10 | Digital revenue growth | ~+30% typical growth after implementing visual search. |
| 11 | Consumers who’ve tried | 36% have used visual search at least once. |
| 12 | Use for clothing among users | 86% of visual search users have used it for apparel. |
| 13 | Millennials preferring image search | 62% prefer image-based search over other technologies. |
| 14 | Style/taste influenced | 55% say visual search has influenced their personal style. |
| 15 | Brand adoption forecast (2025) | ~30% of major e-commerce brands will integrate visual search. |
| 16 | Market size growth (’22→’32) | From $9.2B in 2022 to $46.2B in 2032 (~17.5% CAGR). |
| 17 | Top retail AI use case (2025) | Product discovery via AI/visual search ranked #1. |
| 18 | Desire for faster decisions | 82% want AI/visual tools to cut research time. |
| 19 | Pinterest visual language model | Launched to translate fashion images into descriptors. |
| 20 | Brand deployments | 500k+ users for Zalando’s AI assistant since launch. |
Top 20 Image Carousel Usage Trends 2025
Image Carousel Usage Trends#1 – Static web carousel click rate (~1% overall)
Static carousels on websites attract minimal interaction, with studies showing only about 1% of visitors clicking on them. Of those clicks, a massive 84% go to the first slide, meaning the remaining slides are often ignored. This demonstrates that unless the key message is on the very first slide, it’s unlikely to be seen by most users. In many cases, static carousels function more as decorative banners than as true navigational or informational elements. Businesses relying on them for conversions may be missing opportunities to present critical content more effectively.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#2 – Auto-rotating carousel CTR (~40% first slide)
Auto-rotating carousels tend to get slightly more engagement, with around 40% of clicks happening on the first slide. However, the drop-off is steep, with only 18% clicking the second slide and 11% clicking the third. This indicates that while motion may draw attention initially, user patience for multiple frames is still limited. Marketers need to front-load the most important content into early slides to maximize impact. Over-reliance on later slides for critical messaging risks losing the audience entirely.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#3 – Product gallery interaction rate (72% advance)
In product galleries, 72% of users advance the carousel at least once, showing a higher interaction rate than homepage banners. This suggests that when users are already engaged in product exploration, carousels can be more effective. The context—shopping for a specific item—drives curiosity to view multiple images. E-commerce sites can leverage this by ensuring high-quality, varied visuals in each frame. However, navigation controls and image loading speed must be optimized to maintain user interest.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#4 – Zoom interaction in product carousels (23% use zoom)
Around 23% of users in product galleries engage with the zoom function, highlighting a desire for detail in shopping experiences. More than half of these zoom interactions happen on the first slide, showing that initial images are often scrutinized most. Offering a high-resolution first image can therefore significantly improve user satisfaction. Zoom tools also serve as a trust-building feature, reducing uncertainty about product quality. If implemented poorly, however, they can lead to frustration and increased abandonment rates.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#5 – Homepage carousel adoption (33% of sites)
Research shows that roughly one-third of US and European e-commerce sites still use homepage carousels. Despite their prevalence, 46% of these have significant usability issues that hinder performance. Problems range from unclear navigation controls to slow load times. This persistence may be due more to visual appeal for marketing teams than to actual effectiveness. Site owners should regularly A/B test carousel performance against static banners to validate their continued use.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#6 – User attention drop-off across slides
Usability tests consistently show that most users don’t view all carousel slides, especially in auto-rotating formats. Many people either scroll past or move on before later frames appear. This behavior undermines strategies that place important CTAs or promotions deep in the sequence. Designers should either keep carousels short or ensure that every slide functions as a standalone, high-priority visual. Otherwise, key content risks going unseen entirely.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#7 – Recommended maximum slides (≤5)
Experts such as Nielsen Norman Group recommend limiting carousels to a maximum of five slides. Beyond this number, engagement drops sharply and user recall diminishes. A smaller set of frames also helps with faster load times and better mobile responsiveness. This is especially important for mobile-first audiences, where bandwidth and screen space are more limited. Keeping it concise can make each slide more impactful and prevent fatigue.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#8 – Accessibility issues
Many carousels lack accessibility features such as keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, or slide position indicators. This creates usability barriers for users with disabilities and can even lead to legal compliance issues. Simple design changes, such as adding ARIA labels and focus indicators, can drastically improve accessibility. Ensuring all users can interact with carousel content not only widens the audience but also boosts brand inclusivity. Accessibility best practices should be applied at the design stage, not as an afterthought.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#9 – Banner blindness in carousels
Carousels often suffer from “banner blindness,” where users subconsciously ignore them because they resemble ads. This effect is even stronger on websites where carousels are positioned at the top and rotate automatically. As a result, valuable content can go unseen simply because of its format. Alternative designs such as static hero images or grid layouts can overcome this bias. Businesses should monitor analytics to see if carousels are truly engaging users or just being skipped.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#10 – Autoplay disruption
Auto-rotating carousels can disrupt reading flow and frustrate users by changing content before they finish consuming it. This is particularly problematic for slides containing text or detailed visuals. Allowing users to control slide transitions creates a more comfortable browsing experience. Studies show that manual carousels often result in better comprehension and satisfaction scores. Therefore, autoplay should be used cautiously and only for short, impactful visual sequences.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#11 – Lower conversion rates than static images
Heatmap and conversion data show that static hero images often outperform carousels in driving clicks and purchases. This may be because static images allow a single, clear message to dominate the page without competition from other slides. Carousels, by contrast, can dilute focus and split attention across multiple offers. Businesses should test both formats to determine which performs better for their audience. In many cases, a well-crafted static image can be the stronger choice.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#12 – Marketing-driven persistence
Despite underwhelming performance metrics, carousels remain popular due to marketing team preferences. They offer a way to showcase multiple promotions without choosing a single priority. However, this can backfire if none of the slides receive enough attention to convert effectively. Data-driven decision-making should guide whether to keep or remove carousels from critical pages. This ensures that aesthetics don’t override user experience and ROI considerations.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#13 – Grid layout alternatives
Many UX experts suggest replacing carousels with grid layouts, accordions, or content blocks. These alternatives display multiple options at once without requiring user interaction to reveal more content. Grids also perform well on mobile, where swiping through slides can be tedious. Additionally, static layouts are easier to make accessible for all users. Testing these alternatives alongside carousels can help determine which format delivers the highest engagement.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#14 – Declining click rates over time (0.8% → 0.2%)
Longitudinal tracking on some websites has shown carousel click rates falling from 0.8% to just 0.2% over time. This suggests that even when carousels start strong, novelty wears off quickly. Returning users may learn to ignore them entirely, treating them as background noise. This decline highlights the importance of refreshing content frequently if a carousel is kept in place. Without updates, the feature risks becoming visually stale and ineffective.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#15 – Common design mistakes
Common design flaws in carousels include excessive length, lack of clear navigation, hiding CTAs in later slides, and slow image loads. These issues compound to create a poor user experience and lower engagement. Avoiding these pitfalls requires both technical optimization and careful content planning. Each slide should stand alone with a visible CTA to encourage interaction. By addressing these mistakes, brands can at least minimize the inherent weaknesses of the carousel format.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#16 – Static alternatives outperform in clarity
Alternative designs such as lists, tabs, and static blocks often outperform carousels in usability tests. Users prefer content that is visible without extra clicks or swipes. Static formats also make it easier to compare options side-by-side. This approach can improve comprehension and reduce cognitive load for shoppers. For critical promotions, a static layout often ensures that the message reaches the maximum number of users.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#17 – Instagram carousel engagement rate (1.92%)
On Instagram, carousel posts see an average engagement rate of 1.92%, higher than single-image or video posts. This suggests that on social media, interactive formats can outperform static ones when they encourage swiping. The ability to tell a multi-slide story resonates with audiences in these environments. However, the content must be cohesive and engaging across all frames to sustain interest. Poorly planned carousels can still suffer from mid-sequence drop-off.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#18 – Share of Instagram content (19%)
Despite their higher engagement rates, carousels make up only about 19% of Instagram content. This gap represents an opportunity for brands to stand out by using the format strategically. However, the lower adoption rate may also indicate that carousels require more creative effort to execute well. Brands that invest in strong visual storytelling can leverage this underutilized format to differentiate themselves. It’s a chance to maximize visibility in a crowded feed.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#19 – Max slides boost engagement (>2%)
Instagram carousels that use the maximum allowed 10 slides can see engagement rates exceed 2%. This likely occurs because more content increases the chance that something resonates with the viewer. However, quality must be maintained across all slides to avoid disengagement. Long carousels without a clear narrative can lead to drop-offs before the end. Thoughtful sequencing and pacing are key to maximizing this effect.
Image Carousel Usage Trends#20 – Swipe cue effect (1.83% → ~2%)
Adding explicit “swipe left” cues to carousel posts can raise engagement from about 1.83% to nearly 2%. Despite this clear benefit, only 5% of carousels use such prompts. This is a missed opportunity to guide user interaction and improve post performance. Simple visual indicators can make content more discoverable and interactive. Brands should consider adding these cues as a low-effort, high-impact enhancement.
What These Image Carousel Usage Trends Tell Us
Looking over all these stats, one thing is crystal clear: carousels are a tool that need to be used with care. They can be dynamic, engaging, and visually compelling, but only if designed with a deep understanding of how users behave. Whether it’s making the first slide irresistible, limiting the number of frames, or adding small prompts to encourage interaction, the little details matter a lot. It’s not about whether carousels are “good” or “bad,” but about making them work for your audience and your goals. If done thoughtfully, they can be as reliable and well-loved as your favorite pair of socks—always there to add that extra touch of comfort and style.
SOURCES
https://thegood.com/insights/ecommerce-image-carousels/
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/02/carousel-usage-exploration-on-mobile-e-commerce-websites/
https://baymard.com/blog/homepage-carousel
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/designing-effective-carousels/
https://f7.de/en/blog/stop-the-slide-why-carousels-harm-the-ux
https://medium.com/design-bootcamp/the-number-1-rule-for-using-carousels-in-web-design-0868c53195c8
https://eleken.co/blog-posts/carousel-ui
https://www.uxpin.com/studio/blog/carousel-ui/
https://adrianroselli.com/2013/07/my-carousel-use-stats.html
https://embryo.com/blog/the-data-behind-the-performance-of-carousel-ads/