TikTok slideshow problems: a symptom-to-cause table with fixes

Which symptom do you have?

How to read the table: documented cause means an official page states it; the sources are listed below the table. Worth checking means a sensible thing to rule out, which no source confirms as a cause. When we do not know a cause, we say so rather than guess.

Where do the documented causes come from?

Every documented cause comes from an official page read on 5 November 2026:

• TikTok: the Creator Academy photo-post article (opens in a new tab), the Help Center page on recommendations (opens in a new tab) and, for ads, the safe-zone help article (opens in a new tab).
• Instagram: the Help Center pages on multi-photo posts (opens in a new tab), photo resolution (opens in a new tab), hashtags (opens in a new tab) and music (opens in a new tab).
• Benchmarks and reference: WCAG contrast (opens in a new tab) and Fyslide's own FAQ.

The rows that depend on TikTok's developer documentation reflect pages last updated between 4 August and 27 October 2026. Instagram's Help Center pages show no date, and we read them in German, translated. When a platform changes a rule, a row can go out of date, so open the linked page before you rely on a limit.

Which symptoms look alike but have different causes?

Several problems present as "it looks bad" or "nobody sees it". Separate them before you fix anything.

• Soft text versus covered text. Text that is blurry everywhere points to the file. Text that is only unclear at the bottom or edges usually points to the interface sitting on top of it.
• Cropped versus stretched. Cropping means the platform changed the shape. Stretching means a slide was exported at a different ratio from the rest.
• No views versus no visibility. A post nobody can open is a different problem from a post few people watch. Open it from a second account first.
• Wrong limit versus tool limit. If you cannot add a photo or a hashtag, check whether the platform or your tool sets the cap.

How do you find a cause that is not in the table?

1. Reproduce it. Post the same slides again, privately if the setting is available, and see whether the problem repeats.
2. Change one thing. Export again at a different size, or post from a different route, not both.
3. Compare routes: app, desktop browser, a tool. The difference between routes isolates the cause faster than anything else.
4. Look for the platform's own page on the feature. If it states a limit or rule, that is a documented cause.
5. If nothing is documented, write it down as worth checking, note what you tried, and move on rather than blaming the platform.

What sits behind the posting-tool rows?

If a tool posts for you through TikTok's Content Posting API, three documented rules shape the result.

• Content from unaudited clients is restricted to private viewing until the app passes TikTok's audit (TikTok for Developers (opens in a new tab)).
• The photo-post endpoint offers direct post or upload mode. In upload mode the user finishes the post in TikTok's editor and gets an inbox notification. The images must be public URLs that TikTok has verified, and each user token is limited to six requests per minute (TikTok for Developers (opens in a new tab)).
• The Media Transfer Guide (opens in a new tab) lists WebP and JPEG, a 20 MB maximum per image and "Maximum 1080p". It does not say whether 1080 means width or height, and some third-party tools claim PNG works while others say it fails. Do not assume PNG is accepted.

These rules apply to the API, not to posting by hand in the app. If a symptom appears only when a tool posts, start there.

What changes when a slideshow becomes an Instagram carousel?

Instagram's Help Center (opens in a new tab) says a carousel holds up to 20 photos and videos, the feed shows the first item with dots, the profile grid shows the first item with a carousel icon, and likes and comments belong to the whole post. Its photo page (opens in a new tab) says photos upload at up to 1,080 px wide, and ratios between 1.91:1 and 3:4 keep their resolution. Unsupported ratios are cropped.

Orientation is a gray area. PetaPixel reported in October 2025 that mixed horizontal and vertical photos now work (PetaPixel (opens in a new tab)), while the Help Center says one orientation applies to the whole post. Test in the app before you plan around it.

Hashtags are also stricter: the Help Center (opens in a new tab) now says five, although Meta's API reference (opens in a new tab) still lists 30 and a 2,200-character caption. The docs appear to lag.

Which problems come from the design tool, not the platform?

For a desktop tool like Fyslide, two causes are documented in its FAQ: it needs Google Chrome installed because Chrome renders and exports the slides, and the Windows Beta is unsigned, built and checked automatically but not yet tested on real Windows hardware, and lacks background removal, the text-in-image check, AirDrop and HEIC import. Export gives you PNG or JPG slides, the caption and a zip in a folder you choose, and you upload them yourself. The export guide covers the steps.

For the other rows, such as blur or cropping, the documented part is small. What you control is the size, ratio and format of the file you hand to the platform, which is why most "worth checking" items point at the export.

What should you check before every upload?

• All slides share one ratio and one export size.
• Slide one reads clearly at phone size.
• Nothing important sits where the buttons or caption will cover it.
• The file is exported from the tool, not a screenshot (JPG if a posting tool sends it).
• The photo count is within the platform's limit (35 on TikTok, 20 on Instagram).
• Hashtags are within five if the post is going to Instagram.
• If a tool posts for you, I know whether it is in direct or upload mode.
• The caption is within the limit for the platform I am posting to.
• I checked the post from a second account.

For unfamiliar terms in this table, see the slideshow glossary.