How to Make TikTok Slideshows with AI
A TikTok slideshow is a photo post: a few images with text that viewers swipe through. They are fast to watch, and a good hook makes people swipe to the end.
This guide shows how to make TikTok slideshows with AI in SendShort, step by step. Then it shows how to let a series make and post them for you.
Short answer: In SendShort, open Slideshows → New slideshow, pick a template, edit the format, click Create posts, review each post and send it to TikTok. To post on autopilot, click Automate with a series (Professional plan).
What is a TikTok slideshow?
A TikTok slideshow (TikTok calls it a photo post) is a set of images that viewers swipe through. Each slide has short text on top of a photo. The first slide is the hook. The last slide often asks the viewer to follow or to do something.
In SendShort, AI writes these slideshows from a format. A format is a saved recipe: the topic, the hooks, the writing voice, the images and the posting times. You make the format once, and AI writes as many posts from it as you need.
What you need
- A SendShort account. Slideshows are on every plan, and plans start at $15/month.
- A TikTok account to post to. SendShort posts slideshows to TikTok only.
- For a series that posts slideshows by itself: the Professional plan ($29/month) or Business.
How to make a TikTok slideshow with AI
Open SendShort and click Slideshows in the sidebar. The page has two tabs: Slideshows (your library) and Formats (your saved formats).
Step 1: Pick a template
Click New slideshow. Pick one of the 12 templates, or a format that you saved before:
| Templates | |
|---|---|
| Habits that stuck | Fitness basics |
| Money simply | Study smarter |
| Quick recipes | Travel guide |
| Work smarter | Better relationships |
| Untold stories | Science facts |
| Career moves | Skin simply |
Pick the template that is nearest to your niche. You change the details in the next step.
Step 2: Edit the format
The format has seven tabs: Overview, Text, Style, Images, Schedule, TikTok and Settings. The important ones are:
- Text: the topic (“What are the posts about?”), the voice and writing rules, the hooks (one per line), the slides per post, the layout (Standard, Dual captions or Numbered steps), the language and a closing slide with your call to action.
- Style: a style for the first slide and one for the other slides, the font (12 fonts, for example TikTok Sans, Anton or Montserrat), the text size (S, M or L) and a caption preset (Classic, TikTok box, Dark box, Hook, Strong, Typewriter or Neon).
- Images: stock photos from Pexels, or your own image collections (Professional or Business). Add a darkening layer so the text is easy to read.
- Schedule: daily posting times, your time zone and “Review posts before they are scheduled”.
- TikTok: the account, the AI title, a short description and 3–5 hashtags, “Send to TikTok as a draft”, who can view, and comments, duets and stitches.
Do not want to click through every tab? Type the change “in plain English” in the AI box, for example “Make the hooks shorter and use a dark style”.
Step 3: Create posts
Click Create posts and choose 1, 2, 3 or 5 posts. Each post takes about a minute. Turn on “Add to the queue” if you want the posts to go into the posting queue at once.
Step 4: Review and edit each post
Open each post and read the slides. Then do one of these:
- Approve and queue the post.
- Quick edit the post: rewrite a slide, try a new hook, pick a different image or delete a slide. Undo and redo are there if you change your mind.
Step 5: Post to TikTok
SendShort posts the slideshow to TikTok as a photo post, at the times in the Schedule tab. If you turned on “Send to TikTok as a draft”, the post goes to TikTok as a draft, and you publish it in the TikTok app.
To use the slides somewhere else, click Download ZIP. You get the images, and you post them yourself. SendShort does not post slideshows to Instagram or other platforms.
How to automate TikTok slideshows with a series
A series makes the posts for you. You do not click Create posts every day.
- Open Slideshows and click Automate with a series. (You can also open Automated Series in the sidebar.)
- Choose the TikTok slideshows type and pick your format.
- Choose how often to post: once, twice or 3 times a day, and set the time slots.
- Set the TikTok options: the TikTok draft option, who can view, and comments, duets and stitches.
- Start the series. It makes a new photo post from your format for every slot.
You can pause or resume a series at any time. Slideshows that a series makes do not count toward your weekly slideshow limit.
Series need the Professional plan ($29/month), which has 2 series, or Business, which has up to 10. Read more on the Automated Series page.
Tips for better TikTok slideshows
- Keep it short. The app notes that 3–4 slides get the most completions.
- Write many hooks. Add several hooks in the Text tab, one per line. SendShort uses them in rotation, so your posts do not all start the same way. For ideas, read our list of TikTok hooks.
- End with a call to action. Add a closing slide that tells viewers what to do next.
- Make the text easy to read. Use a darkening layer on the images, and a caption preset with a box (TikTok box or Dark box) on busy photos.
- Post at good times. Set the daily posting times in the Schedule tab. Our guide on the best time to post on TikTok can help.
- Check before you post. Turn on “Review posts before they are scheduled” until you trust the format.
Limits and plans
| Plan | Slideshows a week | "TikTok slideshows" series |
|---|---|---|
| Starter ($15/month) | 10 | No |
| Professional ($29/month) | 10 | 2 series |
| Business ($59/month) | Unlimited | Up to 10 series |
Your own image uploads need Professional or Business. Stock photos from Pexels are on every plan.
See all plans on the pricing page. To schedule videos as well as slideshows, see the TikTok and YouTube scheduler.
FAQ
1. Can SendShort post slideshows to Instagram?
Answer: No. SendShort posts slideshows to TikTok only, as photo posts. To use the slides somewhere else, click Download ZIP and post the images yourself.
2. How many TikTok slideshows can I make a week?
Answer: Starter and Professional can make 10 slideshows a week. Business has unlimited slideshows. Slideshows that a series makes do not count toward the limit.
3. Do I need the Professional plan for slideshows?
Answer: No. Slideshows are on every plan, and plans start at $15/month. You need Professional ($29/month) or Business for two things: your own image uploads and a “TikTok slideshows” series.
4. Can AI agents make slideshows for me?
Answer: No. The SendShort AI Agent lets Claude, ChatGPT and Grok Bot list your slideshows and schedule them to TikTok. No agent tool makes a new slideshow. Make slideshows in the app, or let a series make them.
5. Can I check each post before it goes live?
Answer: Yes. In the Schedule tab of the format, turn on “Review posts before they are scheduled”. You can also “Send to TikTok as a draft” in the TikTok tab, and finish the post in the TikTok app.
Ready to try it? Open the AI slideshow maker and make your first TikTok slideshow.
About the author
David leads the editing team at SendShort. With this help, the team delivers the latest guides on using your favorite social media apps and creating short-form content.
