Using Claude with Canva, a match made in heaven

How I turn one blog post into an Instagram carousel with Claude and Canva

I write a post once. Then I'd spend another evening turning it into something I could put on Instagram. This month I finally fixed that.

Amie at Lazy Millionaire wrote a piece that got me started. She explains that a big design spend on beautiful carousels didn't move her engagement or sales, and that she now builds them with Claude Design instead. I took that idea and made it fit how I already work, with my own Canva templates. Substack

What changed this year

Anthropic released Claude Design in April as an experimental tool for making prototypes, slides, and one-pagers, available in research preview to Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers. When you're done, you can export as a PDF, PowerPoint, or HTML file, or send the design to Canva. A June update made it better at sticking to a design system, gave it finer editing controls, and moved it onto the same usage limits as regular chat. Anthropic launches Claude Design, a new product for creating quick visuals | TechCrunch +2

Canva has been building toward this too. Canva says its connector for Claude launched last July, added Brand Kits in January, and that Canva can now import AI-generated HTML and make it editable with drag and drop. Canva

Step 1: Connect Canva

In Claude, open Settings, choose Connectors, find Canva, and click Connect. The core features, including creating, editing, searching, and exporting designs, work on a free Canva plan. Resizing needs Pro.

If the tools don't respond, check that Canva is switched on for that specific chat. It can be connected to your account and still be off in the conversation you're in. How to Connect Canva MCP to Claude (2026 Setup Guide) +2

Step 2: Write the carousel first

I get the words right before anything touches Canva. Fixing a sentence takes seconds. Fixing a layout takes a lot longer. My prompt:

Turn the post below into a 5-slide Instagram carousel.
Slide 1: a hook of 3 to 9 words, with one short sentence under it.
Last slide: a call to action.
Return text only, labeled Slide 1 through Slide 5.

I read the readout and edit it before moving on.

Step 3: Copy the template, then fill it

Use my Canva connector to find my brand template
"By Mel Ross · Carousel Template."
Create a new design from it. Don't edit the template itself.
Keep only the carousel pages, replace the text to match
what you wrote above, and update the photos on every slide
using images from my By Mel Ross folder in Canva.

Claude can only use photos that are already in your Canva account, so upload your brand images to a folder first and tell Claude where to find them.

Step 4: Review every slide

When I ran this, one headline wrapped to two lines and ran into the body text. I asked Claude to shorten it and it was fixed. I still look at every slide before posting and add other stock photos and elements to make it visually interesting.

Step 5: Post it from the Instagram app

Canva can post single images to Instagram, but it won't post a carousel. I found that out the hard way. Download all the slides as PNGs, open Instagram, tap the multi-select icon before you choose anything, then pick the slides in order.

You'll know it worked when the post shows a stacked-squares icon on your grid and dots under the image.

If you'd rather schedule it, a connector tool like Metricool can post carousels for you.

Where Claude Design fits

I use the connector when I already have a template. I use Claude Design when I'm starting from nothing, like a workshop flyer or a one-pager. It can apply a team's design system so the results match your visual style. I set my brand up once and every draft starts close. TechCrunch

If you want to build this with me, my Prompt & Pour sessions are listed in my bio.