The Problem with Carousels
Carousels (also known as sliders or slideshow banners) are one of the most commonly misused UI elements on the web. Despite their popularity, extensive research and usability testing consistently show that carousels are ineffective and often detrimental to user experience.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Average click-through rate on carousel slides (Erik Runyon, Notre Dame study)
Of clicks go to the first slide only. Subsequent slides are virtually ignored.
Users with cognitive disabilities struggle significantly more with auto-rotating content
Why Carousels Fail
Banner Blindness
Users have learned to ignore anything that looks like an advertisement. Carousels at the top of pages are often mistaken for ads and completely overlooked. This phenomenon, known as "banner blindness," causes users to skip right past your most prominent content.
Auto-Rotation Causes Frustration
When content automatically rotates, users lose control. They might be reading something interesting when suddenly it disappears, or they might want to go back to a previous slide but can't figure out how. This lack of control creates a frustrating experience and violates basic usability principles.
Terrible for Accessibility
Auto-rotating carousels are a nightmare for accessibility. Screen reader users struggle to navigate them, users with motor disabilities can't interact before content changes, and people with cognitive disabilities find the constant motion distracting and disorienting. WCAG 2.2.2 requires that moving content can be paused, but many carousels fail this basic requirement.
Poor Performance
Carousels require JavaScript libraries, often load multiple large images at once, and can significantly impact page load times. This hurts your Core Web Vitals scores, SEO rankings, and user experience, especially on mobile devices with limited bandwidth.
They Hide Your Message
If you have multiple important messages, putting them in a carousel means most users will only see the first one. If only one slide is important, why bury it with others? Carousels are often used to avoid making hard decisions about content priority, resulting in all content becoming less effective.
Hurts Conversion Rates
Study after study shows that removing carousels increases conversion rates. When users can't find what they're looking for quickly, they leave. Static, well-designed content with clear calls-to-action consistently outperforms carousels in A/B testing.
Mobile Experience is Even Worse
On mobile devices, carousels take up valuable above-the-fold space, are difficult to navigate with touch gestures, and the automatic rotation can interfere with scrolling. The small navigation dots are nearly impossible to tap accurately, making the entire experience frustrating.
Content Gets Lost
Valuable content buried in carousel slides 2-5 might as well not exist. Most users won't click through, and search engines give less weight to hidden content. You're essentially hiding your message from both users and search engines.
What to Use Instead
Better UI Patterns:
Static Hero Section
A single, well-designed hero with your most important message and a clear call-to-action.
Grid Layout
Display multiple items in a grid so users can see everything at once and choose what interests them.
Tabs (User-Controlled)
Let users choose which content to view with tabs they can control.
Scrolling Content
Use vertical space. Users are comfortable scrolling and it's far more accessible.
Separate Landing Pages
If messages are truly different, create dedicated landing pages for each audience or campaign.
What the Experts Say
"Carousels are effective at being able to tell people in marketing/senior management that their latest idea is now on the home page."
— Brad Frost, Web Designer
"Auto-forwarding carousels and content that moves are the number one usability problem on the web today."
— Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group
"The reason why carousels are so popular is actually pretty simple: it's a way to avoid making a hard decision about content priority."
— Luke Wroblewski, Product Director
Take Action Today
Remove carousels from your website and replace them with user-focused, accessible, and effective alternatives.
Further Reading
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Should I Use A Carousel?
A simple, data-driven answer to the carousel question.
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Auto-Forwarding Carousels and Accordions Annoy Users - Nielsen Norman Group
Research on why auto-rotating content hurts usability.
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Carousel Interaction Stats - Erik Runyon
Real data from Notre Dame's carousel usage showing dismal engagement.
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WCAG 2.2.2: Pause, Stop, Hide
Accessibility guidelines that many carousels violate.