The list reel: an Instagram Reel template you can reuse

What is a list reel?

The list reel is "3 things", "5 reasons" or "7 places", one item per shot with big type on screen. It is one of the most saved formats on Instagram, because people keep lists for later. That makes it the easiest Reel template to reuse: swap the topic and the footage, keep the structure.

What makes it work is consistency. Every item uses the same text design in the same place, and every item starts on a downbeat, so the reel feels like one piece instead of a slideshow. The best item goes last, and the reel ends by asking people to save it.

The structure

The beats this film follows. Copy them for your own topic.

1. The hook (frame one)The whole promise in one line, readable in under a second: "5 reasons to wake up at Solvik this summer".
2. Items 1 to 4One shot each, three to four seconds. A big number, a short name, one detail line.
3. The best item lastSave the strongest picture for the end. Here: sunset from the terrace.
4. The save prompt"Save this for summer", then the brand name. Saves push a reel further than likes.
5. On the beatThe hook and each item start on a downbeat of the music.

How to make a list reel with your AI

Editbay is the video studio your own AI works in. Claude or ChatGPT does the creative work; Editbay gives it the editing server, the asset library, rendering and checks. This is how this film was made.

1. Connect your AIAdd Editbay as a connector in Claude or ChatGPT.
2. Give it the listTell your AI the topic and the items, or let it research them. Add your own clips to the library, or let it use stock.
3. One template, many itemsYour AI designs one text template (number, name, detail) and reuses it for every item, so the reel stays consistent.
4. Reframe and gradeWide clips are reframed to 9:16 with the subject kept in frame, and graded to one look.
5. Cut on the beatEditbay finds the downbeats; each item starts on one.
6. Review and swap shotsPin a note on a weak shot ("this opens on a city, I want the sea") and your AI replaces it, with stock or a generated clip.

Tips for a list reel that works

• Write the hook as the promise of the whole list. It is the only line many people will read.
• Keep each detail line under eight words.
• Use one text template for everything. Consistency is what makes it look designed.
• Put the strongest shot last, then ask for the save.
• Check the safe zone. The bottom of a Reel is covered by the caption and buttons.

On-screen text

Questions