To use Pinterest for business, set up a free business account, publish Pins that lead to relevant pages on your website, and use Pinterest Analytics to see which content attracts views and visits. If you sell products, choose between catalog-based product Pins and product rich Pins; only catalog product Pins can be promoted as shopping ads. Some tools and ad formats vary by market.
Set up a Pinterest business account
A business account gives you access to Business Hub, Pinterest Analytics, advertising, and merchant features. Pinterest documents two ways to get one: create a separate business account or convert an existing personal account. Its current setup guidance says you can create a new business account only from a desktop computer; that restriction applies to account creation, not necessarily to later Pinterest activity. See Pinterest’s business-account setup instructions.
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- On a desktop computer, open Pinterest’s business-account setup page and choose whether to create a separate account or convert your personal account.
- Complete the prompts and check that you can access Business Hub and Analytics.
- If you have a website, claim and verify it using Pinterest’s website-claiming process. Pinterest says this lets you see analytics for Pins published from your site and Pins other people create from it.
Pinterest describes the account as free and says it provides analytics on your Pins and the ability to run ads. Advertising and merchant features may have additional requirements and are not available in every market.
Publish Pins that give people a useful next step
A Pin can link to a blog post, product page, service page, or another relevant destination. Make the connection between the Pin and its landing page clear: use a title and description that accurately represent the destination, select an appropriate board, and check the URL before you publish.
#1 Best Overall
Prepare the creative and destination
- Use original content and high-quality images or video. Pinterest recommends a 2:3 aspect ratio for images and videos; it also recommends videos between 15 and 60 seconds. These are platform recommendations, not guarantees of reach.
- Match the image or video, text, and keywords to the page visitors will reach. A mismatch can frustrate visitors even if the Pin gets attention.
- Review the creative before publishing. Pinterest says you cannot change the image, video, or audio after a Pin is published.
- Check the destination URL, title, description, and board before posting.
For Pinterest’s current creation flow and available fields, see its Pin creation instructions. Its performance recommendations cover original Pins, creative quality, and matching Pins to their landing pages.
Use Analytics to learn what is working
Pinterest Analytics includes views of organic activity and paid-and-earned activity. You can filter by Pin format and ad format; if your account has an active feed or catalog, you can also filter by product group. Compare performance over time and keep organic activity distinct from paid results so you can tell which content is drawing attention without promotion and which is benefiting from advertising. See Pinterest Analytics.
Rank #2
Use the available filters to compare formats or product groups against your own goals, such as visits to a relevant landing page. Do not treat a platform-wide or advertiser-specific example as a forecast for your account. Pinterest’s Path to Performance guide reports a 37% increase in click-through rate for Ruggable when automatically created formats were compared with shopping ads alone. Pinterest attributes the result to internal data from more than 200 global advertisers in beta testing creative optimizations during June–August 2024. It is a reported case result from that test context, not a typical-outcome estimate or promise.
Choose how to make products discoverable
Pinterest describes two ways to create product Pins. The right route depends on whether you need to manage products at scale and pursue shopping ads, or want product details drawn from website metadata.
| Route | How product information is added | Shopping-ad eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog product Pins | Upload a product catalog to create Pins at scale and organize products into groups. | Catalog product Pins can be promoted as shopping ads. |
| Product rich Pins | Pinterest uses website metadata, such as Open Graph or Schema.org markup, to populate product details. | Product rich Pins cannot be promoted as shopping ads. |
Product Pins can appear organically. Whichever route you use, keep product information up to date. Read Pinterest’s guidance on catalogs and rich Pins for setup details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Know what is required before promoting Pins or products
Shopping ads
Shopping ads require a business account, an uploaded catalog, and product groups. Pinterest lists standard shopping, video shopping, personalized collections, and carousel shopping formats. Shopping ads are not available in every market, so check Pinterest’s current shopping-ad guidance and country availability before building a campaign around them.
Promoted Pins
For general Pin promotion, Pinterest says promoted Pins must be saved to your business profile and public boards, include a destination URL, avoid link shorteners in both the destination URL and description, and meet its ad standards. Ads are reviewed before they run. Check Pinterest’s current promoted-Pin requirements and local availability before spending.
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A practical sequence for a small business
- Set up the account: create or convert a business account using a desktop computer, then claim your website if you have one.
- Choose a destination: pick a page that directly supports the Pin’s promise, whether it is an article, service, or product page.
- Prepare and publish: create original, high-quality creative; write a clear title and description; choose a relevant board; and verify the destination URL. Remember that the media itself cannot be changed after publishing.
- Review results: use Analytics filters to examine organic and paid-and-earned activity separately, and compare formats or product groups where available.
- Decide whether paid promotion fits: if you sell products and want shopping ads, confirm catalog setup and market eligibility first. For other promoted Pins, check the profile, board, link, and ad-standard requirements.
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