Pinterest fundamentals

Get back to basics with must-know essentials and best practices for creating content on Pinterest.

Make a plan

Map out a plan and strategy to help your content work harder for you, your audience and your business.

Content planning calendar
Pinterest trends tool results

Trend tools: Get ahead of what people are looking for with Pinterest’s trend resources—Pinterest Trends and Pinterest Predicts.

Use Pinterest trend tools

Explore these go-to resources to lean into the trending topics and seasonal moments that your audience is most interested in.

  • Pinterest Predicts: The annual trend report provides an overview of emerging trends for the coming year. Use these to stay ahead of what global audiences will be looking for in the coming months.

  • Pinterest Trends tool: To get more granular and check in as the year progresses, Pinterest Trends can help you identify the topics your audience is and will be searching for.

Audience insights

Audience insights: If you've already published a Pin or board, see how your content is performing with Pinterest Analytics. Review these insights before creating anything new. (Please note: You’ll need a free business account for access.)

Check out audience insights

Pinterest Analytics offers rich insights into how your Pins and boards are performing and who they're reaching. Review your audience insights and past Pin performance before creating anything new so you know which themes, formats and keywords are most likely to resonate with your target demographic.

Content planning calendar

Content calendar: Ensure you’re posting a mix of content types and covering key moments by building a calendar.

Build a content calendar

Stay ahead of the game by prepping a content calendar that includes a balanced mix of evergreen, trending and seasonal ideas. This can help you maintain a consistent posting cadence and ensure coverage of high-impact opportunities (think: schedulable milestones and moments that will resonate with your audience).

Pro tip: Plan your content calendar 45–60 days in advance for maximum relevance.

Creator media kit

Partnership prep: Lay the groundwork for brand partnerships by researching and updating your profile and media kit.

Lay the groundwork for brand partnerships

Proactively research and create a shortlist of brands that align with your audience and content niche. Then create or update your profile and media kit to showcase your value when reaching out to possible partners.

Pin image with product tag and affiliate link

Content goals: Define measurable objectives for each Pin, and add a clear call to action (site link, affiliate link or more).

Set content goals and plan affiliate links

Each piece of content should serve a purpose, like increasing engagement, driving traffic or generating conversions. Define measurable objectives for each Pin, and build your content to align with your goal. Add a clear call to action and link, and include affiliate links or product tags for added value and monetization.

Create impactful content

Pins and boards offer engaging, high-quality formats that can align with your strategy.

Pinterest audience
Pin featuring woman lying in the grass with text overlay words: filming tips: 17 camera angles.

Pin formats: Try a mix of image Pins, video Pins and collages to bring your ideas to life. Each format offers fresh ways to reach your audience, so select the content type that fits best.

Choose a tailored content format

Experiment with a mix of inspirational Pin types to bring your ideas to life in unique ways. Each format offers fresh ways to reach your audience.

  • Image Pin: A static Pin created with a single photo (uploaded, saved or auto-published). Great for sharing ideas, inspiration, products, recipes and more.

  • Video Pin: A Pin that features moving visuals (short video clip or animation). Video Pins are ideal for tutorials, step‑by‑steps, demos, recipes or brand storytelling.

  • Collage: An interactive Pin made by combining multiple image and product cutouts. Creative, shoppable and highly engaging, collages allow people to curate and share mood boards, outfit ideas, room designs and more—all within one Pin.

Grid of Pins featuring different wallpaper patterns

Curated collections: Boards allow you to group your Pins into well-structured, themed collections. This organization makes it easy for people to discover and engage with your content.

Become a curator

Create boards around ideas, aesthetics and events to help bring additional inspiration and keep your content easy to sort and search through.

Board best practices

  • Board title: Short and concise title to avoid truncation, with relevant keywords.

  • Board description: Add relevant keywords that accurately represent the board’s content.

  • Images

    • Board header: Feature a representative and inspirational Pin image at the top of your board. (Note: Board headers can only be set on mobile devices.)

    • Board cover: Choose a single image that accurately represents the board’s content and place your best Pins first. (The board cover displays one larger image with the first two Pins from the board shown beneath it.)

    • Pins saved to the board: Include visually cohesive and relevant images that clearly convey a specific vibe, aesthetic or theme. Put the most representative Pins in the first two rows (5-10 Pins).

  • Board theme: Be niche and specific (e.g. vegan breakfast recipes).

  • Organization: When relevant, use sections and aim for 20–100 Pins per board or per board section.

  • Updates: Regularly add relevant Pins to your boards; refresh evergreen boards.

Pin featuring a woman in a fleece jacket with text overlay showing 9:16 image spec

Creative best practices: Start with compelling, high-quality, mobile-friendly visuals that let your creativity shine.

Creative best practices

Pinterest is a visual discovery engine. Create eye-catching content that tells a clear story and is optimized for mobile and search.

Pin best practices

  • Add context to your idea: Add a title and description to your Pin, and include relevant keywords to help boost search visibility.

  • Use compelling visuals: Incorporate solid lighting, great framing and high-resolution assets.

  • Select a clear thumbnail: Set a thumbnail image that accurately represents your Pin’s main message.

  • Save to a relevant board: Help your audience easily find and explore your content. 

  • Be true to you: Stay authentic and approachable to build trust with your audience. Share content that feels genuine rather than overly produced.

More creative tips

  • Embrace mobile-first design: Most people browse on their phones. Format your Pins vertically, and keep important details easy to see on small screens.

  • Place text thoughtfully: Not all Pins need text on the image or video, but for some types of content, it can be helpful to emphasize the idea and encourage people to click on it. (Tip: Let your imagery take center stage and watch out for safe zones.)

  • Consider color and contrast: Be bright and bold, but keep it balanced.

Pin image of a triangular handing light fixture, with price detail.

Shoppable features: Explore formats and features that align with how you earn. Try affiliate links and product tags to help drive conversions or product Pins, which encourage people to click to shop.

Try shoppable formats

Find Pin formats that align with how you earn. For merchants, try creating product Pins (which include details like pricing and availability) with clear calls to action encouraging people to click to shop. For content creators and publishers, product tags and Pin links can be a great way to highlight affiliate or shoppable content. Insert affiliate links or product tags into your Pins following Pinterest’s disclosure guidelines to help drive conversions and revenue.

Sponsored Pin of woman using a sanding tool on a white wooden chair

Branded content: Integrating brand partnerships authentically and transparently can be a great way to drive new revenue opportunities. Use the paid partnership tool and tag brands to meet disclosure rules and build trust.

Create high-value branded content

Integrating brand partnerships authentically and transparently can be a great way for creators to drive new opportunities for revenue. Sponsored Pins should reflect your voice and style and fit seamlessly with the rest of your content to make it as valuable as possible for both you and your audience. Be sure to use the paid partnership tool and tag brands to comply with disclosure requirements and help build trust.

Optimize for success

Monitor what drives results and refine future content accordingly to keep it relevant and impactful.

Stylized bar graph and charts
Pin of a grapefruit margarita with a text overlay showing a checkmark and the word "updated."

Audit: Review your Pins and boards on a regular cadence to keep your library fresh. Iterate on standout content and update outdated or low-performing assets to help make them more engaging and effective.

Audit your content

Review your boards and Pins on a regular cadence to keep your library fresh. Use Pinterest Analytics to surface top-performing content to build on and flag outdated or low-impact assets ready for fresh creative or stronger keywords. This audit keeps evergreen content current and helps make every asset more engaging and effective.








Two Pins of green handbags side-by-side, with the captions "Test A" and "Test B"

Test: Run A/B tests to see how changes to elements like copy, visuals and formats affect performance. Experiment with different versions, then use these learnings to direct future content.

Test and learn

Run A/B tests to see how changes to different creative elements like copy, visuals and formats affect performance. Experiment with different versions to understand which combinations drive the most engagement and conversions, then use these learnings to direct future content.

A/B testing steps
1. Set your goal: Decide what you want to achieve with your content (for example, more saves, clicks, impressions).

2. Identify an element to test: Choose a specific aspect to focus on, such as design, headline, description or call-to-action.

3. Prepare two versions: Create two Pins that differ only in the element you're testing.

4. Publish and test: Publish both versions around the same time and save them to the same or similar boards.

5. Track metrics: Closely check the performance metrics that align with your testing goal to help determine which version of your content performs better.

Snippet of engaged audience insights over an image of a stack of pillows.

Strategy tweaks: Once your content is live, revisit your analytics to see what’s excelling and what’s lagging. Apply those learnings—whether high-engagement themes or refined targeting—to enhance new content, proposals and campaigns.

Use analytics to inform strategy

Once your content is live, revisit your content and audience insights to see what’s excelling and what’s lagging. Apply those learnings—whether they point to high-engagement themes or fine-tuned targeting—to enhance new content, proposals and campaigns.

Pro tip: Consider adding the main types of content people on Pinterest actively search for into your mix.

  • Seasonal: Time-bound ideas tied to holidays or yearly moments. Timely Pins capture your audience when they’re craving seasonal inspo.

  • Trendy: Topics that reflect what’s trending or soon-to-be trending. Trend-driven Pins can spark a quick burst of engagement by tapping into what’s popular now.

  • Evergreen: Timeless ideas that stay relevant year-round. These steady performers deliver consistent traffic and act as your reliable mainstay.

Pumpkin pie Pin alongside a refresh icon

Repurpose: Give existing content new life on Pinterest. Leverage automated cross-posting or refresh assets (resize, reformat or renew with design touches) to extend their reach and get more value from every creation.

Repurpose your content

Breathe new life into content you’ve already created elsewhere by sharing it on Pinterest. Whether you use automated cross-posting or update the assets (resize, reformat or renew with fresh design elements), a light refresh can broaden their reach and help you get more value from every creation.

A few reformatting tips to keep in mind:

  • Remove watermarks/logos from other platforms.

  • Ensure your content remains unobstructed by UI elements by staying within the safe zone.

  • Use high-res full-screen video or image: Use video with a resolution of 720p or higher and aspect ratio of 9:16 (1080x1920 px) or image with 2:3 aspect ratio (ex: 1000 x 1500 pixels).

  • Use text overlay thoughtfully to help provide context (especially for videos), as headlines or hooks.

Grow and thrive on Pinterest

Icon of two people
Expand your audience and reach

Pinterest’s trends resources make it easy to see what people are searching for. Optimize your Pins to make discovery seamless.

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Deepen engagement and community

Interactive formats and analytics tools let you see what’s resonating, so you can craft content that connects with your audience.

Icon of a product tag
Monetize your work

Create content designed to help drive revenue, directly or indirectly, with shoppable formats, affiliate links, sponsored content and branded partnerships.

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Streamline and scale

Built-in features and third-party tool integrations allow you to cross-post, batch-create and schedule Pins with less time and effort.

Get started

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