Does Pinterest Notify When You Save a Pin? Saves Explained

Last checked October 2026.

Pinterest is built on saving other people's ideas, so it's natural to wonder whether the person behind a Pin hears about it every time you add it to a board. Maybe you're planning a surprise, saving recipes from a friend, or keeping an eye on a competitor's content. I've worked through Pinterest's own help pages so you know when a save shows up for the creator and how to keep your saves to yourself. For business accounts, it also explains what you can and can't learn about the people saving your Pins.

When saving a Pin to a public Pinterest board can show up

Pinterest's notification settings include Saves as an activity type that people can switch on or off for push and email. Pinterest's help page on private boards also states that saving a Pin to a private board won't send a notification to the person you saved it from. Read together, the message is clear: a save to a public board can reach the creator as a notification, while a save to a private board won't.

Whether a public save reaches them depends on their own settings. Each person chooses which notifications they get by push, by email or in the app, so a creator who has turned save notifications off won't hear about it either way. You can't see or control their settings, so if you want to be certain, use a private board.

Saving a Pin privately: Pinterest's private boards

Private boards are the official way to save quietly. Pinterest's help page says only you, and anyone you invite, can see a private board. It lists three things that happen when you save to one:

• The person you saved the Pin from doesn't get a notification.
• The Pin's save total doesn't go up.
• Pins you save from a private board don't show the name of the person you saved them from.

Pinterest may still use your private boards to suggest Pins in your home feed, but only you see those suggestions.

Making a Pinterest board private on a computer

1. Open your profile and select the board.
2. Click the ellipsis icon.
3. Choose Edit info and settings.
4. Turn on Make this board private.
5. Click Done.

Making a Pinterest board private in the app

1. Open your profile and tap Boards.
2. Select the board and tap the ellipsis icon.
3. Choose Edit board and header image, or Edit info and settings.
4. Turn on Make this board private.
5. Tap Done.

When you create a new board, you can switch on Keep this board private straight away, which saves you changing it later. To make a board public again, switch the same setting off.

What Pinterest creators see about saves on their Pins

Beyond notifications, creators with a Pinterest business account get Pin stats. Pinterest's help page on Pin stats lists four core numbers for every Pin: impressions, saves, Pin clicks and outbound clicks. It defines saves as the number of times people saved the Pin to a board.

The same page says creators can see the boards a Pin was saved to, in a section called Saved to these boards, and that board details aren't shown for private boards. The help page doesn't describe a list of individual people who saved a Pin. So a business account can see that saves happened and which public boards they went to, but private-board saves stay out of view and don't add to the total.

Where you save	Can the creator be notified?	Does the save total rise?
Public board	Yes, if they have save notifications switched on	Yes
Private board	No, per Pinterest's help page	No
Group board	Depends on the board's visibility and their settings	Not stated in Pinterest's help

Saving a Pin to a Pinterest group board

Group boards are shared boards where the owner invites collaborators. Pinterest's help page explains how to invite people by name, username or email, or by copying an invite link, and says invited people get an email or notification. The help page doesn't spell out who is told when someone saves a Pin to a group board, but Pinterest's notification settings include a Group board updates option, so collaborators may hear about new activity depending on their own settings.

If you want a shared board that stays out of public view, you can invite collaborators to a private board. Pinterest's private boards page says that's one of the ways to share one.

Pinterest notification settings for your own account

If you'd rather not hear every time someone saves your Pins, you can change it. Pinterest's help page gives these steps on a computer:

1. Click the more options icon at the bottom left.
2. Click Settings, then Notifications in the left-hand menu.
3. Click the icon next to the category you want to change.
4. Switch individual notification types on or off.
5. Click Save.

In the app, tap your profile picture, then the more options icon, then Notifications, and pick the category. Changes in the app save automatically. You'll see separate controls for push, email and in-app notifications.

Blocking someone from your Pinterest Pins

If the worry is a particular person rather than saves in general, blocking is the stronger tool. Pinterest's help page says blocking stops someone following you, messaging you or interacting with your Pins, and that no one is ever notified that you've blocked or unblocked them. Pins you saved from them before blocking stay on your profile until you delete them.

Saving Pinterest Pins for your business

Saving is how Pinterest works, so you don't need to hide every save. If you're collecting competitor ideas or planning content, a private board keeps your research tidy and quiet. Just remember a save isn't permission to reuse someone's image in your own marketing; my guide on using Pinterest images in your marketing covers where the line sits. When you're publishing your own Pins, good descriptions and the right number of tags per Pin help people find them in the first place. If you also save content on other apps, here's whether Instagram tells creators you saved a Reel.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone see who saved their Pin on Pinterest?

Pinterest's help pages don't describe a list of individual savers. Creators can get a save notification if they've switched it on, and business accounts can see save totals and the public boards a Pin was saved to.

Does saving to a secret board notify the creator?

No. Pinterest calls these private boards now, and its help page says saving to one doesn't notify the person you saved from or raise the save total.

Can I hide my saved Pins on Pinterest?

Yes. Save them to a private board, or make an existing board private in its settings. Only you and anyone you invite can see it.

Does Pinterest notify someone when I unsave or delete a Pin?

Pinterest's help pages don't describe any notification for removing a Pin from your board.

Does Pinterest tell someone if I block them?

No. Pinterest says no one is ever notified that they've been blocked or unblocked.