Pinterest Chrome Extension: How to Add the Save Button to Any Browser

The naming is confusing, so let's clear it up. Pinterest's help page calls it the Pinterest Save Extension. The store listings call it Pinterest Save Button. Older guides call it the Pinterest browser button. They're all the same tool: a small Pinterest icon in your browser that turns pictures on other websites into Pins.

What the Save Extension does

Pinterest says the extension lets you save your ideas from anywhere on the web. Instead of copying an image, downloading it and uploading it to Pinterest, you click once and pick a board. The Pin keeps a link to the page you found it on, so you can get back to the recipe, product or article later.

That link is the useful part. If you've ever saved a screenshot and then forgotten where it came from, the extension solves that problem.

How to install it on Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari

These are the steps from Pinterest's own help page, by browser:

Browser	Where to get it	Steps
Google Chrome	Chrome Web Store	Open the store page, click Pinterest Save Button, click Add to Chrome, then follow the prompts.
Mozilla Firefox	Firefox Browser Add-Ons	Open the add-ons page, click Pinterest Save Button, then follow the prompts.
Microsoft Edge	Microsoft Store	Open the store page, click Pinterest Save Button, click Get. The Microsoft Store app opens and downloads it.
Safari (Mac)	Safari Extensions	Choose Safari in the menu bar, click Safari Extensions, search Save to Pinterest, click Get, then Install.

Notice the Safari version has a different name again: Save to Pinterest. If you search the Mac store for "Pinterest Save Button" and find nothing, that's why.

Pin the icon so you can see it

Chrome hides new extensions behind the puzzle-piece Extensions icon in the toolbar. Open that menu and pin Pinterest so its icon sits next to the address bar. Without this step, plenty of people install the extension and then think it didn't work.

How to save a Pin with the extension

1. Log in to Pinterest in the same browser, so the extension knows which account to save to.
2. Open the web page with the image you want to keep.
3. Click the Pinterest icon in your toolbar and choose the image.
4. Pick a board, or create a new one, and save.

If you'd rather upload your own photos than save from websites, my guide on how to create a Pin on Pinterest covers that route.

Adding it on your phone

On mobile there's no toolbar, so Pinterest's Save Extension lives in your browser's share menu. Pinterest's help page explains how to move it to the front so you don't have to scroll for it every time:

1. On any web page, tap the share icon next to the address bar.
2. Scroll the row of app icons to the end and tap More.
3. Tap Edit at the top-right.
4. Find Pinterest and tap the green plus icon next to it to move it to your Favorites.
5. Tap Done to save your choice.

Pinterest also describes adding Save to Pinterest to the list of actions under the share menu, using Edit actions and the same green plus icon. After that, Save to Pinterest appears in the top section whenever you share a page.

If the extension isn't working

• No icon in the toolbar: pin it from the Extensions menu, as above.
• It saves to the wrong account: log out of Pinterest in that browser and back in with the right one.
• It can't find any images: some sites load pictures in ways extensions can't read. Try opening the image itself or a different page.
• Nothing happens at all: update your browser, remove and reinstall the extension, and try with other extensions turned off in case one is blocking it.

If Pinterest itself is misbehaving in your browser, my guide to fixing Pinterest when it's not working runs through the wider checks.

Not to be confused with the Pinterest Tag Helper

There's a second Pinterest Chrome extension, and it's for businesses. The Pinterest Tag Helper checks that the Pinterest tag on your website is set up and passing back data correctly. Pinterest says its icon turns red and shows the number of events it finds. It doesn't save Pins at all, so if you installed it by mistake, look for Pinterest Save Button instead.

Saving products as you browse leads naturally to my guide to Pinterest Shopping.

Tip for website and blog owners

If people save images from your site with the extension, those Pins link back to you, which is free traffic. Pinterest adds a bonus if you claim your website: whenever an image from your claimed site is saved, your profile picture appears alongside the Pin, the Pin links to your Pinterest profile and people see the option to follow you. Pinterest notes a website can only be claimed by one Pinterest account. My guide on using Pinterest for blogging covers the rest of the setup.

My verdict

If you use Pinterest on a computer, install the Save Extension. It takes a minute and it turns the whole web into something you can pin from, with the source link kept. Pin the icon to your toolbar straight away, and if you run a website, claim it so every save credits you.

If the terms are new to you, my explainer on what a Pin is starts from the basics.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Pinterest extension for Chrome?

Yes. It's the Pinterest Save Extension, listed in the Chrome Web Store as Pinterest Save Button. Click Add to Chrome to install it.

Can I use the Pinterest Save Extension on my phone?

Yes. On a phone it appears in your browser's share menu. Pinterest suggests adding it to your Favorites there so it shows first whenever you share a page.

Does the Pinterest extension work on Safari?

Yes. In Safari it's called Save to Pinterest. Open Safari Extensions from the Safari menu, search for Save to Pinterest, then click Get and Install.

What is the Pinterest Tag Helper extension?

The Pinterest Tag Helper is a separate Chrome extension for businesses. It checks that the Pinterest tag on a website is working and sending event data. It doesn't save Pins.