A Pin on Pinterest is a saved idea: an image, video or product that links back to where it came from. Pinterest calls Pins bookmarks. You save other people's Pins to your boards, or create your own from a photo, video or web page, and each one can carry a title, description and link.
So when someone says "I pinned it", they mean they saved that idea to one of their boards. The Pin stays connected to its source, which is why a recipe Pin opens the recipe and a product Pin takes you to the shop selling it.
The types of Pin you'll see
Pinterest doesn't use one fixed list, but its help pages describe these kinds of Pin, and you'll meet all of them in your feed:
| Pin type | What makes it different | Who creates it |
|---|---|---|
| Image Pin | A single photo or graphic with an optional title, description and link. | Anyone |
| Video Pin | A video that plays in the feed, with the same title and description fields. | Anyone |
| Product Pin | A shoppable Pin showing product details and linking to the retailer. | Businesses, from a catalog or product rich Pins |
| Rich Pin | Pulls information from the website automatically and keeps it in sync. | Website owners who add meta tags |
| Collage | Cut-outs from different Pins arranged into one new image. | Anyone |
| Ad (promoted Pin) | A Pin a business pays to show to more people. | Business accounts only |
What each part of a Pin does
Pinterest's spec page sets the limits for the text on a Pin, and they explain a lot about how Pins behave:
- Title: up to 100 characters, but only the first 40 or so may show in people's feeds, depending on the device.
- Description: up to 800 characters. It doesn't show when the Pin appears in the home feed or search results, but Pinterest says its algorithm uses it to judge relevance.
- Link: the web page the Pin sends people to when they click through.
- Board: where the Pin is saved, which also tells Pinterest what the Pin is about.
That description detail surprises people. You might think nobody reads it, and in the feed nobody does, yet it's one of the signals that decides who sees the Pin. Write it for the searcher, in plain words.
Rich Pins: Pins that update themselves
A rich Pin syncs information from the website it came from and shows extra details above and below the image when you open it. Pinterest lists three kinds:
- Recipe rich Pins add a title, serving size, cook time, ratings, diet preference and an ingredient list.
- Article rich Pins add the headline, description and author of a blog post or article.
- Product rich Pins show up-to-date pricing, availability and product details.
If the website changes, the rich Pin updates periodically to match. Pinterest says it can take up to 24 hours for site changes to sync, and a product rich Pin only shows its extra details if the item is in stock and the merchant meets Pinterest's guidelines.
Product Pins and how shopping works
Product Pins are Pinterest's shoppable format. Businesses add them in two ways: by uploading a product catalog, or by adding product meta tags to their website so anyone can save product Pins from it. Only Pins created from a catalog can be promoted as shopping ads; rich Pins can't. Pinterest also labels catalog items marked used or refurbished as "pre-owned" on ads.
Pins live on boards, and my list of Pinterest board ideas gives you plenty of ways to organise them.
Saving a Pin versus creating one
There are two ways a Pin lands on your board, and they're easy to mix up:
- Saving: you find someone else's Pin and click the red Save button. A copy goes onto your board, still linking to the original source.
- Creating: you upload your own image or video, or save an image from a website with the browser extension, and add your own title, description and link.
My step-by-step guide on how to create a Pin on Pinterest covers the second route on a phone and a computer.
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What you can change after a Pin is published
Pinterest lets you edit some details later, but not the picture itself. According to its help page, depending on the Pin you may be able to change the title, description or details, the link, the board and section, and the comment settings. You can't edit a Pin's image, video or audio once it's published; you'd need to create a new Pin.
Deleting is final too. Pinterest says deleted Pins can't be recovered, so if you might want it later, move it to another board instead. My guide on deleting a Pin on Pinterest covers the safer options.
Tips for Pins that get found
- Lead the title with the idea. With only around 40 characters visible, put the words people search for first.
- Fill in the description. It's invisible in the feed but Pinterest uses it to match your Pin to searches.
- Link to the exact page. A recipe Pin should open that recipe, not your homepage.
- Save it to a well-named board. A board called "Easy weeknight dinners" tells Pinterest more than "Food".
- Make a fresh Pin rather than editing the image. Since the image can't be changed, a new design is a new Pin.
My verdict
A Pin is a bookmark with a picture on the front and a link on the back. For everyday users that's all you need to know: save what you like to boards that make sense to you. For a business, the hidden parts matter most. The description you can't see in the feed and the link you choose decide whether a Pin gets found and whether it sends anyone to your site.
To get your own Pins looking right, see my breakdown of Pin sizes.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Pin mean on Pinterest?
A Pin is a saved idea on Pinterest. It can be an image, video or product, and it usually links back to the website it came from.
What is the difference between a Pin and a board?
A Pin is a single saved idea. A board is a collection of Pins, usually grouped around one topic, such as a recipe board or a holiday board.
Can people see the Pins I save?
Pins saved to a public board can be seen by others. Pins saved to a private board are only seen by you and anyone you invite to that board.
Can you edit a Pin's picture after posting it?
No. Pinterest lets you edit details such as the title, description, link and board on many Pins, but not the image, video or audio. You need to create a new Pin instead.
