- Five ways to shop on Pinterest
- Shopping from your own boards
- Shopping what you see in real life
- Who handles your order
- How businesses get products onto Pinterest
- Approved merchant versus verified merchant
- Tips for shoppers
- Is Pinterest shopping worth it for a small shop?
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
Pinterest shopping works through product Pins: shoppable Pins that show product details and send you to the merchant's website to buy. You can filter search results to Products, browse Shop the look under a Pin, open the Shop tab on some boards, or point your camera at something. You check out on the retailer's site, not on Pinterest.
That last point catches people out. Pinterest is where you find the product; the shop you click through to handles the sale, delivery and refunds. Here's how both sides work, for shoppers and for businesses.
Five ways to shop on Pinterest
| Where | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Search results | Search for a product, tap the filter icon, choose Products, then Apply. |
| Under a Pin | Open a Pin and scroll to Shop the look or Shop similar for related products. |
| Your boards | On some boards, a Shop tab (or Make it yours in the app) shows shoppable ideas based on what you've saved. |
| Your camera | In the app, tap search, then the camera icon, photograph an item and tap Shop. |
| Collages | Open a collage, tap a product cut-out, then Shop. |
Pinterest says it's still rolling out some shopping features, so if one of these is missing on your account, it may simply not have reached you yet.
Shopping from your own boards
This is the most personal option. Open one of your boards and look for the Shop tab on a computer, or Make it yours in the app, to browse products inspired by what you've saved there. Pinterest notes it's only available on some boards; if you see More ideas instead, the shopping tab isn't available for that board. Only the board owner can see these tabs, even when the board is public.
Shopping what you see in real life
Pinterest's visual search lets you select an object inside a Pin, such as a chair in a living room photo, and see similar items you can buy where available. Some shoppable objects light up when you hover over them on desktop, or glow when you tap the visual search icon in the app. It's the quickest way to find "that lamp" without knowing what it's called.
Who handles your order
Pinterest is clear that it isn't responsible for disputes with retailers or products found on Pinterest, can't issue refunds and has no tracking or shipping information. So:
- Where's my order? Contact the merchant and check their shipping policy.
- Not what you expected? Contact the merchant and check their refund policy.
- Charged the wrong amount? Pinterest says to contact your bank or card provider.
- Merchant not replying? Report the merchant to Pinterest.
Pinterest also asks you never to send card details, phone numbers or addresses to its support team.
How businesses get products onto Pinterest
For sellers, Pinterest offers two routes to product Pins:
| Route | How it works | Can it run as shopping ads? |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogs | Upload your product catalog to create product Pins for everything at scale and group them into product groups | Yes |
| Product rich Pins | Add meta tags to your website so people can save product Pins from it; they sync with your site | No |
Either way, product Pins are distributed organically across Pinterest. To show them on your own profile, save them to a public board. Pinterest also creates some product groups for you, such as Top Sellers, and items in your catalog marked used or refurbished get a "pre-owned" label on ads.
You'll need a business account for any of this. My guide on creating a Pinterest business account covers setting one up or converting a personal account.
Approved merchant versus verified merchant
Pinterest separates the two. To become an approved merchant, you claim and verify your domain, add your catalog and pass a review against Pinterest's merchant guidelines. A verified merchant goes further and joins the Verified Merchant Program, which brings a blue checkmark on your profile and Pins and access to features like merchant details. Pinterest's requirements include:
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- A business account created at least three months ago, with a profile picture and a completed About section.
- A website created at least nine months ago and claimed by your Pinterest account.
- Most of your catalog's products ingested successfully and meeting the merchant guidelines.
- In the last 30 days, at least one page visit, add to cart and checkout event every 7 days from your conversion source, with currency on every checkout event.
Pinterest says that once you meet them all, verification happens automatically. Those conversion events come from the Pinterest tag or Conversions API on your site.
Tips for shoppers
- Search with plain product words, then add details such as colour or material to narrow the grid.
- Save products to a private board while you compare, so your public boards stay tidy.
- Check the retailer's delivery and returns pages before you buy, since Pinterest can't step in later.
To measure what your product Pins lead to, my guide to installing the Pinterest tag is the piece you need.
Is Pinterest shopping worth it for a small shop?
For products people plan around, such as home, fashion, beauty, gifts and weddings, it's a strong fit, because people arrive on Pinterest already looking for ideas to buy. My take on whether Pinterest is still worth it for small business covers the trade-offs in more detail.
My verdict
As a shopper, use the Products filter and Shop the look, and remember any problem with an order goes to the merchant, not Pinterest. As a seller, start with a catalog rather than rich Pins if you ever want to run shopping ads, claim your website, and work towards the verified merchant checkmark. That checkmark tells shoppers Pinterest has vetted you, which matters when they've never heard of your shop.
Promoting products on the platform runs through my walkthrough of Pinterest Ads Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy things directly on Pinterest?
Pinterest's product Pins send you to the merchant's website to buy. The merchant handles payment, delivery and refunds, not Pinterest.
How do I find shoppable Pins on Pinterest?
Search for a product, tap the filter icon and choose Products. You can also scroll to Shop the look under a Pin or open the Shop tab on some of your boards.
How do I sell products on Pinterest?
Use a business account and either upload a product catalog or add product rich Pin meta tags to your website. Only catalog product Pins can be promoted as shopping ads.
What is a verified merchant on Pinterest?
A merchant in Pinterest's Verified Merchant Program. It gets a blue checkmark on its profile and Pins after meeting requirements for account age, a claimed website, its catalog and conversion events.
