- First, work out which kind of deactivation you have
- Why Pinterest suspends accounts
- How to appeal a Pinterest suspension
- If Pinterest protected your account
- If you deactivated or deleted it yourself
- Can't log in? Check these first
- Starting again if the account can't be recovered
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
If Pinterest suspended your account, you'll see a deactivation notice when you try to log in. Pinterest deactivates accounts that break its Community Guidelines, and if you think it got it wrong, you can contact Pinterest to appeal and it'll review the request. If the account was only protected after strange activity, resetting your password is enough to get back in.
Pinterest calls this "account deactivation" rather than suspension, and how you get back in depends on who switched the account off. Here's how to tell which case you're in and what Pinterest's own help pages say to do for each.
First, work out which kind of deactivation you have
| What happened | How you'll know | How to get back in |
|---|---|---|
| You deactivated it yourself | You chose Deactivate account in settings | Log in again; reset your password if you forgot it |
| Pinterest protected it | Pinterest emailed you, reset your password and logged everyone out | Reset your password |
| Pinterest deactivated it | A deactivation notice appears when you log in | Contact Pinterest to appeal |
| You closed it permanently | You chose Delete account | Reactivate within 7 days of the close date |
Pinterest's reactivation page sets out those first three paths, and its account deletion page covers the fourth. In every case, you need access to the email address on the account. If you don't have it, Pinterest says you can create a new account instead.
Why Pinterest suspends accounts
Pinterest says it checks content against its Community Guidelines using both automated processes and human review. Pins, comments, photos, messages or whole accounts dedicated to policy-breaking content can lead to deactivation, and that can follow a single violation or repeated ones. The four areas it names are:
- Pinner safety, such as hateful speech, pornography, graphic imagery and misinformation.
- Account security, including impersonation and third-party logins.
- Spam.
- Intellectual property.
The Community Guidelines add a few account rules that catch people out: don't share your password or let anyone else into your account, and don't try to buy or sell access to accounts, boards or usernames. Pinterest also says it will deactivate accounts that impersonate a person or organisation, although fan, parody and commentary accounts are allowed when it's clear they aren't official.
How to appeal a Pinterest suspension
- Try to log in and read the deactivation notice, so you know the account was deactivated by Pinterest and not just protected.
- Use the Contact us form in Pinterest's help centre to say you think the account was deactivated by mistake.
- Wait for the review. Pinterest says that once you send a request, it'll take a look and get back to you.
If the deactivation was over copyright or other intellectual property, Pinterest points you to its copyright policy for that appeal route instead. And if the account wasn't deactivated at all but you still can't log in, its advice is to work through the common login fixes, which I cover below.
If Pinterest protected your account
This one is often mistaken for a ban. If Pinterest notices strange activity on an account, it sends you an email, resets your password and logs everyone out, including you. To get back in, reset your password. Nothing has been deleted, and you don't need to appeal.
A shared or wrong address often causes login trouble, and our guide to changing your Pinterest email fixes the already in use message.
If you deactivated or deleted it yourself
A temporary deactivation hides your profile and boards until you come back, and logging in is all it takes to reactivate. One trap from Pinterest's own page: if you want to check whether a deactivated account is still switched off, visit www.pinterest.com/ followed by your username rather than logging in, because logging in reactivates it.
A permanent deletion is different. Your public profile goes immediately and the account and its data are permanently deleted after 7 days. Change your mind within those 7 days and you can reactivate it; after that it can't be recovered. Pinterest notes that people in California need to contact it to reactivate a closed account. My guide to deleting or deactivating a Pinterest account has the full steps.
Can't log in? Check these first
Pinterest's login help covers the email problems that look like a suspension but aren't:
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- Pinterest doesn't recognise your email. If the account was set up with Google, choose Continue with Google instead of typing an email and password.
- Your email is old or you can't access it. Continue with Google or Apple works only if the account was already set up that way. Without that, Pinterest says it can't verify the account is yours and can't give you access.
- A typo when you signed up. Try the likely typo, such as .con instead of .com or a missing number in the address, then change the email in settings once you're in.
- The wrong account. Each email address can only be linked to one Pinterest account. You can get a hint to the email on an account at pinterest.com/password/reset by searching your name or username.
If the app itself is misbehaving rather than your account, my Pinterest not working fixes are the faster route.
Starting again if the account can't be recovered
If you've lost the email and there's no Google or Apple login, Pinterest's answer is a new account. It suggests searching for your old account once you're set up, so you can save the same Pins and follow the same people again. Use an email you'll keep, and connect a Google or Apple login as a backup. Here's how to make a new Pinterest account.
My verdict
Before you panic about a ban, check the message: a password reset email means Pinterest protected the account, and a reset fixes it. A real deactivation notice needs an appeal through the Contact us form, so explain clearly why the account follows the guidelines. Either way, everything depends on the email address, so keep it current.
If you start again from scratch, our plain-English Pinterest guide covers how the site works before you rebuild your boards.
Frequently asked questions
Why was my Pinterest account suspended?
Pinterest deactivates accounts that break its Community Guidelines, after single or repeated violations involving Pinner safety, account security, spam or intellectual property.
How do I get my suspended Pinterest account back?
If Pinterest deactivated it and you think that's a mistake, contact Pinterest through its help centre form. It reviews each request and gets back to you.
Pinterest reset my password and logged me out. Am I banned?
No. Pinterest says that when it notices strange activity, it emails you, resets your password and logs everyone out. Resetting your password reactivates the account.
Can I recover a deleted Pinterest account?
Yes, within 7 days of closing it. After 7 days the account and its data are permanently deleted. People in California need to contact Pinterest to reactivate.
Can I reactivate Pinterest without my email?
Pinterest says you need access to the email on the account. If you can't access it and haven't set up a Google or Apple login, you'll need to create a new account.
