How to Make a Secret Board on Pinterest (Private Boards)

Not everything you save on Pinterest needs an audience. Gift ideas for your partner, a surprise party, a home makeover you're not ready to share, or early ideas for a client project: some boards are better kept to yourself. That's what a secret board is for, and it takes one switch to set up.

You'll notice Pinterest's help centre now calls them private boards rather than secret boards. Same idea, newer name. Below are the steps for a new board and for an existing one, who can see it, and the quirks that surprise people.

Secret boards on Pinterest are now called private boards

If you search the app for the word secret, you won't find it. Pinterest's current help article uses the term private boards throughout, and the toggle names reflect that. Everything people mean by a secret board, a board only you can see, is exactly what a private board does. I'll use both names here so you can match whichever one you've heard.

Making a new secret board on Pinterest

The simplest way is to make the board private from the start. Pinterest's help says that when you name a new board, you'll see a toggle called Keep this board private. Switch it on before you create the board.

1. Start a new board, either from your profile or while saving a Pin.
2. Type a name for the board.
3. Switch on Keep this board private.
4. Create the board and start saving Pins to it.

Menus vary a little by app version, but the toggle wording is the bit to look for.

Turning an existing Pinterest board secret on a computer

Already have a board you'd like to hide? Here's the desktop route from Pinterest's help:

1. Log in and click your profile picture at the top-right.
2. Click the board.
3. Click the ellipsis icon on the right side of the screen.
4. Click Edit info and settings.
5. Scroll down and switch on Make this board private.
6. Click Done.

Turning an existing Pinterest board secret in the app

1. Open the Pinterest app and tap your profile picture at the bottom-right.
2. Tap Boards at the top, then tap the board.
3. Tap the ellipsis icon at the top-right.
4. Select Edit board and header image, or Edit info and settings, depending on your app version.
5. Switch on Make this board private.
6. Tap Done.

To make the board public again later, go back to the same screen and switch the toggle off.

Who can see a secret Pinterest board

According to Pinterest's help centre, only you and anyone you invite can see your private boards. So if you invite a friend or colleague to collaborate, they'll see it too. That makes private boards handy for planning with a small group, such as a wedding party or a team working on a launch, without the whole world looking in.

Pinterest also uses your private boards to shape home feed suggestions, and it says those suggestions are only visible to you.

What happens when you save Pins to a secret board

This is where private boards are quieter than you might expect. Pinterest's help says:

• Saving a Pin to a private board doesn't send a notification to the person who posted it.
• The Pin's save count doesn't go up.
• If you later save a Pin from your private board to another board, your new Pin won't show the name of the person you saved it from.

In other words, a private board is a good place for research. You can collect ideas freely without anyone being alerted.

Secret Pinterest boards for businesses and creators

For small businesses, private boards are a handy back room. I'd use them for:

• Gathering ideas for a new product or a seasonal campaign before you go public.
• Sharing mood boards with a client or designer by inviting them as a collaborator.
• Drafting a board's Pins and cover, then switching it public on launch day.

I like that last one in particular. A brand-new public board with two Pins on it looks thin, while a board that appears fully stocked on the day you announce something looks considered. Fill it quietly, check the cover image and the board name read well, then flip the switch when you're ready for people to see it.

There's one limit to keep in mind. Pinterest's help says private boards and Pins can't be promoted through Pinterest ads, so anything you'd like to advertise has to sit on a public board. If you're working out how Pinterest fits your marketing, my guide to the reasons Pinterest works for small firms covers the bigger picture, and you can build the basics with my starter guide to Pinterest marketing.

Question	Private (secret) board
Who sees it?	You and anyone you invite
Does the original poster get a notification?	No
Does the save count go up?	No
Can it be promoted in ads?	No
Can it go public later?	Yes, switch the toggle off

If your secret board on Pinterest isn't working as expected

• You can't find the toggle: look for Make this board private in the board's edit screen, not the word secret.
• A friend can still see the board: check whether you invited them as a collaborator.
• You merged boards and your secret board went public: Pinterest's help says that when you merge a secret board into a public one, the destination board's privacy settings apply. Move private Pins to a private board instead.
• Settings won't save: update the app or try on a computer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a secret board on Pinterest?

When you create a new board, switch on Keep this board private before you save it. For an existing board, open it, select the ellipsis icon, go to Edit info and settings and switch on Make this board private.

Does Pinterest still have secret boards?

Yes, but Pinterest's help centre now calls them private boards. They work the same way: only you and people you invite can see them.

Who can see my private Pinterest board?

Only you and anyone you invite to collaborate, according to Pinterest's help centre.

Does someone know if I save their Pin to a secret board?

No. Pinterest says saving to a private board doesn't notify the original poster, and the Pin's save count doesn't go up.

Can I make a secret Pinterest board public again?

Yes. Open the board's edit screen and switch off Make this board private.