The Pinterest API (version 5) lets apps read and create Pins, boards, ads, audiences and catalogs, and pull Pin analytics. To use it, you register an app from a Pinterest business account, Pinterest reviews it, and approved apps start on Trial access with 1,000 requests a day. To go live for real users, you apply for Standard access, which needs a video showing your app's sign-in flow.
You don't need to be a developer to understand the basics, and it's worth knowing them if you're paying someone to build a Pinterest integration or weighing up a scheduling tool that connects to your account.
What you can do with the Pinterest API
Pinterest's access tier table lists what both Trial and Standard apps can do:
| Activity | Trial access | Standard access |
|---|---|---|
| Pin analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Reading ads, audiences, boards, Pins and catalogs | Yes | Yes |
| Creating ads, audiences and catalogs | Yes | Yes |
| Creating boards | Yes, visible only to the creator | Yes |
| Creating Pins | Yes, visible only to the creator | Yes |
| Rate limits | Daily limits per app | Higher limits per minute, per user, per app |
The visibility point matters. Pins and boards you create on Trial access are sandbox items that only you can see, so you can test without cluttering your real profile. That also means a Trial app can't publish Pins the public will see.
How to get Pinterest API access
- Log in to, or create, a Pinterest business account. This account will own and manage the app. My guide to setting up a Pinterest business account covers this step.
- Verify the account's email address.
- Go to My apps on the Pinterest Developers site and accept the Developer Terms of Service.
- Select Connect app and complete the request form. The app name must include at least 3 Latin letters or numbers and can't contain the word Pinterest.
- Submit your request for Trial access and wait for Pinterest's email telling you whether it was approved.
- Once approved, find your app ID and app secret on the My apps page and add your redirect URIs.
After that, your developer builds a standard OAuth 2 sign-in flow: request authorisation, handle the redirect, swap the code for an access token, then store and refresh that token.
Pinterest API rate limits
Pinterest sets universal limits on top of category-specific ones:
- Trial access: 1,000 requests per day for all API requests.
- Standard access: 100 requests per second per user per app for all API requests.
Each endpoint also sits in a rate limit category with its own allowance. For example, fetching ad analytics allows 1,000 requests a day per app on Trial and 300 a minute per user per app on Standard. Pinterest notes that all rate limits can change without notice, so any tool built on the API should handle being told to slow down.
Upgrading to Standard access
Trial is for exploring. If you want real people to use your app, or you want the Pins it creates to be public, Pinterest recommends Standard access. To apply:
- Make sure your app already has Trial access and follows Pinterest's developer guidelines.
- Record a video of your app completing an action through the API, showing users going through the OAuth sign-in. Pinterest uses it to check you aren't storing sensitive information.
- Go to My apps and select Upgrade on the app card.
- Check your use case and privacy policy details, upload the video and submit.
Even if you're the only person who'll ever use the app, Pinterest still asks for that video. A screen recording of API calls from a terminal or an API testing tool is accepted.
The 14 September 2026 change
This is the newest detail on Pinterest's access tier page. Apps registered on or after 14 September 2026 may get an HTTP 403 error, PINNER_DATA_ACCESS_DENIED, when they request a board or Pin belonging to a non-business user without Pinterest's authorisation. In plain English: new apps can't freely read ordinary personal accounts' content. If a developer quotes you for a tool that pulls Pins from personal profiles, ask how they'll handle this.
Helpful tools Pinterest provides
- API Quickstart: code samples and set-up scripts.
- Python SDK: a library for campaign management that simplifies authentication and errors.
- Test tokens: once approved for Trial, you can generate a token that expires after 24 hours to try endpoints without building OAuth first.
- Sandbox: test calls that don't affect the live Pinterest product, including a shopping sandbox.
If you only want to schedule Pins, you probably don't need the API at all. Most Pinterest schedulers already have Standard access and handle all of this for you.
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Questions to ask before you connect a tool
Every app that connects to your Pinterest account through the API goes through the OAuth sign-in, where you approve what it can do. Before you click allow, it's worth asking:
- Does the tool have Standard access, so the Pins it creates are public?
- What exactly will it read or change: Pins, boards, ads, audiences or catalogs?
- How does it cope when Pinterest's rate limits slow it down during a busy posting day?
- Who on their side can see your account data, and how do you disconnect it later?
A good tool answers all four without fuss. If the answers are vague, keep looking.
The API and the tag do different jobs, and my guide to the Pinterest tag explains the tracking one.
My verdict
For most small businesses, the Pinterest API is something your tools use rather than something you use. It's worth knowing the basics so you can ask good questions: does this tool have Standard access, how does it handle rate limits, and does it rely on reading personal accounts? If you do want a custom build, budget time for Pinterest's review and the Standard access video, and start testing in the sandbox.
If you'd rather run campaigns by hand than through code, see my walkthrough of Pinterest Ads Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a business account to use the Pinterest API?
Yes. Pinterest says you log in to or create a business account to administer your app, verify its email address and accept the Developer Terms of Service first.
What is the Pinterest API rate limit?
Trial access allows 1,000 requests per day for all API requests. Standard access allows 100 requests per second per user per app, with extra limits per endpoint category.
Why can't other people see Pins my app created?
Pins and boards created with Trial access are sandbox items visible only to their creator. You need Standard access for public Pins.
What does PINNER_DATA_ACCESS_DENIED mean?
Pinterest says apps registered on or after 14 September 2026 may get this 403 error when requesting a non-business user's board or Pin without Pinterest's authorisation.
