Pinterest Ads Technology Intelligence

What is Pinterest Ads?

Pinterest Ads is the advertising platform for Pinterest, a visual discovery engine with 450+ million monthly active users. Unlike social media platforms, Pinterest users are actively planning and shopping—97% of top searches are unbranded, making it ideal for product discovery and inspiration.

Pinterest functions as a visual search engine where users create boards of ideas for future projects, purchases, and experiences. Advertisers reach users in planning mindsets for home improvement, fashion, recipes, weddings, travel, and more. Pins have long shelf lives, continuing to drive traffic months after posting.

The platform's audience skews female (60%) with strong purchasing power. Pinterest users spend 80% more than users of other platforms. Promoted Pins blend seamlessly with organic content, appearing as users browse and search for inspiration.

Pinterest Ads Features

Promoted Pins: Standard image pins boosted to larger audiences. Appear in feeds, search results, and related pins. Save to boards for organic amplification. Long-lasting visibility.

Video Pins: Auto-playing videos capture attention. Standard and max-width formats. Mobile-optimized viewing. Story-style content support.

Shopping Ads: Catalog integration for product pins. Dynamic retargeting with viewed products. Collections ads showcase multiple items. Shop the Look for fashion/home.

Carousel Pins: Multi-image storytelling format. Swipeable card experience. Feature collections or steps. Higher engagement rates.

Pinterest Lens: Visual search technology integration. Camera-based product discovery. Find similar products to photos. AR try-on capabilities.

Interest Targeting: 5,000+ interest categories. Keyword targeting for search. Audience targeting (actalikes, engagement). Retargeting with Pinterest Tag.

Pinterest Ads Use Cases

E-commerce Fashion: Outfit inspiration and shopping. Seasonal collection launches. Trend-based targeting. High purchase intent audience.

Home & Garden: Renovation inspiration. Furniture and decor shopping. DIY project ideas. Kitchen and bathroom design.

Food & Recipes: Recipe discovery and meal planning. Kitchen gadget promotion. Grocery and ingredient brands. Holiday meal inspiration.

Wedding Industry: Venue, dress, and decor planning. Event services promotion. Registry products. Vendor discovery.

Travel: Destination inspiration. Trip planning content. Hotel and experience booking. Travel gear promotion.

Beauty: Makeup tutorials and looks. Product discovery. Skincare routines. AR try-on for cosmetics.

Pinterest Ads Implementation

Pinterest Tag Setup

<!-- Pinterest Base Tag -->
<script>
!function(e){if(!window.pintrk){window.pintrk=function(){window.pintrk.queue.push(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments))};var n=window.pintrk;n.queue=[],n.version="3.0";
var t=document.createElement("script");t.async=!0,t.src=e;
var r=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.parentNode.insertBefore(t,r)}}
("https://s.pinimg.com/ct/core.js");
pintrk('load', 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX', {em: '<user_email_address>'});
pintrk('page');
</script>
<noscript>
<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt=""
  src="https://ct.pinterest.com/v3/?event=init&tid=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX&noscript=1" />
</noscript>

<!-- Checkout Event -->
<script>
pintrk('track', 'checkout', {
  value: 149.99,
  order_quantity: 2,
  currency: 'USD',
  line_items: [
    {product_id: 'SKU123', product_name: 'Blue Dress', product_price: 99.99},
    {product_id: 'SKU456', product_name: 'Sandals', product_price: 50.00}
  ]
});
</script>

<!-- Add to Cart -->
<script>
pintrk('track', 'addtocart', {
  value: 99.99,
  currency: 'USD',
  product_id: 'SKU123'
});
</script>

Pinterest Ads Benefits

Planning Mindset: Users actively researching purchases. Higher purchase intent than social browsing. Discovery and shopping combined. Early funnel influence.

Long Content Life: Pins continue driving traffic for months. Organic saves amplify reach. Evergreen content value. Compounding visibility.

Visual Discovery: Native shopping experience. Products discovered naturally. Less ad fatigue. Authentic content integration.

Affluent Audience: Higher household income. Significant purchase power. Quality over quantity. Premium product performance.

Full Funnel: Awareness through purchase. Shopping ads for conversions. Remarketing capabilities. Multi-touch attribution.

Unbranded Searches: 97% of searches without brand names. Level playing field for discovery. New customer acquisition. Brand introduction opportunity.

Shopping Integration: Catalog syncing automation. Product tagging. Shop the Look. Seamless e-commerce connection.