Quick answer: To advertise on Pinterest through Ads Manager, use a Pinterest business account and an ad account. Create a campaign, choose an objective, configure the available targeting, budget and bidding options, select eligible Pins and publish your ads for review. Some eligible US accounts can also use Pinterest's simplified Promote a Pin feature. Pinterest reviews each ad before it runs, which its Help Center says can take up to 24 hours.
Every Pinterest rule, step and limit in this guide comes from Pinterest's own Business Help Center. We link each source next to what it supports. Pinterest changes Ads Manager often, so the labels you see may differ slightly.
What Are Pinterest Ads and How Do They Work?
A Pinterest ad is a Pin you pay to show to more people. Organic Pins reach people for free through search, home feeds and boards. Ads use Pin formats too, but you pay Pinterest to deliver them to the audience you choose. Pinterest and many guides also call them promoted Pins.
Every campaign has three levels, as Pinterest's Campaign structure explains:
| Level | What you set there |
|---|---|
| Campaign | The objective and campaign-level budget or spend controls, where applicable |
| Ad group | Where ads show, budget, bid, run dates and targeting |
| Ad | The Pin people see, with its own URL and creative |
You don't need ads to use Pinterest as a business. A business account is free, and Pinterest says ads cost money only if you choose to run them. Ads are an optional way to reach people faster or more precisely than organic Pins alone.
What Do You Need Before Advertising on Pinterest?
- A Pinterest business account. Ads Manager steps start with "Log in to your Pinterest business account". Our guide to Pinterest business vs personal accounts explains how to switch.
- An ad account. Pinterest's Create an advertiser account page covers the business details and billing information you add.
- A payment method. You add billing details when you set up the ad account or your first promotion.
- A destination URL. Ads send people to a page, so use one that matches the Pin and follows Pinterest's advertising standards.
- Eligible Pins or ad creative. Ads Manager lets you select eligible existing Pins or create new ones. Pinterest excludes certain Pin types from advertising, so check its Pin eligibility rules before building a campaign around a specific Pin.
- Ads in your country. Pinterest lists where ads run on its Ads availability page.
Which Pinterest Ad Formats Can Small Businesses Use?
Pinterest's Campaign objectives page says your objective "determines how you bid in the ad auction and what ad formats are available to promote". So pick the goal first, then the format.
| Format | What it is |
|---|---|
| Standard (static) | A single image ad |
| Video | A video ad, including standard and max-width video |
| Carousel | Several swipeable images in one ad |
| Collections | A multi-image ad with a main image or video and supporting product images |
| Shopping | Product ads created from a product catalog |
Pinterest also offers formats such as Idea, Showcase, Quiz, Premiere Spotlight and Top of Search ads. Its Create an ad page lists which formats each objective supports, and not every format is available to every account or country. For image and video sizes, see our Pinterest pin dimensions guide and Pinterest's ad specs.
How to Advertise on Pinterest Using Ads Manager
These steps describe Pinterest's custom campaign-creation flow, using its campaign budgeting, updated objectives and ad creation guidance. Pinterest documents more than one creation path, including a Manual Campaign route, so the labels and available controls may differ between accounts and campaign types.
Step 1: Start a campaign
Log in to your business account, click the menu icon at the top left, then under Manage campaigns click Create campaign. Choose Custom create campaign, then Get started.
Step 2: Choose your objective
Pinterest's current objectives are:
| Objective | What Pinterest says it does |
|---|---|
| Brand awareness | "Help people discover your brand, products or other services" |
| Video completion | Increase completed views of video ads (95% completion) |
| Consideration | "Help increase the number of Pin clicks or outbound clicks on your ad" |
| Leads | Drive non-transactional outcomes, such as sign-ups and leads |
| Sales | Drive transactional outcomes, such as add-to-carts and checkouts |
Pinterest replaced its older Conversions and Catalog sales objectives with Leads and Sales. It says existing campaigns on those older objectives stay editable until April 30, 2027.
Step 3: Add campaign details
Name the campaign, set its status and choose a campaign budget type and schedule if you use one. Then click Continue.
Step 4: Set up the ad group
In the ad group, you choose targeting, budget and schedule, and optimisation and delivery. Pinterest's targeting overview covers options such as interests, keywords, audiences, demographics and placements.
Step 5: Choose your bid
Under Optimization & delivery, choose the bidding option available for your objective. Pinterest offers Performance+ automatic bidding and, for eligible objective and optimisation combinations, Custom bidding. Some combinations require Performance+ and do not offer a custom bid. The cost section below summarises the documented options.
Step 6: Pick the Pins to promote
Under Ads, select the Pins you want to promote. Review each ad's name, destination URL and any tracking parameters. Pinterest's form also asks you to mark whether an ad is AI-modified, where that applies.
Step 7: Publish
Fix any errors Ads Manager highlights, then click Publish or Launch. Your ads then go to review.
How Much Do Pinterest Ads Cost?
There is no fixed price. You choose how much to spend, and the cost of each result comes from Pinterest's ad auction, so it changes with your audience, competition, creative and objective. Pinterest's own FAQ says you "have complete control over how much you want to spend".
We don't quote average cost-per-click or cost-per-thousand figures here. Pinterest doesn't publish them, and third-party averages vary by country, industry and season.
Budget types
Pinterest's Set up a campaign budget page lists:
- Lifetime: a total amount for the whole campaign, spent flexibly across days.
- Performance+ daily: an average daily amount. Pinterest says spend averages no more than your daily budget from Sunday to Saturday, and it tries not to spend more than 125% of the daily budget on a single day.
- Fixed daily: the same amount each day.
For example, Pinterest says a $100 daily budget might spend $125 one day and $75 another, while averaging no more than $100 a day over the week. You can also set daily or lifetime spend limits at the campaign level, as its Manage your spend page explains.
Bids by objective
From Pinterest's Campaign objectives page:
| Objective | Custom bid option |
|---|---|
| Brand awareness | Maximum cost per thousand impressions (CPM) |
| Video completion | None; Performance+ only |
| Consideration | Maximum cost per click (CPC); Performance+ is required when optimising for outbound clicks |
| Leads | Target average cost per action (CPA) |
| Sales | Target average cost per action (CPA); Performance+ is required when optimising for outbound clicks |
A budget sets what you're willing to spend. It doesn't predict how many clicks, leads or sales you will get. Start small enough that you can afford to learn from the results.
How to Promote an Existing Pinterest Pin
Some accounts can promote a single Pin without building a campaign in Ads Manager. Pinterest's Promote a Pin page says the feature "is gradually rolling out and is not available to all accounts", starting with a small group of US creators and high-engagement users.
If you have it, Pinterest says you can only promote:
- Pins you created or uploaded (not repins)
- Pins with a destination link
- Pins that follow its advertising policies and community guidelines
Hover over a Pin you own on your profile, or open it, and select Promote. Pinterest pre-fills a simplified campaign; you confirm or edit the goal, audience, budget and duration, then choose a payment method. If you don't have a business or ad account yet, Pinterest creates them as part of the process. Campaigns created through Promote a Pin can be found in Ads Manager's Campaign manager, where Pinterest provides more detailed reporting, including spend and cost metrics.
If you promote from the Pinterest iOS app and pay through Apple, Pinterest's Apple fees page says Apple may add a service fee of up to 30%. Pinterest says you won't pay it when you promote from pinterest.com in a browser, from the Android app, or in Ads Manager.
What Happens During Pinterest Ad Review?
Pinterest reviews every ad against its Advertising Standards before it runs. Its Ad review page says:
- Review "can take up to 24 hours".
- Editing targeting or the ad description after submitting sends the ad back to review, which "may take an additional 24 hours".
- If an ad is disapproved, Pinterest notifies you in Ads Manager and emails you the reason.
- To appeal, you email Pinterest with the disapproval reason and the ad URLs.
For Pins promoted with the simplified Promote option, Pinterest's Promote a Pin page says review can take 6 to 12 hours. These are Pinterest's estimates, not guarantees, and approval isn't automatic. Your destination page matters too: it should match the ad and follow the same standards.
How to Track Pinterest Ad Performance
Ads Manager reporting shows paid results such as spend, impressions, clicks and cost metrics. To see what people do on your website after seeing an ad, install the Pinterest tag.
Pinterest's Install the Pinterest tag page says the tag lets you track and optimise conversions, measure campaign performance, build audiences for targeting and access conversion insights. You can install it through an integration partner, email instructions to a developer, or set it up manually. Pinterest notes it can take up to 24 hours to appear in Ads Manager.
The tag has two parts:
- Base code on every page of your site (Add the base code).
- Event codes on pages where a conversion happens, such as Checkout, AddToCart, Signup or Lead (Add event codes).
Pinterest also offers the Conversions API, which you can use alongside the tag. Its Performance+ guidance recommends using both for accurate conversion tracking.
For organic Pin-level performance, use Pinterest Analytics. For paid campaign spend, delivery and results, use Ads Manager. Pinterest also supports paid and organic conversion reporting within Ads Manager when the relevant tracking is configured. Our Pinterest analytics hub explains the organic Pin metrics.
Pinterest Ads vs Organic Pinterest Marketing: Which Should You Use?
Neither is right for every business. They cost and work differently.
| Organic Pins | Pinterest ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free to publish; costs your time | You pay for delivery, set by budget and auction |
| Control | Pinterest decides distribution | You choose objective, audience, budget and schedule |
| Timing | Can take time to be found | Can start once ads pass review |
| Reporting | Pinterest Analytics | Ads Manager, plus the Pinterest tag for site actions |
Many businesses use both: organic Pins for steady content, and ads for a launch, a seasonal push or testing an audience. Our Pinterest marketing strategy guide covers the organic side in depth.
PinEasy is a planning and analytics tool for organic Pinterest. It does not create, run or manage ads, and it doesn't read Ads Manager data. PinEasy reads organic Pin metrics from a connected Pinterest business account. If you also manage organic Pinterest content, you can create a free PinEasy account to explore that organic analytics workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pinterest Advertising
Do Pinterest ads cost money?
Yes. You pay for ad delivery, and you set the budget. A Pinterest business account itself is free, and Pinterest says ads cost money only if you choose to run them.
Can you advertise on Pinterest for free?
Not with ads. Organic Pins are free to publish and can reach people through search, home feeds and boards, but paid placement always costs money.
Do you need a business account to run Pinterest ads?
Yes. Ads Manager works from a Pinterest business account and an ad account. With Promote a Pin, Pinterest creates them during setup if you don't have them yet.
Can you promote an existing Pin?
Sometimes. Pinterest's Promote a Pin option is rolling out gradually and isn't available to all accounts. It only works for Pins you created or uploaded that have a destination link. Ads Manager also lets you select eligible existing Pins or create new Pins for advertising, subject to Pinterest's format and promotion restrictions.
How much should a small business budget for Pinterest ads?
Pinterest's published budgeting guidance lets advertisers choose campaign budgets and set spend limits, but it does not establish a single minimum that applies to every campaign type and account. Choose an amount you can afford without relying on a guaranteed return, review your available budget controls and measure results against the campaign's objective.
Do Pinterest ads and organic Pins use the same analytics?
They have different primary reporting views. Ads Manager covers paid campaign performance, whilst Pinterest Analytics provides organic Pin metrics. The Pinterest tag can also support website conversion tracking and paid and organic conversion reporting in Ads Manager.
Can you advertise Etsy products on Pinterest?
You can promote Pins that link to your Etsy listings, as long as the Pin and the destination follow Pinterest's advertising standards. Pinterest's tag normally requires installation on the website where conversion events occur, either directly or through a supported integration. If your destination is an Etsy listing, check which tracking options Etsy makes available before relying on website conversion reporting. For the organic side, see our guide on how to use Pinterest for Etsy.
Sources
- Pinterest Business Help: Becoming an advertiser on Pinterest
- Pinterest Business Help: Campaign structure
- Pinterest Business Help: Select a campaign objective
- Pinterest Business Help: Simplified Objectives
- Pinterest Business Help: Set up a campaign budget
- Pinterest Business Help: Manage your spend
- Pinterest Business Help: Create an ad
- Pinterest Business Help: Promote a Pin
- Pinterest Business Help: Apple fees
- Pinterest Business Help: Ad review
- Pinterest Business Help: Install the Pinterest tag
- Pinterest Business Help: Add event codes
- Pinterest Business Help: Pinterest Performance+
- Pinterest Business: How to advertise on Pinterest