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Pinterest Shopping

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Pinterest Shopping is a set of features that turn Pins into shoppable listings by attaching live pricing, availability, and a link back to the retailer, so a shopper can move from discovering an idea to buying the product.

The feature relies on a product catalogue, usually synced from an ecommerce platform such as WooCommerce, which powers Product Pins and Shopping Ads across search results, boards, and the visual search tool.

Pinterest Shopping differs from Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shop, and TikTok Shop in that checkout typically happens off-platform: tapping a Product Pin usually redirects the shopper to the seller’s own website rather than completing the purchase inside the app. It fits earlier in the customer journey, closer to inspiration and planning than to impulse purchase.

How Pinterest Shopping works

A business connects a product catalogue to Pinterest through a verified Pinterest Business account.
Pinterest converts catalogue items into Product Pins, adding price and availability to matching images.
A user searches or browses and finds a Product Pin among organic results, boards, or Shopping Ads.
The user taps the Pin to see the price, retailer name, and a link to the product page.
Tapping through sends the user to the retailer’s website to complete checkout, since Pinterest does not process the payment itself in most regions.

Example

A furniture brand uploads its catalogue to Pinterest Business and a photo of a $180 accent chair becomes a Product Pin showing price and stock. A user planning a living room redesign searches for accent chairs and saves the Pin to a board. Days later the user taps the Pin, is redirected to the brand’s website, and completes the purchase there as part of the site’s usual order fulfillment process rather than inside the Pinterest app.

Key characteristics

Catalogue dependent: Product Pins pull price, image, and stock from a linked catalogue, so an outdated feed shows incorrect information to shoppers.
Off-platform checkout: Most purchases complete on the retailer’s own website after a shopper taps through, rather than inside Pinterest itself.
Discovery oriented: Pinterest Shopping surfaces products during planning and idea gathering, so the path to purchase is often longer than on video-first platforms.
Visual search integration: Shoppers can search using an image, such as a photo of a room or an outfit, to surface visually similar shoppable Pins.

Related terms

Instagram Shopping – a comparable shopping feature that, unlike Pinterest, often supports checkout inside the app.
Facebook Shop – a persistent storefront tab that shares the same Meta Commerce Manager infrastructure used by Instagram Shopping.
TikTok Shop – a video and LIVE-native shopping feature with in-app checkout, contrasting with Pinterest’s off-platform model.
Conversion funnel – the path a shopper follows from discovering a Product Pin to completing a purchase on the retailer’s site.
WooCommerce – one of the store platforms commonly synced to power a Pinterest Shopping catalogue.

Frequently asked questions

What is needed to set up Pinterest Shopping?

A business needs a verified Pinterest Business account and a connected product catalogue before its images can become Product Pins.

Is Pinterest Shopping free to use?

Yes, publishing Product Pins on Pinterest is free, though the business is still responsible for standard payment processing on its own website.

What is the difference between a Product Pin and a Shopping Ad?

Product Pins are created from a catalogue feed and can appear organically, while Shopping Ads are paid placements built on that same catalogue data.

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FAQ

How many people use Pinterest Shopping?

Pinterest reports more than 500 million monthly active users, and a large share of them use the platform specifically to plan purchases. Shopping related searches on Pinterest number in the billions each year across categories like home decor and fashion. Any verified Pinterest Business account can apply to enable Product Pins, regardless of company size. Adoption has grown steadily since the catalogue based shopping tools expanded beyond a small group of markets.

Can a small business use Pinterest Shopping?

Yes, a small business can use Pinterest Shopping as long as it has a verified Pinterest Business account and a product catalogue. There is no minimum order volume or follower count required to apply. Many sellers run a catalogue of fewer than 50 items alongside a 1 or 2 person team. The main ongoing requirement is keeping pricing and stock synced with the live catalogue feed.

What products are not allowed on Pinterest Shopping?

Pinterest Shopping restricts several categories, including alcohol, tobacco, weapons, and certain regulated health or medical products. Services, digital subscriptions, and financial offers are generally not eligible for standard catalogue listings either. Sellers must list real, purchasable physical or eligible digital goods that meet platform commerce policies. A catalogue containing 1 restricted item can delay approval for the entire feed.

Does Pinterest Shopping support checkout inside the app?

In most regions Pinterest Shopping does not support in-app checkout, so tapping a Product Pin sends the shopper to the retailer own website instead. A small number of markets have tested in-app purchase features, but availability is limited compared to platforms like TikTok Shop. Pinterest reports that roughly 2 out of 3 shopping related actions still end on an external retailer site. Sellers should confirm current checkout options for their region in Pinterest Business settings.

Does Pinterest Shopping charge a commission?

Pinterest itself does not charge a percentage commission on sales completed on a retailer own website after a Product Pin click. Businesses running paid Shopping Ads pay for the ad placement itself, typically on a cost per click or cost per 1000 impressions basis. There is no separate Pinterest transaction fee layered on top of a completed sale in most regions. Sellers should confirm current advertising rates in Pinterest Business before launching a Shopping Ads campaign.