Our mission

Our mission at Pinterest is to bring everyone the inspiration to create the life they love. We believe promoted content can play a big role in helping people create a life they love, which is why we want ads to be some of the best stuff you see on Pinterest. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be all set for promoting great content on Pinterest.

Be authentic with your audience

Authenticity means being truthful and honest about the product or service you're promoting. It also means being transparent with people about what they should expect when they interact with your products or services.

Be honest about your relationship with Pinterest

Your ads should stick to our brand guidelines and shouldn't suggest that Pinterest is sponsoring your promotion or is formally affiliated with it. Basically, your design should look like it came from your business, not from Pinterest. You can use the word "Pinterest", but not our wordmark.

Disclose your billing practices

If you charge users on a recurring basis, be transparent with them and disclose the terms of payment.

Respect the rights of others

Your ads can't infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark or privacy rights.

Be respectful with your targeting

Make sure that your targeting is relevant and that you follow all the below guidelines.

Don't target sensitive categories

Targeting certain audiences can be inappropriate and offensive. It's never OK to target people in a way that implies that you're aware of sensitive information about them. You can't target any audience based on:

  • sensitive health or medical condition;
  • race, colour or ethnic origin;
  • Personal hardship, including financial, physical and emotional hardship
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs or affiliation
  • Sexual behaviour, orientation or gender identity
  • Alleged or actual commission of a crime
  • trade union membership or affiliation; and
  • political affiliation.
  • You also can’t target ads to Pinners under 18 years of age
  • Please note that the targeting of proxies for the sensitive categories above is also not allowed.

    Protected groups

    Some ad categories have additional targeting restrictions. In addition to the sensitive targeting guidelines, ads in the following categories can’t use actalike, age, gender or postcode targeting options or exclude protected groups:

  • Credit: Ads promoting credit products such as credit cards, mortgages and loans.
  • Employment: Ads promoting employment opportunities, including full-time jobs, part-time jobs and working from home.
  • Housing: Ads promoting the purchase, sale or rental of land or homes.
  • Bear in mind that age, gender and familial status are protected, in addition to certain groups for which Pinterest prohibits targeting generally. Ads in these categories using prohibited targeting criteria will not be allowed to run. Ads in these categories that target both prohibited and non-prohibited keywords and/or interests may be approved but will not serve on any prohibited targeting criteria.

    Be careful with any data usage

    When using data to target or measure ads on Pinterest, you must follow our Ad Data Terms. This applies to features such as our tag, audiences and app install campaigns.

    Follow all measurement and audience-targeting rules

    Anywhere you collect data used with a Pinterest ads service, you must disclose and get legally required consent from each individual for that data collection, sharing and use.

    If you use the Pinterest tag or send us mobile app activity, you must tell your website and app visitors that their information will be shared with third parties for online behavioural advertising, and that they can opt out of online behavioural advertising through their Pinterest personalisation settings, the AdChoices website optout.aboutads.info (if you use the Pinterest tag), or their mobile ad identifier settings (if you share app activity data with us).



    Don’t give us information that relates to sensitive categories – such as medical condition or ethnic origin – or that’s collected from a child-directed site or app, or from anyone who’s under 13 or the legal age of consent in your country (if higher). Only pass us user identifiers (such as Mobile Ad IDs or hashed emails) in designated fields and according to our documentation.

    Do not send Pinterest customer lists that are based on user activity from an app or website on an iOS device. Do not send Pinterest information about any individual who has exercised an option to opt out of having such data used for targeted advertising purposes.

    Respect our community's data and privacy

    You can't:

  • Use data you collect or receive through a Pinterest ads service for any purpose (including audience targeting or user profiling) other than to understand your Pinterest campaigns, and only on an anonymous basis
  • Share data from a Pinterest ads service with a third party, including another advertising service
  • Join data from a Pinterest ads service with personally identifiable information (such as an email address) or information that identifies a user, browser or device (such as a cookie or mobile ad identifier)
  • If you receive any data from Pinterest tied to a unique identifier (e.g. campaign reporting data linked to a mobile device ID), you cannot use it to market products or services, or for any purpose besides measuring Pinterest campaigns, and you must delete it no later than 6 months after receiving it.

    Advertisers using ad products that ask for user information have to follow all Advertising Guidelines.

    Advertisers must have a legitimate business reason for collecting the data, respecting the data minimisation principle. Asking for home address and date of birth is allowed with restrictions.

    In addition, advertisers must not reference or ask for the following information related to sensitive categories: 

  • Sensitive health or medical conditions, including related to genetics, fertility or pregnancy
  • race, colour or ethnic origin;
  • Personal hardship, including financial, physical and emotional hardship
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs or affiliation
  • Sexual behaviour or orientation
  • Alleged or actual commission of a crime
  • trade union membership or affiliation
  • political affiliation.
  • Pinners under 18 years old
  • Precise geolocation (e.g. GPS) 
  • Citizen or immigration status
  • Marital status
  • Relationship status
  • Military status
  • Advertisers promoting pharmacy (Rx), over-the-counter (OTC) products, health-related apps (e.g. heart rate, weight) and/or telehealth services are prohibited from using lead ads. 

    Advertisers should not collect personal data that is not covered under the Pinterest Privacy Policy. If you are unclear whether certain information is covered under the Privacy Policy, please email privacy-legal [at] pinterest.com (privacy-legal[at]pinterest[dot]com).

    Be thoughtful with your editorial

    To keep ads inspiring and actionable, we set high standards for the editorial quality of ads on Pinterest. For tips, check out our creative best practices and boards from The Studio.

    Professional and neatly edited images

    Ads should adhere to the highest levels of editorial quality. We don’t allow ads with:

  • Fuzzy, blurry or grainy images (try at least 600x900 pixels)
  • Images with text that is too small or blurry to read
  • Incorrectly oriented images (upside down or sideways)
  • Poorly edited images or poorly cropped images 
  • Overly busy images that are packed with text overlay or have too many font styles and colours (try no more than 4 frames and 2 font styles or colours)
  • Images with artificial functionality such as play or download buttons, notification icons, search bars, or elements that mimic Pinterest features (such as our Save or Buy buttons)
  • Elements that mimic Pinterest features (such as our buttons or ellipses)
  • improper grammar, incorrect spelling or excessive capitalisation and symbols.
  • Low-quality user-generated content such as selfies and screenshots
  • Ads with flashing or strobe effects
  • Quality landing pages

    We care about the ad experience from start to finish, including the URL your ad links to. We want to make sure users find what they're looking for when they click through. We don’t allow landing pages that:

  • Require people to take an action (such as signing up) before they can see certain content, unless your ad makes it clear that this is required
  • Have pop-up ads or start automatic downloads on someone’s device
  • Force people to visit another page
  • Primarily contain advertising content (made-for-ads sites)
  • Lead to inconsistent experiences
  • Create a consistent experience

    Your ads must reflect who you are and what you're promoting, so make sure that your ad image, description and landing page are consistent. Your ads can't suggest or imply that a product is available on your landing page if you don't actually offer that product.

    Be responsible with your content

    We don’t allow certain categories of advertising and restrict others. As always, you're responsible for the content that you promote on Pinterest, as well as the safety and trustworthiness of the products and services that you offer.

    Prohibited content guidelines
    Adult and nudity content

    We don’t allow the advertising of:

  • Sex toys
  • Products in the shape of certain body parts (genitals, bottoms or female breasts)
  • Adult or pornographic videos, publications, live shows
  • Sexual enhancement products
  • Services that provide casual sex, international matchmaking or escorts
  • Implied sexual activity (clothed or unclothed)
  • The objectification of a person in a sexual manner to sell a product or service
  • We also don't allow:

  • Nudity or implied nudity (such as blurred-out images and illustrations)
  • Implied sexual activity (clothed or unclothed)
  • Any focus on certain body parts (genitals, pubic hair, male or female buttocks and female breasts)
  • You can advertise modelled clothing such as swimwear and lingerie, as long as the products aren't adult-themed or overtly sexual. However, we don’t allow any imagery featuring minors in underwear and we don't allow imagery featuring minors in swimwear unless accompanied by adults in the image.

    Clickbait

    We want ads to be beautiful and useful. We don’t want them to pressure or trick users with baiting content. We don’t allow sensational clickbait tactics that exploit user curiosity by:

  • Playing on people’s fear
  • Critiquing deficiencies
  • Using alarmist or gawk-worthy language or images
  • Purposefully withholding information
  • Drugs and paraphernalia

    We don’t allow the advertising of:

  • The sale or use of illegal or recreational drugs
  • Informational material about the use or legalisation of illegal or recreational drugs
  • Ads including imagery of illegal or recreational drugs
  • Accessories associated with drug use including paraphernalia for using, storing or consuming illegal or recreational drugs
  • Products containing CBD or similar compounds
    • We will allow ads in the United States for topical hemp seed oil products that contain negligible amounts of THC and no CBD and make no therapeutic or medicinal claims.
    • We allow informational or brand content on CBD and hemp. Advertisers are responsible for complying with all laws and regulations.
  • Endangered species and live animals

    We don’t allow the advertising of live animals or products designed to inflict physical harm on animals in the name of training. We also don’t allow products made from tortoise shell, ivory, coral, crocodile skin, pangolin, tiger, polar bear or sea otter fur, and other endangered wildlife. This includes medicinal products made from rhinos, tigers or Asiatic black bears. For a full list of prohibited wildlife products, please visit our partner, the World Wildlife Fund.

    Illegal products and services

    We don't allow the advertising of anything that facilitates or promotes illegal products, services or activities, including products that provide instructions for or equipment to illegally access or tamper with software, servers, mobile phones or websites, and links to software that results in a malicious user experience, or illegal streaming or downloading of copyrighted materials. We also don’t allow the sale or solicitation of fake IDs, passports or other official documents.

    Counterfeit goods

    We don’t allow the advertising of:

  • knock-off products;
  • brand-name replicas;
  • goods wrongfully advertised as authentic brand-name; and
  • Political campaigning

    We don’t allow advertising for:

  • The election or defeat of political candidates running for public office, including fundraising for political candidates or parties
  • Political parties or action committees
  • Political issues with the intent to influence an election
  • Legislation, including referendums or ballot initiatives
  • Merchandise related to political candidates, parties or elections
  • Sensitive content

    We want Pinterest to be a welcoming, positive and inspiring place, so we don’t allow divisive or disturbing advertisements. We don’t allow language or imagery that is:

  • Offensive or profane (censored or not) 
  • Excessively violent or gory 
  • Vulgar or sickening
  • False or misleading, including conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation. This includes attempts to impede an election’s integrity or an individual's or group's civic participation, such as voting and being counted in a census. This also includes climate change denial or misrepresentation of well-established scientific consensus on the causes or impact of and solutions for climate change
  • Politically, culturally or racially divisive or insensitive
  • Unless paired with educational or charitable information, we also don’t allow content that capitalises on controversial or tragic events, or references sensitive health or medical conditions.
  • Tobacco

    We don’t allow the advertising of tobacco products including, but not limited to:

  • Cigarettes
  • E-cigarettes
  • Vapes or vape cartridges
  • Chewing tobacco
  • Paraphernalia (i.e pipes, rolling papers, vapes, vape cartridges etc.)
  • Nicotine products (e.g. nicotine gum or patches)
  • Any brands associated with the above products
  • We also do not allow the advertising of hookahs, hookah bars, cigars or cigar bars, essential oil inhalers, or related products.

    Unacceptable business practices

    We don't allow ads that promote the following products, services or business models:

  • Penny or bidding fee auctions
  • Payday loans
  • Plaintiff recruitment services
  • Bail bonds
  • All cryptocurrency products and services except those explicitly allowed in our Financial Products and Services Policy
  • Services that promise large financial returns for minimal investment or effort, such as multilevel marketing models or get-rich-quick opportunities
  • Fake online tech support
  • Products or services that use hidden costs or bait and switch tactics
  • Companies that offer homework or essay writing services for students (tutoring services are OK)
  • Companies that sell social media followers
  • Negative option billing services
  • Products or services that make unrealistic or exaggerated claims or purport to have magical properties
  • Ads that show a different product or service than the one being offered in an intentionally deceptive way.
  • We expect our advertisers to be honest with their customers and set clear expectations about product quality, delivery times, return processes and services provided. We reserve the right to reject an advertiser based on poor third-party ratings or a record of complaints.

    Weapons and explosives

    We don’t allow the advertising of weapons including, but not limited to:

  • Guns, firearms or ammunition. This includes functioning antique devices, BB guns, airsoft guns, paintball guns and lifelike fake firearms
  • Gun accessories of any kind
  • Knives intended for violent use (such as switchblades or hunting knives)
  • Products intended for damage or injury (such as crossbows, tasers or pepper spray)
  • Fireworks
  • Explosives
  • Instructions on how to make weapons or fireworks, or information on how to harm or kill people
  • Restricted content guidelines
    Alcohol

    We allow advertising of alcohol, including beer, wine, spirits, liqueurs and alcohol memberships.

     

    In all cases, you're responsible for complying with applicable federal and local laws and regulatory guidelines, including age gating where necessary.

    Alcohol ads on Pinterest:

  • can't target minors, or depict minors consuming alcoholic beverages;
  • can't associate the consumption of alcohol with enhanced physical performance, improved social standing or better sexual success;
  • Cannot encourage excessive drinking or imply that drinking excessively is beneficial, or that alcohol has therapeutic qualities either as a stimulant or relaxant
  • can't depict people under the influence of alcohol, or associate drinking with activities that are risky (such as driving and operating heavy machinery), anti-social or illegal; and
  • Cannot emphasise high alcoholic content as a positive quality.
  • Contests, sweepstakes and Pinterest incentives

    If you run a contest or other type of promotion, please encourage authentic behaviour, keep Pinterest spam-free and be sure to comply with all relevant laws and regulations. In addition, please:

  • don't require participants to save a specific image;
  • Don't allow more than one entry per participant if the method of entry is an action taken on Pinterest
  • Don’t require people to buy a product or service, or pay money to participate.
  • Don't suggest that Pinterest sponsors or endorses you or the promotions
  • Make sure it is clear from the context of the ad title, description or image that it is a competition or sweepstakes.
  • We don't allow anything that directs people to click on Pinterest buttons to get money, prizes or deals.

    Financial products and services

    Ads for financial products and services must clearly and prominently disclose all applicable terms and conditions as required by the local laws and regulations for any country or region that your ad is targeting. Ads for consumer loans, for example, must disclose things such as the APR, repayment period, fees and costs, penalties and information about the lending institution.

    We prohibit ads for certain types of financial product, such as cryptocurrency products and services and payday loans, as described in our unacceptable business practices. However, advertisers may advertise the following services/products subject to noted restrictions:

  • Centralised cryptocurrency or digital asset exchanges that are properly registered and/or licensed and compliant where legally required in all applicable jurisdictions.
  • Self-hosted and hosted cryptocurrency wallets and storage products and services that are properly registered and/or licensed and compliant where legally required in all applicable jurisdictions.
  • Ads for permitted products or services must not promise financial returns, predict the future value or prices of cryptocurrencies, or use excessive “puffery” to convince people to purchase or use a product or service. 

    Ads for permitted products or services may offer minimal reasonable financial incentives (e.g. get $25 in bitcoin when you sign up!)
  • Advertisers must be pre-approved by Pinterest.
  • Gambling products and services

    We don’t allow the advertising of:

  • Lotteries, unless specified in the country-specific guidelines
  • Gambling game apps
  • Gambling websites
  • Fantasy sports or other online prize-based games that require payment for entry
  • Ads for brick-and-mortar casinos that don't lead to online gambling, lotteries or games of skill are OK except where prohibited in our country-specific guidelines. 

     

    Healthcare products and services

    We don’t allow the advertising of:

  • Clinical trial recruitment
  • Paternity tests
  • Direct-to-consumer genetic tests, except those for genealogical purposes
  • Surrogacy services
  • Claims regarding the prevention or cure of disease
  • Products or advice that we suspect could be unsafe, unreliable or easily abused
  • Invasive medical procedures
  • The sale or purchase of human body parts, organs, tissues or fluids
  • We do allow the advertising of:

  • Eyeglasses and contact lenses
  • Class I and II medical devices, except where prohibited in our country-specific guidelines
  • Over-the-counter (OTC) non-prescription medicines, except where prohibited in our country-specific guidelines 
  • OTC contraceptive products that don’t focus on sexual pleasure or performance except where prohibited in our country-specific guidelines
  • Telehealth providers with restrictions
  • With prior permission from Pinterest, ads for the following are allowed with restrictions:

  • Pharmaceutical manufacturers (branded or unbranded)
  • Prescription drugs (for humans or pets)
  • Online pharmacies
  • Prescription telehealth providers     
  • Below are the restrictions on ads for these categories:
    • Ads can only be run in the US 
    • Ads can only target Pinners aged 18 years or older 
    • Ads cannot promote schedule 1 and 2 drugs, including prescription opioid painkillers 
    • Ads cannot promote weight-loss drugs 
    • Ads cannot offer prescription drugs without a prescription or promote or suggest prescription drug abuse
    • Ads cannot appeal to minors
    • Ads will only be eligible for certain Pinterest ad formats
  • Please note that we rely on third-party checks to determine eligibility of an advertiser to run these ads. Advertisers are responsible for complying with all laws and regulations. 

    Weight loss products and services

    We want Pinterest to be a positive and inspiring place for everyone, so we prohibit weight loss ads and ads that body shame. We don’t allow:

  • Any weight loss language or imagery
  • Any testimonials regarding weight loss or weight loss products
  • Any language or imagery that idealises or denigrates certain body types
  • Referencing Body Mass Index (BMI) or similar indexes
  • Weight loss or appetite suppressant pills, supplements or other products
  • Any products that claim weight loss through something worn or applied to the skin
  • Before-and-after weight-loss imagery
  • Weight loss procedures such as liposuction or fat burning
  • Body shaming, such as imagery or language that mocks or discredits certain body types or appearances, or that calls negative attention to areas of the body
  • Claims regarding unrealistic cosmetic results
  • Ads promoting healthy lifestyles and habits or fitness services and products are allowed as long as they don't focus on weight loss.

    Country-specific guidelines

    We do have country specific guidelines that you must follow when targeting a certain region of the world. When targeting a specific region, please keep in mind local languages and cultural relevance for your audience. We recommend having your advertising in the local language of the region.

    Argentina

    If your ad is shown in Argentina, we don't allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Belgium

    If your ad is shown in Belgium, we don't allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Brazil

    If your ad is shown in Brazil, we don't allow:

  • Infant formula
  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • We allow the following with restrictions:

  • Government-sponsored lotteries
    • Advertisers must not promote irresponsible gambling behaviour or target minors
    • Advertisers must secure prior permission from Pinterest 
  • Canada

    We allow the following with restrictions:

  • Government-sponsored lotteries
    • Advertisers must not promote irresponsible gambling behaviour or target minors
    • Advertisers must secure prior permission from Pinterest 
  • Chile

    If your ad is shown in Chile, we don't allow:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines
  • Colombia

    If your ad is shown in Colombia, we don't allow:

  • Infant formula
  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Brick-and-mortar pharmacies
  • Denmark

    If your ad is shown in Denmark, we don't allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Infant formula
  • Brick-and-mortar pharmacies
  • France

    If your ad is shown in France, we don’t allow:

  • Infant formula
  • Pharmacies
  • Germany

    If your ad is shown in Germany, we don’t allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Italy

    If your ad is shown in Italy, we don’t allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Medical devices
  • Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines
  • Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania, Greece

    If your ad is shown in Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania or Greece, we don’t allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Infant formula
  • Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines
  • Medical devices
  • Brick-and-mortar pharmacies
  • Mexico

    If your ad is shown in Mexico, we don’t allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Netherlands

    If your ad is shown in the Netherlands, we don't allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Infant formula
  • Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic

    If your ad is shown in Poland, Hungary or Czech Republic, we don’t allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Infant formula
  • Brick-and-mortar pharmacies
  • Portugal

    If your ad is shown in Portugal, we don't allow:

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Spain

    If your ad is shown in Spain, we don’t allow: 

  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Infant formula
  • Switzerland

    If your ad is shown in Switzerland, we don't allow:

  • Infant formula
  • Sweden, Norway, Finland

    If your ad is shown in Sweden, Norway or Finland, we don't allow:

  • Alcohol
  • Bricks-and-mortar casinos
  • Infant formula
  • Brick-and-mortar pharmacies
  • Trade sanctions

    You can’t use Pinterest ads products if it would be prohibited by US sanctions. Our ad service currently isn’t available in:

  • Crimea
  • Cuba
  • Donetsk People's Republic
  • Iran
  • Luhansk People's Republic
  • North Korea
  • Syria
  • Bear in mind...

    You need to make sure your ads follow our standard ad guidelines and any country-specific guidelines. You need to follow all applicable local laws, regulations and industry codes, and obtain any necessary permits or permissions for any areas where your ads will be shown. You must also follow our Community Guidelines, Terms and the above advertising guidelines, including our targeting guidelines. These advertising guidelines apply to all parts of your promoted content, including the image, description and destination. They also apply to targeting features such as keyword and audience targeting.



    We reserve the right to reject or remove any ad that negatively affects our relationship with people on Pinterest or that goes against our interests. We may also remove ads, categories of ads or advertisers that get lots of negative feedback from people on Pinterest. These rules may change at any time.