ADVERTISING RULES
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Acceptable Use
Advertising Rules
Responsible Disclosure
We believe Promoted Pins should make the Pinterest experience better for everyone. We think advertising can play a big role in helping people get inspired and bring their future plans to life, which is why we want Promoted Pins to be among some of the best Pins you see on Pinterest—beautiful, actionable and interesting. To make sure of that, we've put together these advertising principles and rules. PRINCIPLES We have high standards for ads on Pinterest. For the most part, if you stick to these advertising principles, you won’t have to worry about the finer print below.
BE AUTHENTIC. Promote Pins that express who you really are and what you actually offer.
PROMOTE PINS THAT MAKE YOU PROUD. We have high standards for our community and want ads to be some of the best stuff people see on Pinterest.
DON'T PROMOTE SPAM OR OTHER BAD STUFF. People should be safe from that on Pinterest.
OBEY APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. We want people to follow our rules, so we follow theirs.
RULES You’re responsible for making sure your Promoted Pins comply with all applicable law, regulations and industry codes. Promoted Pins must also comply with our Acceptable Use Policy, our Terms of Service and these advertising rules. 1. OVERALL Please don't put any of this in your Promoted Pin’s image or description:
Lots of hashtags Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins can't have more than 1 hashtag. THE LONGER VERSION Hashtags don't work on Pinterest like they do on other platforms—they don't help you track what's trending and can confuse Pinners. If you do include a hashtag, try using your business name or tagline.
Improper capitalization or lots of symbols Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins must be properly capitalized or punctuated. THE LONGER VERSION Excessive capitalization and incorrect punctuation (like using several exclamation points in a row) degrade the quality of your Pin description and can confuse Pinners.
Prices Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins can't have prices in them. THE LONGER VERSION Prices change but Pins live forever. Please don't include how much your item or service costs in the Pin. If you want to share an item's price, use Rich Pins. With Rich Pins, if the price of your product changes, we'll notify anyone who repinned it! We do allow currency symbols that provide context unrelated to pricing (such as dollar signs in an infographic).
Exaggerated claims Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins can't include claims that are unlikely for the average Pinner. THE LONGER VERSION Pins that include exaggerated claims that are clearly—or even very likely to be—false create a poor Pinner experience. Please don't make false promises about products and services in your Promoted Pins.
Shocking content or profanity Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins can't be intentionally shocking. THE LONGER VERSION We'll reject anything that's sensational, aggressive, offensive, disrespectful, threatening or escessively violent, regardless of the message attached to the image. Don't include cautionary language that creates a false sense of urgency (like "Warning" and "Attention") in your Pins. We also don't allow profanity, censored or not, in our ads.
Nudity or sexually suggestive content Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins can't have any kind of nudity or sexually explicit content. THE LONGER VERSION Promoted Pins show up in places where they normally wouldn't, so we have to be a bit more conservative with nudity. We'll reject anything with nudity—artistic or not—as well as some images that aren't actual nudity. For example, we don't allow implied nudity (such as blurred out images and illustrations), implied sexual activity (clothed or unclothed), or any focus on certian body parts (genitals, pubic hair, male or female butt and female breasts.) You can advertise bathing suits and lingerie, as long as the pose and product aren't overtly sexual.
Implied Pinterest affiliation Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pins can't imply a Pinterest affiliation, endorsement or partnership. THE LONGER VERSION Please comply with our brand guidelines. Don't suggest Pinterest is sponsoring your promotion or is formally affiliated with it. Basically, a design should look like it came from your business, not from Pinterest. You can use the word Pinterest but not our wordmark.
2. PIN IMAGE Please don't put any of this in your Promoted Pin’s image:
Promotions Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pin images can't have any promotional language or information in them. THE LONGER VERSION Pins are evergreen—they live forever. Promotional info, discounts and sales in the image can confuse Pinners and harm the quality of your Pin’s aesthetic. So, we won’t allow phrases like "10% off," "2 for the price of 1," "Summer sale," "Limited time offer," "New” or "Free." You can include "Free" in your Pin description. If your product or service is an event (concert, movie release, book signing, webinar, etc.), you can include dates in the image, but you must add the full date (day, month and year) in your description. If you’re running a contest, you can only add contest language and info in your Pin description, and you must comply with our contest guidelines in the Acceptable Use Policy.
Calls to action Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pin images can't include commercial or functional calls to action. THE LONGER VERSION We don't want to tell Pinners what to do. Commercial and functional calls to action in the Pin image can confuse Pinners and harm the quality of your Pin’s aesthetic. So, we won’t allow phrases like "Buy now,” “Save,” “Click here,” “Visit our website,” or “Call now.” If your phrase calls for some sort of immediate action to be taken, it’s probably not okay. Aspirational calls to action that don't necessarily require immediate action are okay. For example, we'll allow things like "Fall in love with," "Spruce up," or "Get the look."
Confusing design elements Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pin images must be correctly oriented and can't include simulated buttons. THE LONGER VERSION Wrong orientation or fake clickable elements can confuse Pinners. Pins can’t be upside down or sideways. We don’t allow Pin images that include simulated drop-down menus, search boxes, buttons, messages or alerts. Screenshots that include these types of buttons also aren’t allowed.
Testimonials and ratings Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Pin images can't include testimonials or ratings of any kind. THE LONGER VERSION Testimonials and ratings in Pin images harm the aesthetic quality of your Pin and can overpromise to the average Pinner. So, we don’t allow testimonials or ratings, including personal product reviews, star reviews or before and after weight loss photos.
3. PIN DESCRIPTION Please don't put any of this in your Promoted Pin’s text description:
Promotions without full dates Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Promotional information is okay in the Pin description, as long as it includes the full date range of the promotion. THE LONGER VERSION If you’re running a promotion or sale, please provide the full dates of the promotion including the day, month and year. For example: “Sale ends July 31, 2015.” If your promotion is permanent and part of your business model, please help Pinners out by using phrases like “always,” “forever,” or something similar. For example: “Always 80% off retail price.”
4. DESTINATION LANDING PAGE Please don’t put any of this on the page your Promoted Pin links to:
Exaggerated claims Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Landing pages can't include claims that are unlikely for the average Pinner. THE LONGER VERSION Ladning pages that include exaggerated claims that are clearly—or even very likely to be—false create a poor Pinner experience. Please don’t make false promises about products and services in your landing pages.
Hardwalls Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Landing pages can't have design elements that unnecessarily block content. THE LONGER VERSION We want Pinners to find what they’re looking for when they click through on a Pin, so we don’t allow landing pages that block people from seeing relevant content or require you to enter personal info to see content. We do allow signup windows that close easily. If your product or service absolutely requires a signup for the transaction (such as a newsletter, webinar or physically mailed product), that’s okay.
Inconsistent content Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Landing pages need to be relevant to the Pin image and description. THE LONGER VERSION We want the whole Pin discovery experience to make sense. We don’t allow Promoted Pins with landing pages that don’t have content related to the ad. We’ll also reject Promoted Pins where the product on the landing page is out of stock.
3 or more ads above the fold Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Landing pages can't have 3 or more ads in the first frame of the page. THE LONGER VERSION We believe landing pages with too many ads create confusing experiences for Pinners. If your Pin’s landing page has 3 or more ads above the fold (before the visitor scrolls down the page), we can’t approve your Promoted Pin.
Bridge page Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Landing pages can't just send Pinners elsewhere. THE LONGER VERSION Bridge pages are specifically designed to trick visitors into visiting a different page. Bridge pages are also called portal pages, zebra pages, jump pages, gateway pages and entry pages. We won’t approve Promoted Pins that link to these sorts of pages.
Automatic downloads Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Landing pages can't start automatic downloads on a Pinner's computer. THE LONGER VERSION Don't include anything on your Promoted Pin’s landing page that adds, removes or changes anything on a Pinner's computer or device without their permission. If your landing page has a download link, that’s okay—the download just can’t start automatically.
5. AD RELEVANCE AND TARGETING Please be straightforward about your product, and target the right audience. That means you should:
Accurately reflect your product, service or brand Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Promoted Pins need to reflect who you are and what you're promoting. THE LONGER VERSION Bait and switch ads (such as misleading ads that promise one thing but lead to another) are poor experiences for Pinners. Make sure the information in your Pin image, Pin description and landing page is accurate.
Target the right audience Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Choose targeting keywords that make sense for your Promoted Pin. THE LONGER VERSION We want Promoted Pins to be relevant and show up in front of the right people. Please don’t pick irrelevant keywords for your Promoted Pin’s targeting. EXAMPLES A Promoted Pin about shoes that targets “high heels,” “sneakers,” and “spring fashion” is okay. A Promoted Pin about shoes that targets “recipe,” “Christmas decorations,” or “wedding dresses” is not okay.
Not target any audience based on sensitive categories Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Promoted Pins can't target Pinners based on certain categories they may or may not be in. THE LONGER VERSION Targeting certain audiences can be inappropriate, offensive, and insensitive. You can’t target any audience based on:
Health or medical condition
Racial or ethnic origin
Negative financial status or condition
Religious or philosophical affiliation or beliefs
Sexual behavior or orientation
Alleged or actual commission of a crime
Identify an accurate destination URL Learn more THE SHORT VERSION The destination URL must be consistent with the Promoted Pin or displayed URL. THE LONGER VERSION Changing URL links can confuse Pinners. Please make sure the URL your Pin links to is consistent with the URL displayed in the Pin. URLs can’t be cloaked or changed during the clickthrough process.
Maintain authenticity when acting as an agency Learn more THE SHORT VERSION Promoted Pins must be from boards owned by the business offering the product or service in the Promoted Pin. THE LONGER VERSION If you're working on behalf of advertisers (such as an agency), you can't create boards for your clients and promote Pins from those boards. You can promote your own Pins from your own boards or help someone else promote Pins from their own account.
6. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WE WON'T PROMOTE You may not promote:
Adult products and services Learn more You can’t promote sex toys, videos, publications, live shows, sexual enhancement products, sites that promote casual sex, international match-making or escort services. We do allow ads for family planning and contraception as long as the focus isn’t improving sexual performance or pleasure.
Alcohol Learn more You can't promote alcoholic beverages of any kind. We do allow ads for products commonly associated with alcohol such as wine glasses, beer steins, flasks and recipe books. As long as the product itself is not actually alcohol and could be legally purchased by someone of any age, it’s okay.
Tobacco Learn more You can't promote tobacco products like cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or paraphernalia such as pipes, pipe cleaners or rolling papers.
Drugs Learn more We don't allow products that promote the sale or use of illegal or recreational drugs, including products to cheat drug tests and drug paraphernalia.
Weight loss pills, supplements and fat burners Learn more You can't promote products that claim weight loss results by just taking a pill. We do allow ads for meal replacements or diet plans and systems that don’t make unrealistic claims perpetuating unhealthy weight loss goals.
Pharmaceuticals and supplements Learn more We don't allow anything that promotes online pharmacies, clinical trial recruitment, the sale of prescription pharmaceuticals or supplements we deem unsafe or questionable, including anabolic steroids, chitosan, comfrey, dehydroepiandrosterone, ephedra, human growth hormones or melatonin.
Weapons and explosives Learn more You can't promote firearms, ammunition, firearm accessories like high-capacity loaders and scopes, other weapons like knives or bows intended violent use, fireworks or other explosives, instructions on how to make weapons or fireworks or any other instructions on how to harm or kill people. We do allow ads for knife art pieces, gun racks, gun carrying cases and safes.
Online gambling and lotteries, or games of skill Learn more You can't promote gambling game applications or gambling websites.
Imitation or counterfeit goods Learn more We don't allow knockoffs, brand-name replicas or goods wrongfully advertised as authentic brand-name.
Products from endangered or threatened species Learn more We don't allow products made from tortoise-shell, ivory or coral, fur from tigers, polar bears, sea otters and other endangered wildlife, crocodile skin, or medicinal products made from rhinos, tiger or Asiatic black bear.
False documents Learn more We don't allow products that promote fake identification, passports or other official documents.
Illegal activity Learn more You can't promote anything that facilitates or promotes illegal activity.
Malware and hacking Learn more We don't allow anything that links to software that results in a misleading user experience, or products that promote instructions or equipment to illegally access or tamper with software, servers, cell phones or websites.
Pinterest incentives Learn more We don't allow anything that directs people to click on Pinterest buttons to get money, prizes or deals in exchange.
Deceptive subscription services Learn more You can't promote subscription services that don’t clearly articulate their billing practices before requiring a user to opt in or negative option billing subscription services. Pin descriptions must also clearly state if subscription or signup is required.
Unacceptable business models Learn more We don't allow anything that promotes a business model or product that we deem unacceptable (like penny or bidding fee auctions and payday loans) or business models that don’t clearly explain their billing policy or value proposition, or use deceptive tactics to charge customers.
7. BE A GREAT ADVERTISER Please also follow these rules:
Don't use affiliate or redirect links Learn more Affiliate and redirect links create confusing experiences for Pinners. Our systems will block most affiliate links, so your Pin’s landing page won’t load.
Respect our community's data and privacy Learn more You may not:
Use data you get from an ad with a third party to buy ads or perform marketing off of Pinterest.
Use advertising data for any purpose other than to understand your Pinterest campaigns on an anonymous basis.
Share advertising data with a third party unless they’re certified by us.
Be transparent about conversion tracking Learn more
If you're participating in conversion tracking with Pinterest, please provide sufficient legal notice to your users on how you're working with third parties to collect and measure conversions.
Stick to one advertiser per account Learn more
Advertisers can’t manage more than one advertiser through a single account or change the advertiser associated with an established account.
Respect the rights of others Learn more
Ads can't infringe upon or violate the legal rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other personal or proprietary rights.
We reserve the right to reject, approve or remove any ad for any reason. This includes ads that negatively affect our relationship with our Pinners or that promote content that goes against our interests. We may also remove ads or categories of ads that get lots of negative feedback from Pinners. These rules are subject to change at any time.
If you'd like to be notified when Pinterest.com makes updates to documents like this, choose which ones you'd like to subscribe to today (it's free!).