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If you’ve never worked with Pinterest before, the Pinterest vocabulary can be really confusing. In addition to typical marketing terms like KPI, ROI, and CTR, Pinterest has its own next-level terminology.

As a Pinterest Manager myself, I throw these words around all the time and sometimes forget that not everyone speaks the same Pinterest language. But what if you’re not knee-deep in your Pinterest journey yet? Then this article is here to help. Feel free to bookmark it so you can come back to it anytime.

I’ll walk you through all the key Pinterest marketing terms you need to know. After reading, you’ll be able to use Pinterest more effectively and take your account — and your business — to the next level, step by step.

Before you dive headfirst into this glossary, make sure you have a basic idea of what Pinterest is and how the platform works. Otherwise, some of the terms might still sound confusing (even though I promise to make them as easy as possible). If you’d like to read more about that, check out my article What is Pinterest and how does it work?. For even more answers to common Pinterest questions, check out this article.

Alright, let’s dive into this glossary and get on the same page:

1. Pinterest Pins

Pins are the heart of Pinterest. Basically, it’s an image or video that you share on your profile. Ideally it is always linked to a unique URL that take users to your website, online store, or blog post. Every pin should be visually appealing and informative.

There are different types and formats of pins:

Fresh Pin

Pinterest defines “Fresh Pins” as images or videos that have never been published on Pinterest before. As long as the image or video is unique and hasn’t appeared on the platform yet, it’s considered a Fresh Pin.

This means that if you design four different images linking to the same blog post, page, or product, each one counts as a Fresh Pin the first time it’s saved.

Repin

Saving an already existing Pin to your own profile. This can be one of your own Pins or a Pin from someone else.

Other Pin

“Other Pin” is a term you’ll most likely come across when looking at your analytics.
In general, it has two meanings:

It’s a Pin you repinned from another user.
It’s a Pin saved from your claimed website by another user.

Rich Pin

A “Rich Pin” is a Pin that shows additional information from your website, such as the price, availability, or recipe details.

Product Pin

This is a type of Rich Pin. It’s a shoppable Pin that displays the product image, title, availability, and links directly to the retailer’s website.

Static Pin

A Pin with a single image or graphic, without movement or interactive elements.

Video Pin

A Pin that contains a video instead of a static image. It’s often used to capture more attention.

Collages

Collages on Pinterest are Pins that combine several images or elements into one visual layout. They allow you to showcase multiple products or ideas at once and offer an engaging way to group different pieces of content in a single Pin. Originally, this was only possible through Pinterest’s app “Shuffles,” but it’s now integrated directly into Pinterest.

Carousel Pin

A Pin format that includes multiple images or videos within one Pin, which users can swipe through.

Promoted Pin

A paid Pin used by businesses to increase reach and visibility.

Idea Pin – no longer current, now Video Pins

An interactive Pin format that allowed creators to share multiple images and videos in a step-by-step format. Previously known as Story Pins.

2. The Structure of a Pin

A Pin consists of several elements. In this section, I’ll explain the Pinterest marketing terms that will come up when creating or optimizing your Pins.

Title

The title of a Pin that briefly and clearly describes what it’s about. It should include relevant keywords to improve discoverability.

Description

A text that explains the Pin in more detail. This is where you can include keywords, a call to action and helpful information to encourage users to click or save the Pin. Be honest here and only include information that users will actually find at the linked page!

URL

The web address linked to the Pin, directing users to your website, shop, or blog.

Alt-Text

An alternative text description of the image. It improves accessibility and helps Pinterest understand the content of your Pin for visual search.

Hashtags

Hashtags can be used to categorize Pins and increase reach by helping Pinterest show your content in relevant search results. They are not really recommend anymore from neither Pinterest or any Pinterest marketing manager.

3. Boards

Boards are collections of Pins that belong together thematically. You can create boards based on topics, categories, or interests. For self-employed creators and business owners, well-structured boards are essential to attract the right audience and potential clients.

Public Boards

These kind of boards are visibile to all Pinterest users. Pins saved here appear in search results and can be seen and saved by others.

Group Boards

Boards that are used collaboratively by several users. All invited members can add Pins and collect ideas together.

Secret Boards

Boards that are visible only to you and invited collaborators. They don’t appear in search results and are not publicly shared.

Board Cover

The cover image of a pinboard, which you can select manually to make the theme or content of the board recognizable at first glance.

Board Description

A short text summarizing the board’s content. You should use relevant keywords here to improve the board’s discoverability.

4. Pinterest Analytics

Pinterest Analytics is your tool to see how well your Pins and boards are performing. You can find out which content resonates, how many clicks and saves you’re getting, and which audience is engaging with your Pins. These insights help you refine and improve your Pinterest strategy.

Impressionen

The number of times a Pin (or all of your Pins on the Analytics Overview) was shown in someone’s feed or search results, regardless of whether it was clicked.

Engagement Rate

The ratio of interactions (e.g., clicks, saves, repins) to the impressions of a Pin. It shows how actively users interact with your content.

Outbound Clicks

The number of clicks from a Pin to its linked website, blog, or shop.

Monthly Impressions

The total number of impressions all your Pins received within a 30-day period. You can adjust the 30-day window by changing the date range in your analytics.

Monthly Views

You’ll find your monthly views on your profile. This number shows the total views all your Pins received over the past 30 days. The time frame can’t be adjusted.

Interactions

Any actions users take with a Pin—such as saving, sharing, commenting, or clicking.

Pin Clicks

The number of direct clicks on a Pin itself, whether it opens in detail view or leads to an external link.

5. Pinterest Profile

When setting up or optimizing your Pinterest profile, you’ll come across these Pinterest marketing terms. Don’t worry—there aren’t many, and they’re simple to understand.

Username

Your username is what appears in your URL. It should be easy to write and remember—this is how followers can find you again. Often, it’s your blog or brand name.

Profile Name

The name displayed at the top of your Pinterest profile, above your username. It is important that this name is clear and memorable, representing you or your brand. Adding relevant keywords can be a good idea to improve discoverability.

Followers

People who follow your Pinterest profile. They see your Pins and boards in their feed whenever you publish new content. Learn more about followers and get tips and strategies on how to gain them in this article: How to Gain Pinterest Followers Without the Stress!

About / Profile Description

A short text describing you or your business. It should include important keywords to improve visibility and give new followers a quick overview.

Profile Image

The image that appears in your profile. It can be a personal photo or a logo representing your brand.

Profile Cover

The banner image displayed at the top of your Pinterest profile. It’s a visual way to present your brand, theme, or personality.

Website

The process that confirms to Pinterest that a specific website or domain belongs to you aka you claim your website on Pinterest. This gives you access to extra analytics and increases the visibility of your Pins.

6. Feeds

Home Feed

The main feed users see when they open Pinterest. It shows Pins based on interests, followed accounts, and past interactions.

Such Feed

The feed that appears when users search for a specific keyword or topic. Pins shown here match the search terms and relevant keywords.

7. Traffic

There are two types of traffic: organic and paid traffic. Here’s the quick overview:

Organic Traffic

Visitors who land on your website through unpaid interactions, such as clicking on organic Pins. This traffic happens naturally without advertising.

Paid Traffic

Visitors who come to your website through paid Pinterest ads (e.g., Promoted Pins). Here, you invest in ads to increase traffic intentionally.

8. Pinterest Accounts

There are two types of Pinterest accounts: personal accounts and business accounts. Which Pinterest account is right for you? I addressed this question in my post “Business Account vs. Personal Account.”

Here is a brief overview of the two account types:

Business Account

A Pinterest account for businesses or self-employed creators that offers access to tools like Pinterest Analytics, ad management, and website verification. If you use Pinterest professionally this is what you need.

Ein spezielles Pinterest-Konto für Unternehmen oder Selbstständige, das Zugriff auf Tools wie Pinterest Analytics, Anzeigenmanagement und die Möglichkeit zur Websiteverifizierung bietet. Ideal für alle, die Pinterest beruflich nutzen wollen. In this post, I’ll show you how to create and set up your Pinterest Business account in 4 steps.

Personal Account

A Pinterest account for private use. It doesn’t include advanced analytics or advertising tools.

9. Business Hub

A dashboard specifically for business accounts. It gives you an overview of analytics, trends, and access to tools for ads and data insights.

10. Keyword

Important terms used in Pin titles, descriptions, and hashtags so your Pins can be found when users search for them.

11. Save

The action of saving a Pin to one of your boards so you can find it again later.

12. User

Anyone who uses Pinterest—either private individuals or business accounts.

13. Messages

The feature that allows Pinterest users to send each other private messages to share or discuss Pins.

14. Pinner

A Pinner is a Pinterest user who saves or creates content on the platform.

15. Schedule / Scheduling

The function to create Pins in advance and publish them at a later time automatically.

16. Scheduling Tool

Either the Pinterest Scheduler or an external tool (such as Tailwind). These tools help you plan and automatically publish Pins to manage your Pinterest presence more efficiently and save time.

17. SEO

Search Engine Optimization. On Pinterest, this means optimizing your Pins so they appear more prominently in search results by using relevant keywords and tags.

18. URL

The web address linked to a Pin that takes users to your website, blog, or shop.

19. Widget Builder

A Pinterest tool that allows you to embed Pinterest widgets (such as boards or Pins) directly on your website to showcase your Pinterest presence.

20. Pinterest Trends

A Pinterest tool that shows which topics, search terms, and content are currently trending on the platform.

Here you can find the Pinterest Trends: Pinterest Trends.

Pinterest is a powerful marketing tool, but to use it effectively, you need to understand its key marketing terms. Now you know what Pins, Boards, and SEO mean on Pinterest — and how to use them strategically for your business. Try it out, experiment with different strategies, and increase your visibility step by step!

Missing a Pinterest term? Send me a message and I’ll add it.

Want to finally make your business shine on Pinterest? Let’s work together to expand your reach! With my Pinterest management service, I’ll take care of everything—from strategy to execution. That way, you can sit back, relax, and watch your Pinterest profile and audience grow. Curious? Check out how I can help you!