A Pinterest business account is free, takes about five minutes to set up, and is the first thing to do if you want Pinterest to send traffic to a blog or shop. It gives you analytics, Pinterest Trends, website claiming, Rich Pins and ads, and it’s what scheduling and automation tools such as SiteToSocial connect to. You can start a new one or convert your personal account without losing anything.
Business account vs personal account
| Feature | Personal | Business |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Pinterest Analytics | No | Yes |
| Pinterest Trends | No | Yes |
| Claim your website | No | Yes |
| Rich Pins, catalogs, ads | No | Yes |
| Profile cover and business details | No | Yes |
| RSS auto-publish and bulk upload | No | Yes |
How to create a Pinterest business account
- Go to business.pinterest.com and sign up with an email address, a password and your birthday.
- Describe your business: name, country and website. Not sure which business type fits? Pick the closest; you can change it later.
- Choose your goals when asked (up to three). They shape the tips Pinterest shows you, nothing more.
- Finish the profile: photo or logo, a display name with your main keyword, and a short bio. Our Pinterest bio guide has examples.
How to convert a personal account instead
- Open your settings and go to Account management.
- Choose to convert to a business account.
- Add your business name, website and category.
- Done. Your pins, boards and followers stay exactly as they were.
Which route? Convert if your personal account already has boards and followers in your niche. Start fresh if it’s full of unrelated wedding boards and holiday recipes; a new account with one clear topic is easier for Pinterest to understand. You can also link a business account to your personal login and switch between them.
How to claim your website on Pinterest
Claiming tells Pinterest your website belongs to you. Your name and profile picture then appear on pins from your site, even ones other people save, and you get analytics for them. It’s also needed for RSS auto-publish.
- Open your business account settings and find the section for claimed accounts.
- Enter your website address and choose how to verify:
- HTML tag in your site’s header. On WordPress, Yoast SEO and many themes have a field for Pinterest verification.
- HTML file uploaded to your site’s root folder.
- DNS TXT record at your domain host.
- Submit. Pinterest checks the claim and usually confirms by email within about 24 hours.
A website can be claimed by only one Pinterest account. Run sites in several languages? See Pinterest in other languages for how to split accounts.
What to do in your first week
- Create 5 to 10 boards named after real searches, each with a short description. Board name ideas.
- Turn on Rich Pins by making sure your site outputs Open Graph tags; check with a Rich Pins validator.
- Start slowly: a pin or two a day, building up over two weeks. Our warm-up plan has the day-by-day numbers.
- Bookmark Analytics and Trends. You’ll want them once pins start going out.
Connect your business account to an automation tool
Once the account exists and your site is claimed, you can hand the daily work to a tool. With SiteToSocial you add your website, connect Pinterest on Pinterest’s own approval screen, and say the account is new. It then warms the account up over 12 days and starts posting fresh, keyword-researched pins for every page of your site. The rest of the setup is in our Pinterest SEO guide, and the tool choices are compared in the best Pinterest automation tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Pinterest business account free?
Yes. A Pinterest business account costs nothing. You only pay if you choose to run ads.
Do I need a Pinterest business account?
If you use Pinterest to promote a blog, shop or service, yes. A business account is free and gives you analytics, Pinterest Trends, website claiming, Rich Pins, ads and access for scheduling tools. A personal account is only fine for private use.
Can I convert my personal Pinterest account to a business account?
Yes. In your settings, open Account management and choose to convert to a business account, then add your business name, website and category. Your pins, boards and followers stay the same, and you can switch back.
How do I claim my website on Pinterest?
In your business account settings, open the claimed accounts section, choose your website and verify it by adding Pinterest's HTML tag to your site's header, uploading an HTML file, or adding a DNS record. Pinterest checks it and usually confirms within about 24 hours.
Should I start a new business account or convert my personal one?
Convert if your personal account already has boards and followers in your niche. Start fresh if your personal account is full of unrelated boards, so the new account has one clear topic from day one.
Can I have more than one Pinterest business account?
Yes. You can create several business accounts, for example one per website, and switch between them. A website can only be claimed by one account.
