How many Pinterest description keywords should you use? One main phrase that people actually search, placed in the first sentence, plus two or three related phrases in the sentences after it. That’s enough for nearly every pin. Pinterest has never published an ideal number, and the guides that offer one range from two to six. Every one of them agrees on the rest: front-load the main phrase, write sentences a person would say, and never pile keywords up.
Where Pinterest description keywords go
Position matters more than count. Only the opening of a description shows before Pinterest cuts it, so the searched phrase belongs in the first sentence, ideally in its first few words. Related phrases fill the next sentence or two. The end is for the reason to click.
Example
Sourdough discard crackers you can roll out in 10 minutes, thin and crisp with rosemary and sea salt. One of the easiest sourdough discard recipes for using up your starter, and a great homemade cracker recipe for cheese boards. Get the full recipe, including a gluten free version.
One main phrase, two related ones, 282 characters, and it still reads like a recipe blogger wrote it. Remove the bold and nobody would guess it was planned.
How many keywords is too many?
| Stuffed | Natural | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Sourdough discard crackers sourdough crackers discard recipes sourdough recipes easy crackers homemade crackers rosemary crackers | Sourdough discard crackers you can roll out in 10 minutes, with rosemary and sea salt. An easy way to use up your starter. |
| Keyword phrases | 7 | 2 |
| Tells the reader | Nothing | What, how long, why |
| Likely outcome | Looks like spam; skipped | Matches the search and earns the click |
Pinterest doesn’t publish a keyword limit, but its spam rules target repetitive, low-quality content, and a keyword pile looks exactly like that. There’s also no upside. Its systems take meaning from whole sentences, and guides like Tailwind’s note it matches close variations of a phrase, so repeating “sourdough” five times adds nothing a single natural mention doesn’t.
The keyword has to be in more than the description
Pinterest reads every text field on a pin. The description is one of four places a keyword should appear, and not the most important one.
| Field | Keyword job |
|---|---|
| Pin title | Main phrase first; the strongest signal you write |
| Description | Main phrase in sentence one, plus two or three related phrases |
| Board name | The broader phrase the board is about |
| Alt text | Only if it truly describes the image |
| Image text | A short version of the main phrase, for people scrolling |
Title formulas live in the Pinterest title generator guide; board names in the board name guide. Every field’s length limit is in our Pinterest character limits table.
How to find the right keywords
- Start in Pinterest’s search bar. Type your topic slowly; the suggestions that drop down are phrases people search. The bubbles under the search results add more.
- Check the season in Pinterest Trends. It shows whether a phrase is rising and when it peaks; our Pinterest Trends guide explains the filters.
- Get the numbers. A Pinterest keyword tool shows how often each phrase is searched. SiteToSocial’s free Keyword Tool takes its monthly figures from Pinterest’s own ads data.
- Pick one main phrase per pin and two or three close relatives for the description.
Avoid the easy shortcut of asking ChatGPT for “Pinterest keywords”. It has no Pinterest search data, so some of what it suggests is invented. Our ChatGPT prompts for Pinterest guide shows where AI helps and where it doesn’t.
Different pins, different keywords
If a page has five pins, they shouldn’t share one description with five images. Give each pin its own main phrase and the five can show up for five different searches. For the sourdough cracker post: sourdough discard crackers, sourdough discard recipes, rosemary crackers, homemade crackers for cheese board and easy sourdough snacks. Fresh pins on fresh phrases are also what Pinterest favors.
Do hashtags count as keywords?
Barely. Pinterest weighs the words in your title, description and boards far more than tags, and hashtags lost most of their weight years ago. Two or three at the end of a description won’t hurt. They won’t rescue a description without real phrases either. The details, including when they’re still worth adding, are in our Pinterest hashtag guide.
Let the research and the writing happen together
The slow part isn’t writing three sentences. It’s looking up which phrases are searched, choosing a different one for every pin and keeping the descriptions from sounding alike. SiteToSocial’s free Pin Title & Description Generator does both steps at once: it checks Pinterest search data for your page, then writes five pins, each on its own keyword. Its paid plans repeat that for every page of your site and post the pins daily, which is why it’s first in our ranking of the best Pinterest automation tools. Ready-made descriptions to learn from are in Pinterest description examples.
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should a Pinterest description have?
One main keyword in the first sentence plus two or three related phrases is enough for most Pinterest descriptions. Pinterest publishes no ideal number; guides range from two to six, and all of them warn against stuffing.
Where should keywords go in a Pinterest description?
Put the main searched phrase in the first sentence, ideally in the first few words, because only the start of a description shows before it is cut. Related phrases go in the following sentences.
How do I find keywords for Pinterest descriptions?
Type your topic into Pinterest's search bar and note the suggestions, check the phrase in Pinterest Trends, or use a Pinterest keyword tool that shows monthly searches. SiteToSocial's free Keyword Tool takes its numbers from Pinterest's own ads data.
Can you use too many keywords on Pinterest?
Yes. A description that piles up keywords reads as spam to people and gives Pinterest no extra signal. Write two or three natural sentences instead.
Should I use the same keywords on every pin?
No. Give each pin for the same page a different main phrase, so each one can show up for a different search instead of competing with the others.
Are hashtags keywords on Pinterest?
Not really. Pinterest reads the words in titles, descriptions and boards far more than hashtags. A few at the end of a description are harmless, but they do not replace keywords in sentences.
