Pinterest Analytics shows a lot of numbers, but only a few tell you whether Pinterest is working for your website. In short: impressions count how often your pins are seen, saves count how often people keep them, pin clicks count close-up views on Pinterest, and outbound clicks count visits to your site. If traffic is the goal, outbound clicks matter most, and the rest explain why they’re going up or down.
The main metrics, and what each one counts
| Metric | What it counts | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions | Each time a pin appears on screen | Whether Pinterest shows your pins at all |
| Pin clicks | Taps that open the pin in close-up view | Whether the image makes people curious |
| Saves | Times people add your pin to a board | Whether the idea is worth keeping |
| Outbound clicks | Clicks from the pin to your link | Visits that reach your website |
| Engagements | Total interactions: clicks, saves and others | Overall interest, mixed together |
| Engagement rate | Engagements divided by impressions | How well a pin does for its exposure |
| Outbound click rate | Outbound clicks divided by impressions | How well a pin turns views into visits |
One caution: third-party dashboards sometimes calculate engagement rate differently, so compare rates only inside the same tool.
Outbound clicks vs saves
This is the comparison that confuses people most, because the two often move in different directions.
- Saves mean “I want this later”. They keep a pin circulating, since saved pins appear on more boards and get shown again. Recipe, decor and inspiration pins often collect many saves.
- Outbound clicks mean “I want this now”. They’re the visits that show up in your website analytics and lead to sign-ups or sales. Tutorials, product pins and specific promises (“12 easy fall nail designs”) tend to earn more of them.
A pin with lots of saves and few clicks is liked but not clicked: often the image is so complete that there’s no reason to visit. A pin with clicks but few saves is useful in the moment. Both are fine. What you don’t want is impressions with neither.
Reading the numbers together
| What you see | Likely meaning | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Low impressions | Pinterest isn’t showing the pin for searches | A clearer searched phrase in the title, description and board; more fresh pins |
| High impressions, low pin clicks | The image doesn’t stand out | A stronger photo, a short readable headline, a tall 2:3 format |
| High pin clicks, low outbound clicks | Curious, but no reason to leave Pinterest | A specific promise the page delivers: a number, a result, a free printable |
| Many saves, few clicks | Great inspiration, little need to visit | Tease the details that live on the page |
| Outbound clicks fine, site visits low | Tracking gap | Tag links with UTM parameters; see the GA4 guide |
Audience numbers
Pinterest also reports how many people saw your pins (total audience) and how many interacted with them (engaged audience), usually over the last 30 days. They’re useful for spotting trends in reach, but they count people, not visits, so they won’t match your website analytics. Follower count matters even less: most people find pins through search and recommendations rather than by following accounts.
How to use the metrics in practice
- Pick one goal metric. For a website, outbound clicks.
- Look at pins, not just totals. Sort by outbound clicks for the last 90 days. A few pins usually do most of the work.
- Find the pattern in the winners: topic, keyword, image style, headline.
- Make fresh pins in that pattern for other pages, and for the same pages with new images.
- Check your website analytics to confirm outbound clicks are turning into visits. Our guide to tracking Pinterest traffic in Google Analytics covers the setup.
Whatever tool you post with, from Pinterest’s own scheduler to an automation tool, Pinterest Analytics counts these metrics the same way, so the habits above apply either way. If the numbers fall off a cliff, start with why Pinterest traffic drops.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between saves and outbound clicks on Pinterest?
A save means someone added your pin to one of their boards to keep it. An outbound click means someone left Pinterest to visit the link on your pin. Saves show interest and help a pin keep circulating; outbound clicks are the visits that reach your website.
What counts as an impression on Pinterest?
An impression is counted each time your pin appears on someone's screen, in the home feed, search results or related pins. The same person can produce several impressions, so impressions are not the number of people who saw the pin.
What is a pin click?
A pin click is a tap that opens your pin in close-up view on Pinterest. It shows curiosity, but the person is still on Pinterest; only an outbound click takes them to your site.
What is a good outbound click rate on Pinterest?
There's no official benchmark, and it varies a lot by niche and pin type. Compare each pin with your own account average: pins well above it show what your audience wants, and pins far below it usually have a weak headline, a mismatched image or a vague promise.
Why are my Pinterest impressions high but clicks low?
Usually the pin is being shown for searches it doesn't fully match, or the image and title don't promise anything specific enough to click for. Check the keyword, make the headline more concrete, and make sure the page delivers exactly what the pin shows.
