Pinterest for Shopify: How to Connect Your Store and Drive Sales
Pinterest suits Shopify stores because people use it to find products before they are ready to buy: a sofa for a new flat, a gift for next month, an outfit for an event. Your job is to be in those searches with pins that lead straight to the right product.
There are two complementary ways to get Shopify products onto Pinterest: catalog sync, which turns your products into product pins automatically, and your own pins, which cover the idea-stage searches a catalog doesn't. This guide covers both.
Why Pinterest Works for Shopify Stores
- Shopping intent without a product name. People search “boho bedroom ideas”, not your SKU. Pinterest lets you show up at that stage.
- Long-lived pins. A product pin can keep sending visitors for months, unlike a social post that fades within a day.
- Visual products do well. Home, fashion, beauty, gifts, and crafts match how Pinterest is used.
Connect Shopify to Pinterest
Pinterest recommends the Pinterest for Shopify app. Per Pinterest's Shopify help article, the steps are:
- Make sure you have a Pinterest business account.
- Install the Pinterest app from the Shopify App Store and sign in to Pinterest.
- Follow the setup to connect your store. The app can claim your website, add the Pinterest tag automatically, and sync your product catalog.
- If you previously added the Pinterest tag manually or through another app, remove it so events aren't tracked twice.
Catalog Sync and Product Pins
Once connected, your products become product pins that show details such as price and a link to buy. According to Pinterest's troubleshooting guide, Shopify feeds update every 24 hours and your collections sync every 48 hours as product groups, so changes can take a day or two to appear.
Catalog pins only look as good as your product data. Before syncing:
- Write product titles that describe the item plainly (“Linen Duvet Cover, Queen, Sage Green”).
- Use a clear main image and add lifestyle images to the product.
- Keep prices and availability accurate so pins don't point to sold-out products.
Create Your Own Pins for Products
Product pins answer “I want this item”. Your own pins answer the earlier question, “what should I get?”:
| Pin type | Example headline | Links to |
|---|---|---|
| Styled product | Sage Linen Bedding for a Calm Bedroom | Product page |
| Gift guide | 12 Gifts for Coffee Lovers Under One Box | Collection or gift guide page |
| Room or outfit idea | Japandi Living Room Ideas | Collection page |
| How to use | How to Layer a Bed Like a Hotel | Blog post or product page |
| Seasonal | Autumn Table Setting Ideas | Seasonal collection |
One product, several pins
A best-selling product can have several pins: a styled shot, a detail shot, a gift angle, and a seasonal angle. Each is a fresh pin with its own keyword, published over weeks rather than all at once.
Product Pin SEO
- Title: product type plus the attribute people search for (material, style, colour, occasion), under 100 characters.
- Description: two or three sentences on who it is for and how it is used.
- Board: save to boards named for what shoppers search, such as “Linen Bedding Ideas”.
- Image: 2:3 vertical, product in context, readable text if any.
For the full method, see our Pinterest SEO guide. If you also sell on Etsy, our guide to Pinterest for Etsy sellers covers the marketplace side.
Schedule Product Pins With Pin Generator
Creating several pins per product by hand doesn't scale past a few dozen products. Pin Generator can read a Shopify store directly:
- Connect your Pinterest account (publishing uses Pinterest's official API).
- Add a source, choose Shopify, and enter your store URL.
- Pin Generator pulls your product images and titles.
- Pick products, apply pin templates, and review the designs and copy.
- Choose boards and schedule the pins with spacing between them.
See the Pinterest scheduler for e-commerce for how scheduling works across a catalog.
Measure Sales From Pinterest
- Pinterest Analytics: impressions, saves, and outbound clicks per pin.
- Pinterest tag: installed by the app, it records events such as checkouts so you can see conversions from Pinterest.
- Shopify reports: sessions and sales by referrer show Pinterest's share of traffic.
Review monthly: make more pins for products and angles that earn clicks, and fix product pages that get clicks but not sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect Shopify to Pinterest?
Install the Pinterest for Shopify app from the Shopify App Store, sign in with your Pinterest business account, and follow the setup. Pinterest's help centre explains that the app can add the Pinterest tag automatically and sync your product catalog.
Is the Pinterest for Shopify app free?
Installing the app and syncing your catalog for organic product pins doesn't require an ad budget. Pinterest ads are optional and paid separately. Check the app listing for current details.
How often does the Shopify catalog sync to Pinterest?
Pinterest's troubleshooting guide says Shopify feeds update every 24 hours and collections sync every 48 hours as product groups. Changes you make in Shopify can take that long to show on Pinterest.
Do I still need to create pins if my catalog is synced?
Catalog sync turns products into product pins, which is a good base. Creating your own pins as well, such as lifestyle images, gift guides, and room or outfit ideas linking to products and collections, gives you more ways to appear in search.
Should I remove my old Pinterest tag before using the app?
Pinterest's help centre recommends removing a manually added Pinterest tag or one added by another app before using the Pinterest for Shopify app, so you don't track events twice.
Sync the Catalog, Then Add Ideas
Catalog sync gives every product a presence on Pinterest. The stores that get the most from Pinterest add a steady flow of idea-led pins on top: gift guides, styled photos, and room or outfit ideas that answer the searches people make before they know which product they want.
Turn your Shopify products into scheduled pins
Add your Shopify store as a source in Pin Generator, pick products, apply pin templates, and schedule the designs across your boards.
Try Pin Generator Free