Pinterest topic
Pinterest Ad Formats, Video Specs and Setup Explained
Pinterest ads are regular Pins that you pay to place where people are most likely to see them, says Pinterest Help. This topic gathers what its help articles say about where Pinterest Ads appear, which objectives they serve, how video ads are sized and how to create one. No guide in this topic is published yet. Two are planned. They cover how to use Pinterest video to promote your brand and a Pinterest Ads article. The facts below come from Pinterest Help. We have not tried a campaign ourselves.
Pinterest Ads: Where They Appear and What They Cost
Ads surface in the home feed, category feeds and relevant search results of your chosen audience, says Pinterest Help. What you pay depends on the budget and spend limits you set for the campaign. The sources we read state no minimum spend.
Three objectives are current. They are Consideration, Leads and Sales. Leads campaigns drive signups. Sales campaigns drive add to carts and checkouts. The older Conversions and Catalog sales objectives are now legacy. Existing campaigns that use them can be edited until 30 April 2027.
Pinterest Video Ad Specs
Video ads play when they come into view in the home feed. A viewer can tap to see the video larger, replay it or play it with audio. Standard video is the same size as a regular Pin. Max width video spans two columns on mobile. The specs below come from Pinterest Help.
| Spec | Standard width | Max width |
|---|---|---|
| File types | MP4, MOV or M4V | MP4, MOV or M4V |
| Length | 4 seconds to 15 minutes | 4 seconds to 15 minutes |
| Advised length | 6 to 15 seconds | 6 to 15 seconds |
| Aspect ratio | Square or vertical advised | Not taller than 1:1 |
| File size | Up to 2GB | Up to 2GB |
For image ads, Pinterest recommends a 2:3 ratio or 1000 by 1500 pixels. A title can reach 100 characters and a description can reach 800.
How to Create a Pinterest Ad
The route below for a new campaign comes from Pinterest Help. It was not tried on an account.
- Start a campaign In your business account open Manage campaigns. Click Create campaign and then Custom create campaign.
- Choose the Pins Click Ads and select Pins from your boards or make new ones in the Pin builder.
- Review the details Set the ad name and the destination URL. Add tracking parameters if you use them. Mark the ad if it is AI modified or shows an AI generated person.
- Publish The Pins then go through ad review.
Premiere Spotlight for Big Moments
Premiere Spotlight is one of the Pinterest Ads formats. It uses max width video for a product launch or a seasonal moment. It is not bought at auction. Reservations are required and the price is per day. US campaigns last one day and others last one or three days. Pinterest lists 40 markets, India among them. It says campaigns need in house support from an account representative.
What is Still Unconfirmed
The Pinterest Help articles we read carry no dates. They give no prices for Pinterest Ads. Bidding is not explained in the articles we read. We did not cover Shopping ads or Pinterest Performance+. Ad specs and objectives change, so look at Ads Manager and the ad specs before you build a creative.
Where This Topic Fits
This topic sits inside our Pinterest section, next to Claim Your Instagram Account on Pinterest. A guide appears here the day it goes live and is marked Tested or Checked, as our editorial policy explains. Changes are logged on our change log. Namrata Arora edits this section. To look up a term, use the social media glossary or our site search.
Sources: Pinterest Help on ads overview, Pinterest Help on creating an ad, Pinterest Help on simplified objectives, Pinterest Help on video ads, Pinterest Help on ad specs and Pinterest Help on Premiere Spotlight.
FAQ
What size should a Pinterest video ad be?
Pinterest recommends square (1:1) or vertical (2:3, 4:5 or 9:16) video. Length can range from 4 seconds to 15 minutes. Pinterest recommends 6 to 15 seconds for video ads. Files can be up to 2GB. We have not uploaded one ourselves.
Are Premiere Spotlight ads sold by auction?
No. Pinterest Help says reservations are required and that ads are priced per day instead of through the usual auction. Pinterest says availability is limited and to contact your account team.