How the Pinterest algorithm works
Pinterest is a visual search engine. Win with 2:3 vertical images, keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and fresh pins. Saves and outbound clicks drive reach, and pins keep surfacing for months.
By Tayyab, Founder
Where these numbers come from. These are the numbers Content Drifter schedules and formats Pinterest posts against. They are our editorial estimate from public reporting and our own publishing, not something Pinterest announced.
How the feed is assembled
In our Pinterest model, saves count for 5 likes, then shares and reposts at 3 and comments at 2. Bars show multiples of a like.
- Saves5x a like
- Shares and reposts3x a like
- Comments2x a like
- Likes1x a like
The first-hour cliff
Pinterest is checked 90 minutes after a post goes out, 30 minutes after the first hour ends.
90 min
Check point
30%
Stall line vs your median
Saves
Signals read
Our model treats a post below 30% of your own median engagement by then as stalled. Saves count most in that window.
Best posting windows
Our Pinterest curve has 6 posting windows across 6 days, led by Sunday 09:00 to 11:00 UTC at 1.97x a median hour. Monday has none.
SundayStrongest
09:00 to 11:00 UTC
1.97x
Friday
21:00 to 23:00 UTC
1.97x
Saturday
08:00 to 10:00 UTC
1.97x
Tuesday
22:00 UTC
1.84x
Wednesday
21:00 UTC
1.84x
Thursday
20:00 UTC
1.84x
Times are UTC. Each figure is a multiple of a median hour.
Link policy
A link in the Pinterest body carries no modelled reach cost, so yours stays in the post body.
Allowed
In the post body
No penalty
Modelled reach cost
In the post body
Where yours goes
Posting cadence and cooldowns
The queue holds Pinterest to 10 posts a day and 50 a week, at least 1 hour apart. Seven days at the daily ceiling would be 70, so the weekly cap of 50 is the one that binds.
1h
Minimum gap
10
Posts per day, max
50
Posts per week, max
Format mechanics
Video Pin leads on Pinterest in our profile, at +30% against Standard Pin, ahead of Idea Pin (+20%).
Reach by format
- Video Pin+30%
- Idea Pin+20%
- Standard Pin0%
Hard limits
- Formats we publish
- Pin
- Ideal length
- 100 to 200 characters
- Platform limit (enforced)
- 800 characters
- Hashtags for reach
- 3 ideal, 5 before it costs you, end of post
- Images per post
- 1
- Video
- up to 900s, 2048MB
- Image formats
- jpeg, png
Hashtags act as keyword tags on Pinterest. Use 3-5 specific, searchable terms; they reinforce the description, they do not replace it.
How Content Drifter applies this to your Pinterest posts
Each row pairs one of the Pinterest numbers above with what the product does about it.
Pinterest engagement peaks around 09:00 to 11:00 UTC on Sunday, roughly 1.97x a median hour.
An unscheduled post takes the next open peak slot in your timezone. On Pro and up those slots are ranked against this curve and your own posting history.
Best time to post schedulingVideo Pin outperforms Standard Pin by about 30% on Pinterest.
Generation writes for the formats that carry a lift on Pinterest, not one body cross-posted everywhere.
Per-platform publishingOn Pinterest, a post below 30% of your median engagement at minute 90 is read as stalled in our model.
On Business and Agency plans with the boost engine switched on, we run that check at minute 90 against your own median, so a stall surfaces while it can still be acted on.
The algorithm-aware enginePosting more than 10 times a day, or inside 1 hour of your last post, works against you on Pinterest.
The queue honours that spacing when it assigns slots, counting posts you already published as well as ones you have queued.
The queuePinterest posts land best between 100 and 200 characters, against a platform limit of 800.
The pre-publish check names the rule a post breaks instead of handing you a score.
Pre-publish performance read
Recent Pinterest algorithm changes
Only changes a person has reviewed appear here.
We have not published a recorded change for Pinterest since our last check. A person reviews every shift our daily canary flags before it appears here. How we watch for changes.
Pinterest algorithm questions
What is the best time to post on Pinterest?
Our strongest Pinterest window is 09:00 to 11:00 UTC on Sunday, about 1.97x a median hour, then 21:00 to 23:00 UTC on Friday. Times are UTC, and the queue converts them to your timezone.
What does the Pinterest algorithm reward most?
Saves carry the most weight, about 5x a like in our model, then shares and reposts at 3x and comments at 2x. Pinterest is a visual search engine. Win with 2:3 vertical images, keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and fresh pins. Saves and outbound clicks drive reach, and pins keep surfacing for months.
Do links hurt reach on Pinterest?
No. A link in the Pinterest body carries no modelled reach cost, so yours stays in the post body.
How often should I post on Pinterest?
The queue holds Pinterest to 10 posts a day and 50 a week, at least 1 hour apart. Seven days at the daily ceiling would be 70, so the weekly cap of 50 is the one that binds. The queue applies those caps on your own calendar day, not UTC.
Which post format performs best on Pinterest?
Video Pin carries the largest lift on Pinterest in our model, roughly 30% above Standard Pin, ahead of Idea Pin at 20%.
How long should a Pinterest post be?
Between 100 and 200 characters; Pinterest allows 800, which is where we stop you. Hashtags work best at 3 and start costing reach above 5.
How soon can I tell if a post is working on Pinterest?
Minute 90. Our model reads a post below 30% of your own median engagement at that point as stalled, and saves count most.
Every network we publish to
One record, one page, for each of the 9 networks.