How to Product Tag on Pinterest
In this episode of The Simple Pin Podcast, I’m diving into one of Pinterest’s most powerful shopping tools: product tagging. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your inspiring lifestyle images into direct shopping experiences, this feature is for you, whether you’re a product seller or affiliate marketer.
I’ll walk you through what it is, how to use it, why it matters, and how to do it well. Pinterest users are primed to shop (83% have made a purchase based on branded content), and this tool helps bridge the gap between curiosity and conversion.
What Is Product Tagging
With product tagging on Pinterest, you can make any image pin shoppable by linking up to 20 products (though I suggest fewer for a smoother experience). Think of lifestyle content like a cozy corner with a chair, pillow, and bar cart—all of those can be tagged with links to buy.
This eliminates the extra steps and allows your audience to shop directly from your pin. Whether you’re tagging your own products or affiliate links, it gives pinners that satisfying click-and-buy moment right inside the platform. And with scroll speeds on Pinterest three times slower than other platforms, users are actually pausing to explore and consider.
Who Can Use Product Tagging
Product tagging isn’t just for product-based businesses—it’s also perfect for affiliate marketers. If you’ve got a blog post featuring your favorite garden tools or a roundup of go-to travel gear, you can tag those items and earn commission. But here’s the deal: success doesn’t come from slapping together AI-written posts. People want your perspective. Authenticity wins. That’s why I recommend curating thoughtful content that helps your audience make informed purchases. And yes, official partners like Amazon, LTK, Rakuten, and ShopStyle are all approved for tagging.
How to Use Product Tagging
Using product tagging is surprisingly easy on both desktop and mobile. You just upload your pin, click the “tag” option, and follow the prompts. That said, don’t overlook details like broken links, irrelevant tags, or mismatched images—they’re common mistakes that break trust.
Also, while there’s no need to constantly update pins, consider refreshing seasonal lifestyle photos to keep them relevant. If you’re just getting started, try tagging 10 pins and track their performance monthly using a spreadsheet. Right now, analytics are only visible by visiting the individual pin.
Troubleshooting Product Tagging
One concern I’ve heard is that Pinterest might auto-tag products for you. Don’t worry—unless you opt in, Pinterest won’t automatically add your own tags. However, they may suggest “Shop the Look” items that are similar, unless you turn this setting off at the pin or account level.
At the end of the day, the goal is to create a smooth, trustworthy shopping journey from pin to product. Remember, Pinterest users aren’t loyal to brands—they’re loyal to good experiences. So test, track, and tailor this tool to your business. And if you give it a go, I’d love to hear what you discover—email us at [email protected] and let us know how it goes.
Podcast Episode on YouTube
How to tag products on Pinterest
For more Pinterest Marketing resources around Product Tagging:
Pinterest Help Article: Product Tagging
Note – I mentioned this in the episode and want to clarify –> “if you would like to leverage [shop the look], then you can turn it on for specific Pins.” If you’ve disabled “show similar products” at the account level, you will not be able to adjust the setting on a Pin-by-Pin level. The toggle will be greyed out and you’ll be directed to adjust your settings at the profile level if you want to allow product recommendations. You can still tag products yourself in a Pin if you’ve disabled “show similar products”, so “Shop the Look” will show up on those Pins with your tagged products, but not in Pins where you haven’t tagged anything.
Great info! I always wondered how that works. I have a concern about Amazon, though. When i signed up for Amazon Associates, I read that we could no longer use product images in any form. I think (but am not 100% sure) it included your own products you purchased from Amazon. What do you suggest?
From what I understand, you can use the images if you’re in the Associates program. However, you cannot download, screenshot, or host them on a personal site – you can only utilize them through the Product Advertising API (which may or may not work for Pinterest).
Can you please explain this a bit further? What do you mean this may not work for Pinterest? If you make a pin on Canva that includes multiple products can you use screen shots of the products from Amazon? Thanks for all the help of content!
Sorry for the confusion! Amazon’s terms only allow product images to be used through their official API, which works for websites but not for platforms like Pinterest. So unfortunately, creating pins in Canva using Amazon product screenshots wouldn’t be compliant with their rules, even if you’re in the Associates program.