How to Add a Banner on Your Pinterest Profile

Your Pinterest profile banner is the first thing people see, acting as a digital billboard for your brand at the top of your page. It's prime real estate for grabbing attention and telling visitors exactly who you are and what you offer. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add or change your banner, the correct specs to use, and ideas to make your profile stand out.

What is a Pinterest Profile Banner and Why Does it Matter?

Think of your Pinterest banner (also called a profile cover) as the welcome mat to your digital storefront. It's the large, horizontal image or video that sits right behind your profile picture. While a stunning feed of Pins is essential, the banner is your first chance to make a strong, immediate impression. If a user lands on your profile from a single Pin, the banner contextualizes everything else they see.

Why should you spend time on this? A great banner does a few important jobs:

• Communicates Your Brand Instantly: In a split second, a user can understand your aesthetic, your niche, and your value. Are you a minimalist home decor brand, a vibrant food blogger, or a professional B2B service? Your banner should show it, not just tell it.
• Builds Trust and Professionalism: A blank or low-quality banner looks incomplete. A sharp, well-designed banner tells visitors you're a serious creator or business, building credibility right away.
• Drives Strategic Goals: You can use this space to promote a specific call to action. Are you launching a new product, promoting a free download, or driving traffic to your latest blog post? The banner is the perfect place to highlight it.

One important note: profile banners are a feature for Pinterest Business accounts. If you still have a personal account, you'll need to switch to a free Business account to unlock this feature, along with analytics and other valuable creator tools.

Pinterest Banner Specs & Design Best Practices

Before you run off to create your masterpiece, you need to know the rules of the road. Using the wrong dimensions or format can result in a blurry, awkwardly cropped banner that undermines your professional look. Here are the technical specs and best practices to follow.

Technical Specifications:

• Dimensions: The ideal Pinterest banner size is at least 800 pixels wide by 450 pixels tall.
• Aspect Ratio: This works out to a 16:9 aspect ratio, the same as a standard widescreen video or presentation slide.
• File Format: You can use PNG or JPG for images.
• File Size: Keep your file size under 10MB to avoid upload issues.
• Video Banners: For videos, use an MP4, MOV, or M4V file. The file size should be under 2GB, and the length should be between 3 seconds and 5 minutes (though shorter is almost always better). Videos will autoplay and loop without sound.

Design Best Practices:

Just because you have the space doesn’t mean you should fill every pixel. Great design here is about clarity and impact.

• Mind the Profile Picture Zone: Your circular profile picture sits right in the bottom center of your banner on desktop (and even more prominently on mobile). Avoid placing critical information like text or logos in that spot, as it will be covered up. Design around it.
• Keep Text Minimal and Bold: If you use text, make it short, easy to read, and large enough to be legible on small mobile screens. Stick to a simple tagline, a website URL, or a short call to action.
• Use High-Quality Visuals: This is non-negotiable. A fuzzy or pixelated image immediately cheapens your brand. Use a professional photograph, sharp graphics, or high-resolution video.
• Stay On-Brand: Your banner should feel like a natural extension of your website, your other social media profiles, and your Pins. Use your brand’s color palette, fonts, and overall visual style for a cohesive look.
• Design for Mobile First: More people will see your profile on a mobile device than on a desktop. On mobile, the banner can be cropped differently. Keep your most important visual elements closer to the center to avoid them getting cut off on smaller screens.
• Don’t Overcomplicate It: The best banners are often the simplest. A beautiful, high-impact photo that captures the essence of your brand is often more effective than a busy collage with too much text.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Adding Your Pinterest Banner

Ready to update your profile? The process is straightforward and only takes a minute. Follow these steps to upload your new image or video banner.

1. Log in to Your Pinterest Business Account: Open Pinterest in your web browser and make sure you’re logged into the correct account.
2. Go to Your Profile: Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen to navigate to your profile page.
3. Find the Edit Icon: Hover your mouse over the banner area (the large space at the top). A small pencil icon will appear in the bottom-right corner of the banner space. Click it.
4. Upload Your New Banner: A window will pop up allowing you to choose a file from your computer. Select the image or video file you created.
5. Adjust and Position (If Needed): Pinterest may give you the option to slightly reposition your banner image. Drag it until you are happy with the placement.
6. Save Your Changes: Once you're satisfied, click the "Done" or "Save" button. Your new banner will now be live on your profile!

That’s it! Your profile is now instantly more professional and visually appealing.

Creative Pinterest Banner Ideas to Get You Inspired

What should you actually put in your banner? The answer depends on your goals and your niche. A blogger's banner should look different from a major e-commerce store's. Here are some tailored ideas to spark your creativity.

For Bloggers, Creators, and Influencers:

• Showcase Yourself: A warm, professional photo of you helps build an immediate personal connection. This shows your audience the face behind the content, fostering trust and relatability.
• Promote Your Lead Magnet: Have a free checklist, e-book, or webinar? Create a banner that advertises it with a clear call to action, like "Download My Free Meal Prep Guide!" with an arrow pointing toward your website link in your bio.
• Highlight Your Core Topics: Use text or icons to show people what you're all about. For a travel blogger, this could be "Adventure | Culture | Budget Travel".
• A Video Montage: Create a short, looping video that shows you in action - cooking a recipe, working on a DIY project, or exploring a new destination. This is dynamic and instantly shows your process.

For E-commerce and Product-Based Businesses:

• Lifestyle Product Shots: Don't just show your product on a white background. Show it being used and enjoyed by people in a real-life setting. This sells the experience, not just the item.
• Feature a New Collection: Launching a new line of products? Make your banner a beautiful visual announcement of the new collection to build hype and direct traffic.
• Announce a Sale or Promotion: Your banner is the perfect spot for time-sensitive offers like "Free Shipping This Week" or "Summer Sale: 25% Off". Just remember to change it once the promotion is over.
• A User-Generated Content Collage: Showcase photos from happy customers using your products. This provides powerful social proof and builds a sense of community around your brand.

For Service Providers (Coaches, Designers, Photographers):

• Your Brand Promise: What is the transformation you offer clients? Use a short, powerful tagline like, "Branding for Big Ideas" or "Helping You Find Career Clarity".
• Showcase Your Best Work: A designer could feature a collage of their favorite logo designs. A photographer could use a stunning shot from their portfolio. Show, don't just tell.
• Client Testimonials: A powerful quote from a happy client can be incredibly persuasive. Pair a short, impactful testimonial with a professional headshot of you or an image of the client's results.
• Behind-the-Scenes Video: A short video of your workspace, your creative process, or you talking directly to the camera (without sound) can make your services feel more tangible and personal.

Final Thoughts

Your Pinterest banner is a small detail that makes a big difference. It turns your profile from a simple collection of Pins into a cohesive, branded destination that tells your story and supports your business goals. By using the correct size and applying a little strategy, you can create a powerful first impression that encourages users to follow and engage.

A great banner is part of a larger content strategy where your visual identity is consistent across all platforms. At Postbase, we built our tool around the need for a simple, visual way to plan and schedule content. Our beautiful calendar view helps you see your entire content plan at a glance, allowing you to ensure that your carefully crafted branding - from your Pinterest banner to your Instagram Reels - feels consistent everywhere you post.