How to Add Links to Pinterest

Pinterest isn't just an app for finding dinner recipes or home decor inspiration, it's a powerful visual search engine that can drive serious traffic to your website, blog, or online store. Unlocking that potential hinges on one simple action: adding links to your Pins. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add links to every type of Pin, plus strategies to make sure people actually click them.

Why Adding Links to Pinterest Is a Game-Changer for Your Brand

Unlike other social platforms where users are casually scrolling to pass the time, Pinterest users are actively planning, discovering, and shopping. They want to click. They’re looking for the full step-by-step tutorial, the product page for that perfect sofa, or the complete article on container gardening. When you provide a link, you’re not interrupting their experience - you're completing it.

Think of every Pin as a visually appealing doorway. Without a link, it's just a nice picture on a locked door. With a link, that doorway leads directly to your business. This high-intent traffic is invaluable. People arriving on your website from Pinterest are already interested in what you have to offer, making them more likely to read your content, sign up for your newsletter, or make a purchase.

How to Add Links to Different Pinterest Pins

Pinterest has several content formats, and the way you add a link can vary slightly between them. Here’s a breakdown of how to handle each one, starting with the most common type of Pin.

1. Adding a Link to a Standard or Video Pin

This is the classic method and the most direct way to drive traffic from an individual Pin. It works the same for both static images and video Pins. Whether you’re posting a new recipe, a DIY tutorial, or a product shot, this is your go-to process.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Start Creating: From your Pinterest home feed, click the "Create" button in the top-left corner and select "Create Pin" from the dropdown menu.
2. Upload Your Visual: Drag and drop or click to upload your image or video file. Make sure your visual is high-quality and vertically oriented (a 2:3 aspect ratio like 1000x1500 pixels is perfect).
3. Add Your Title and Description: Write a descriptive title that includes your main keywords. The description is your place to shine - explain what the Pin is about, use relevant keywords naturally, and include a clear call-to-action that encourages people to click, like "Get the full recipe on our blog!" or "Shop this look now."
4. Add the Destination Link: This is the most important step! You'll see a field labeled "Add a destination link." Copy and paste the specific URL you want people to visit here. This shouldn't be your homepage a hundred times, it should be the direct link to the blog post, product page, or landing page that corresponds with what’s shown in the Pin.
5. Choose a Board and Publish: Select the most relevant board from the dropdown menu at the top. You can choose to "Publish immediately" or click the clock icon to schedule your Pin for a later date and time.

That's it! When a user clicks on your published Pin, the link you added will be active, inviting them to click right through to your site.

2. Adding Links to Idea Pins (The New Strategy)

Idea Pins (Pinterest's take on stories) have changed. In the past, only certain accounts could add direct "swipe-up" links. Now, that feature is largely gone, but Pinterest has replaced it with commerce-focused features that are just as powerful, if not more so.

Instead of one all-purpose link, you can now add links in a more contextual way through special "stickers."

Tagging Products in Idea Pins

If you have an e-commerce store with a product catalog connected to Pinterest, you can tag specific products within your Idea Pin. Viewers can tap these tags to shop directly.

• As you build your Idea Pin slides, look for the "tag" icon.
• Select "Product" and search for the item from your claimed catalog.
• Place the tag on the relevant area of your image or video.

Using Link Stickers for Affiliate Links

Content creators and bloggers can monetize Idea Pins by adding affiliate links through a dedicated sticker.

• While creating your Idea Pin, tap the "Stickers" icon.
• Select the "link" sticker.
• Paste your affiliate link. Pinterest will automatically format it with the text "Shop" or "Buy" and an affiliate disclosure stating "may earn commission," keeping you compliant with FTC rules.

While you can’t add a direct blog post link here, the message is clear: Idea Pins are designed for driving purchases and direct product interest. Your general website link is always available on your profile for users interested in learning more about your brand.

3. Adding a Link to Your Pinterest Profile

Your profile link is a foundational piece of your Pinterest marketing strategy. It's the destination for anyone who finds one of your Pins and wants to know more about who you are. This should typically lead to your website's homepage, a "start here" page, or your Linktree-style landing page. Make sure you've claimed your website with Pinterest first - this gives you access to analytics and a little checkmark on your profile, boosting credibility.

How to Add Your Profile Link:

1. Go to your Pinterest profile page.
2. Click "Edit profile."
3. Under the "Public profile" section, you’ll find a field for "Website."
4. Enter your main website URL and click "Save."

Now, any time someone clicks on your profile name from one of your Pins (including Idea Pins), they can easily find their way to your site.

Best Practices for Effective Links on Pinterest

Just adding a link isn't enough. Follow these pro tips to make sure your linking strategy is effective, trustworthy, and aligned with what the Pinterest algorithm wants to see.

1. Use Your Own Domain

Always try to link to a website that you own and have claimed with Pinterest. Pinterest's algorithm favors creators who send traffic to credible, high-quality domains. Consistently linking back to your claimed website builds your account's authority and trust factor.

2. Avoid Link Shorteners

Steer clear of shorteners like bit.ly. In the past, these have been used to disguise spammy or inappropriate links, so Pinterest can be suspicious of them. Using the full, direct URL is more transparent and seen as more trustworthy by both users and the platform itself.

3. Keep Your Links Relevant

The cardinal rule of Pinterest linking: the destination must match the Pin. If your Pin shows a "10-Minute Lemon Pasta Recipe," the link should go directly to that specific recipe on your blog, not your homepage or an unrelated article. A mismatch creates a poor user experience, leads to high bounce rates, and can cause Pinterest to penalize your content's reach. Your followers will quickly lose trust if your links feel like a bait-and-switch.

4. Write Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Don't assume people know they should click! Explicitly tell them what to do and what they'll get. Add a direct CTA into your Pin's description.

• "Click the link to get your free printable checklist."
• "Shop our full collection on the website!"
• "Read our full guide to learn how."

5. Regularly Check for Broken Links

If you've updated your website, changed URLs, or removed a product, you might accidentally create broken links. Periodically review your top-performing Pins to ensure the links still work. Leading a user to a 404 error page is a frustrating experience and a wasted traffic opportunity.

6. Disclose Affiliate Links Properly

Pinterest is friendly to affiliate marketing, but transparency is mandatory. If you’re adding an affiliate link to a standard Pin (for example, linking to a product on Amazon), you must disclose it in the Pin description using hashtags like #ad, #affiliate, #sponsored, or #commissionlink. As mentioned, the affiliate link sticker on Idea Pins handles this disclosure for you automatically.

Final Thoughts

Effectively adding links to your Pinterest content turns your profile from a pretty collection of images into a dynamic engine for growing your business. By consistently linking every standard and video Pin and using the monetization features in Idea Pins, you create countless pathways for users to discover your brand, read your content, and buy your products.

To really maximize my Pinterest strategy and ensure I'm getting out fresh, clickable content on time, I depend on a great scheduling tool. At Postbase, we designed our platform with a visual-first mentality. Our content calendar gives you a bird's-eye view, making it easy to plan and schedule weeks of Pinterest content, and reliable publishing means my Pins go live exactly when they should, turning those plans into real traffic day after day.