How to Add Tags to Pinterest Pins

Getting your content discovered on Pinterest feels like a puzzle, but adding the right tags is the secret piece that makes everything click. When done correctly, tags tell the Pinterest algorithm exactly what your Pin is about, helping it surface in front of the right audience at the perfect moment. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add tags using Pinterest's modern features, moving beyond outdated hashtag strategies to a powerful keyword-based approach that actually gets results.

What "Tags" Really Mean on Pinterest in 2024

First, let's clear up some confusion. When you think of "tags" on social media, you probably picture Instagram-style hashtags like #homedecor or #DIYprojects. While hashtags still exist on Pinterest, their role has changed dramatically. They are no longer the primary way users discover content. Today, effective tagging on Pinterest is a smarter, more integrated process built around keywords and descriptive data.

Think of Pinterest as a visual search engine, not a social network. Like Google, it relies on keywords to understand and categorize content. So, when we talk about "adding tags," we’re really talking about a complete keyword optimization strategy. True tagging on Pinterest involves:

• Keywords in your Pin Title: The most important signal you can give the algorithm.
• Keywords in your Pin Description: Provides context and secondary keywords.
• Keywords in your board names and descriptions: Organizes your content into relevant themes.
• Descriptive Alt Text: Helps with accessibility and gives search crawlers more information.
• Topic Tags (for certain Pin formats): A direct way to categorize your content within Pinterest’s predefined topics.

Focusing on these elements is what drives visibility and clicks, not just a list of hashtags at the bottom of your description.

Forget Hashtag Stuffing: The New Role of #Hashtags

So, should you ditch hashtags entirely? Not necessarily, but you need to adjust your mindset. On Pinterest, hashtags serve a much smaller, more specific purpose than they do elsewhere.

How Hashtags Work Now

When you click on a hashtag on Pinterest, it organizes results in a chronological feed of Pins that have used that exact hashtag. This is different from a keyword search, where the algorithm delivers the most relevant Pins based on hundreds of factors, not just timeliness. Because of this, using hashtags is best for very niche, trending, or branded topics. For example, a campaign-specific tag like #SummerStyleChallenge or a brand tag like #YourBrandNameHere can be useful for grouping content.

Best Practices for Using Pinterest Hashtags

If you choose to use hashtags, follow these simple rules:

• Use Them Sparingly: Limit yourself to 2-5 hashtags per Pin. Any more looks spammy and offers diminishing returns.
• Be Hyper-Relevant: Only use hashtags that perfectly describe the content of your Pin. Don't use a generic tag like #style if your Pin is about "organic cotton minimalist t-shirts." A better hashtag would be #minimalistfashion or #organicfashion.
• Place Them at the End: Your description should be a readable, helpful sentence or two. Add the hashtags at the very end so they don't break up the text.
• Prioritize Keywords Over Hashtags: If you're short on time, spend it perfecting your keyword-rich title and description. That’s where the real impact comes from.

The Core of Tagging: Your Keyword Research Strategy

Since keywords are the new tags, finding the right ones is a foundational skill for Pinterest success. This isn't about guesswork, it's about using Pinterest's own tools to see what people are actively searching for. Here’s how to find winning keywords.

1. Use the Pinterest Search Bar

This is the simplest and most effective starting point. Go to the Pinterest search bar and start typing a broad topic related to your content, like "living room." Don't hit enter. Instead, look at the suggestions that appear in the dropdown menu. These are actual searches that people are performing.

You might see things like:

• living room decor
• living room ideas
• living room organization
• living room furniture arrangement

These are your core keywords. Now, take it a step further. Select "living room decor" and look at the suggestions that appear for that term. You'll find longer, more specific phrases known as "long-tail keywords," such as "living room decor on a budget" or "living room decor modern farmhouse." These are goldmines because they represent users with high intent and face less competition.

2. Analyze the Guided Search Bubbles

After you perform a search, look right below the search bar. You'll see a series of colored bubbles with words in them. These are Pinterest's own topic suggestions related to your query. If you search for "healthy dinner," you might see bubbles like "Easy," "Quick," "Chicken," "Family," and "Weeknight." Incorporate these modifiers into your keywords to make them more specific and relevant. This is Pinterest telling you, "Hey, users who search for this are also interested in *these* subtopics."

3. Explore Pinterest Trends

The Pinterest Trends tool is a powerful, free resource that shows you how search volumes for different keywords change over time. You can use it to identify seasonal trends (e.g., searches for "fall recipes" spike in August) or discover breakout topics that are gaining popularity. Use this tool to plan your content calendar and get ahead of what users will be searching for in the coming weeks and months.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Properly Add Tags (Keywords) to a New Pin

Now that you have your list of relevant keywords, let's put them into practice. Follow this process every time you create a new Pin to maximize its reach.

Step 1: Write a Keyword-Rich Title

Your Pin's title is the single most important place to put your primary keyword. It's the first thing both users and the algorithm read. It should be clear, compelling, and include your most important search term naturally. A good title balances SEO with human readability.

• Bad Title: Pretty Room
• Good Title: Modern Farmhouse Living Room Decor Ideas on a Budget

The good title tells both a person and the algorithm exactly what to expect from the Pin.

Step 2: Craft a Descriptive, Keyword-Infused Description

Your description is where you can expand on your title and add secondary and long-tail keywords. In a few sentences, tell people what your Pin is about, what value it provides, and what they can expect if they click through. Write in natural sentences - don't just list keywords. Weave them into the text thoughtfully.

Example Description: "Get inspired with these modern farmhouse living room decor ideas that won't break the bank. Discover simple thrifting tips and DIY techniques to create a cozy and rustic living space on a budget. Perfect for anyone looking for affordable home styling inspiration."

Notice how keywords like "modern farmhouse living room decor ideas," "on a budget," "cozy and rustic living space," and "affordable home styling" are naturally included.

Step 3: Fill Out the Alt Text

Alternative (alt) text is a short description of what your image shows. Its primary purpose is for screen readers to describe the image to visually impaired users, but search engines also use it to understand visual content. This is another perfect opportunity to use keywords. Be descriptive and accurate.

Example Alt Text: "A cozy living room with a neutral-colored sofa, rustic wooden coffee table, and a collage of black and white family photos on the wall, showing modern farmhouse decor."

Step 4: Pin to the Most Relevant Board

The board you save your Pin to is a major contextual signal. A Pin about "vegan baking" should go on a "Vegan Recipes" board, not a generic "Food" board. Make sure your board titles and descriptions are also optimized with keywords. This helps Pinterest understand the entire ecosystem of your content.

Step 5: Add Topic Tags (When Available)

For certain formats, especially Idea Pins and some Video Pins, Pinterest gives you an explicit option to "Tag related topics." When this feature appears, use it! Pinterest will provide a search bar where you can find and select from its predefined list of topics. You can usually add up to 10. Choose the most relevant tags that accurately reflect your content. This is one of the most direct ways to "tag" your Pin and classify it within Pinterest's system.

How to Edit and Add Tags to Existing Pins

Don't forget about your old content! You can breathe new life into underperforming Pins by going back and optimizing them with your newfound keyword knowledge. The process is simple:

1. Go to your Pinterest profile and find the Pin you want to edit.
2. Click the pencil icon in the top-left corner of the Pin to open the edit screen.
3. From here, you can rewrite the headline, update the description with better keywords, edit the alt text, and even move it to a more relevant board.
4. Save your changes.

Doing a content audit every few months to optimize old Pins is a high-impact strategy that takes very little time.

Final Thoughts

Successfully adding tags to your Pinterest Pins is less about listing hashtags and more about building a thoughtful, holistic keyword strategy. By focusing your efforts on optimizing your Pin titles, descriptions, alt text, and board selections, you provide clear signals that help the Pinterest algorithm connect your amazing content with the millions of users searching for it every day.

Once you’ve mastered your Pinterest strategy, keeping your content on point across all your other channels is the next big step. We found that jumping between different platforms to schedule video for TikTok, carousels for Instagram, and text posts for LinkedIn was a huge time-drain. That’s exactly why we built Postbase - a single, clean visual calendar to plan and schedule everything. It handles video beautifully and keeps your accounts reliably connected, so you can focus on creating great content without the technical headaches.