How to Claim a Website on Pinterest

Claiming your website on Pinterest is one of those small tasks that delivers massive results, turning your profile from a simple mood board into a serious traffic-driving machine. It's a foundational step for any creator, brand, or business looking to leverage the platform's discovery engine. This guide will walk you through exactly why claiming your site is so important and provide clear, step-by-step instructions on how to get it done, no matter your technical skill level.

Why Bother Claiming Your Website on Pinterest?

You might be wondering if this is just another technical hoop to jump through. It's not. Claiming your website is less of a suggestion and more of a requirement for anyone serious about growth on Pinterest. Here’s what you immediately unlock:

• Access to Website Analytics: Once your site is claimed, Pinterest gives you access to a wealth of data you can’t get otherwise. You can see which content from your website is resonating most with users - how many people are saving Pins from your blog, clicking through to your product pages, and generating impressions. This data is invaluable for refining your content strategy.
• Powerful Brand Attribution: This is arguably the biggest benefit. When you claim your website, your profile picture and a "Follow" button will be added to every Pin that originates from your site. This includes Pins that other people save from your blog posts or product pages. It means that no matter how far a Pin travels on Pinterest, it will always link back to you, building brand recognition and growing your following organically.
• Boosted Credibility and Trust: After you successfully claim your site, a small globe icon with a checkmark appears next to your website URL on your profile. It's a subtle but powerful signal to users that you are a legitimate, verified creator or business. In a crowded digital space, that small symbol of trust can make all the difference.
• Unlocking Business Tools like Rich Pins: Claiming your website is the prerequisite for setting up Rich Pins. Rich Pins automatically sync information from your website to your Pins, providing more context. For example, article Pins show a headline and author, product Pins show real-time pricing and availability, and recipe Pins show ingredients and cooking times. They are more informative, more engaging, and ultimately, get better results.

First, A Quick Prerequisite: You Need a Pinterest Business Account

To claim a website, you must have a Pinterest Business account. If you're still using a personal profile, don't worry - making the switch is free and only takes a minute. You have two options:

Convert Your Existing Personal Account

If you have an established following and boards, this is the best route. Simply go to your account settings and look for the option to "Convert to a business account." You’ll keep all of your existing Pins, boards, and followers. You’ll just gain access to an entire suite of business tools, including analytics and advertising features.

Start a Fresh Business Account

If you’re starting from scratch or want to keep your business and personal activities separate, you can create a brand-new business account. Just sign up and select the option to create a business account rather than a personal one.

Once your business profile is ready, you're set to claim your website.

How to Claim Your Website on Pinterest: A Step-by-Step Guide

Pinterest offers a few different ways to verify you own your website. We’ll cover the three main methods, from the easiest for beginners to the more technical options. Most users of platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace will find the first method to be the simplest.

1. Navigate to the Claimed Accounts Section

First things first, you need to find the right spot in your settings.

• Log in to your Pinterest Business account.
• Click the down arrow in the top-right corner of your screen to open the menu.
• Select Settings.
• In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Claimed accounts.

Here, you'll see options to claim websites, Instagram accounts, Etsy shops, and more. We're focusing on websites, so click the Claim button in that section.

Option 1: Adding a Meta Tag to Your Website's <,head>, Section (The User-Friendly Method)

This method involves copying a small piece of code from Pinterest and pasting it into your website’s header. It sounds intimidating, but it’s straightforward, especially with modern website builders.

1. In the pop-up window, Pinterest will offer you three choices. The default "Add HTML tag" option is what we want.
2. Pinterest will provide a unique meta tag that looks something like this:
   <,meta name="p:domain_verify" content="YOURUNIQUECODE12345" />,

3. Click the code to copy it to your clipboard.
4. Now, you need to add this tag to the <,head>, section of your website’s HTML. This section is essentially the "brain" of your webpage that tells browsers important information. Here’s how to do it on popular platforms:

For WordPress Users:

The easiest way is to use a plugin that lets you add code to your header without touching your theme’s core files. A popular option is the "Insert Headers and Footers" plugin. Install and activate it, then go to Settings >, Insert Headers and Footers. Paste the meta tag from Pinterest into the “Scripts in Header” box and save. Alternatively, some themes have a built-in feature in the theme customizer (Appearance > Customize) where you can add header scripts.

For Shopify Users:

Go to your Shopify dashboard. Navigate to Online Store >, Themes. Find your current theme, click the "Actions" button (with the three dots), and select "Edit code." In the file list on the left, find and click on the theme.liquid file. Scan down until you find the opening <,head>, tag. Paste the Pinterest meta tag on a new line right below it and click "Save."

For Squarespace Users:

In your Squarespace dashboard, go to Website >, Website Tools > Code Injection. Paste the Pinterest meta tag into the "Header" box. Click "Save." It’s that simple.

5. Once you've added the code to your site and saved the changes, go back to Pinterest.
6. Enter your website URL into the box and click Verify.

Pinterest will then crawl your site to look for the tag. This process can be almost instant, but sometimes takes up to 24 hours.

Option 2: Uploading an HTML File to Your Root Directory

This method is a solid alternative if you are comfortable using an FTP client (like FileZilla) or your hosting provider's cPanel File Manager. It involves uploading a specific file to the main folder of your website.

1. In the Pinterest verification pop-up, choose the "Upload HTML file" option.
2. Click Download to get the unique HTML verification file. It will be named something like pinterest-a1b2c.html.
3. Connect to your website's server using your hosting control panel’s File Manager or an FTP client.
4. Navigate to the root directory for your website. This is the main, top-level folder and is often called public_html, www, or named after your domain. You should see files like index.html or wp-config.php in this folder.
5. Upload the HTML file you downloaded from Pinterest directly into this folder.
6. Return to the Pinterest verification page and click Verify.

Option 3: Adding a TXT Record to Your DNS (The Technical Method)

This option is more advanced and involves editing your domain's DNS records, which is essentially the internet's address book. Choose this method only if you are familiar with your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains) or if the other methods don't work for you. An incorrect DNS change can temporarily take your website down.

1. In the Pinterest pop-up, choose the "Add TXT record" option.
2. Pinterest will give you a unique value to copy.
3. Log in to the account where you purchased your domain name (your domain registrar).
4. Navigate to your domain's DNS management settings. This might be called "DNS Zone Editor," "Manage DNS," or something similar.
5. You'll need to add a new record. The settings will be:
   • Type: Select TXT.
   • Host / Name: Enter @ (which usually represents your root domain), or leave it blank if instructed by your registrar.
   • Value / Content: Paste the unique value you copied from Pinterest.
   • TTL (Time To Live): Leave this at the default setting (usually 1 hour or automatic).
6. Save your new TXT record. Be aware that DNS changes can take a while to "propagate," or spread across the internet - it could be an hour or take up to 48 hours for Pinterest to be able to see it.
7. Once you've given it some time, go back to Pinterest and click the Verify button.

Regardless of the method you choose, Pinterest will notify you by email once the verification is complete. That satisfying checkmark will then appear on your profile!

What Should You Do After Claiming a Website?

Claiming your website isn't the finish line, it's the starting line. Now you can truly harness Pinterest’s marketing power.

• Set up Rich Pins: Now that your site is validated, apply for Rich Pins. This is a simple validation process that turns your standard Pins into supercharged, information-packed Pins that perform better.
• Check Your Analytics Often: Start monitoring your analytics to see what content from your blog or store is performing best. Look for trends - do users love your "how-to" articles? Your gift guides? Use these insights to create more of what works.
• Promote Your Owned Content: Create specific boards for your website’s content. A "Best of the Blog" board, for example, is a perfect place to house all your top-performing articles. Make sure you are creating fresh, eye-catching Pin graphics for every new piece of content you produce.

Final Thoughts

Claiming your website on Pinterest is a fundamental yet simple process that unlocks a suite of powerful tools essential for any brand builder or marketer. By doing so, you gain critical performance analytics, achieve better brand attribution on all shared content, and establish the trust and credibility necessary to convert browsers into followers and customers.

Once your Pinterest strategy is up and running, managing a consistent content calendar and analyzing performance across multiple platforms becomes the next challenge. At Postbase, we designed a simple, modern social media management tool precisely because we needed a better way to handle the visual-first demands of platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok. It helps us plan our content visually, schedule posts without failure, and pull analytics across all our profiles in one place - all without the complicated menus and outdated interfaces of older tools. It lets us spend more time creating and less time managing.