How to Use Pinterest Visual Search Tool

Pinterest’s visual search tool is one of the most powerful and underutilized features on the platform, transforming your camera into an intelligent search bar. It allows you to find products and ideas using images instead of words, bridging the gap between seeing something you love and discovering where to find it online. This guide will walk you through exactly how to use the tool step-by-step and provide actionable strategies for both casual users and savvy marketers to get the most out of it.

What is the Pinterest Visual Search Tool?

At its core, the Pinterest visual search tool lets you use an image as your search query. Instead of typing "modern L-shaped grey sofa" into a search box, you can simply take a photo of one you see in a store - or use an image you find online - and Pinterest’s technology will analyze the pixels to find visually similar items across its vast library of Pins.

Think of it as Shazam but for objects, style, and aesthetics. The feature is powered by two main components:

• Pinterest Lens: This feature uses your smartphone's camera to identify objects in the real world and show you related Pins. You can discover, save, or shop for items you see on the go.
• Shop the Look / Search within a Pin: This allows you to select a specific item within an existing Pin and find visually similar products. It zeroes in on one element of a larger image, like a handbag in a complete outfit or a vase on a crowded shelf.

For brands and creators, this means your audience can discover your products not just through keywords and hashtags, but through the visual characteristics of your images themselves. It opens up an entirely new path for discovery driven by pure aesthetics and real-world inspiration.

How to Use Visual Search on the Pinterest App (Mobile)

The mobile app is where Pinterest's visual search functionality truly shines, integrating your phone’s camera directly into the discovery process. Here are the two primary ways to use it.

Method 1: Using Pinterest Lens with Your Camera

This method is perfect for when you're out and about and spot something you love, whether it's a piece of furniture in a showroom, a plant in a park, or a friend’s cool pair of sneakers.

1. Open the Pinterest App: Launch the app and make sure you're logged in.
2. Navigate to the Search Bar: Tap the search icon (a magnifying glass) on the bottom navigation menu. This will take you to the main search and explore page.
3. Activate the Camera: Inside the search bar at the top of the screen, you'll see a camera icon. Tap it to open Pinterest Lens. You'll need to grant the app permission to access your camera if you haven't already.
4. Point and Shoot: Frame the object you want to identify within your camera's view. You can also upload a photo or screenshot from your camera roll by tapping the picture icon at the bottom left. Once your object is in focus, tap the shutter button.
5. Review Your Results: Pinterest will immediately scan the image and return a series of visually similar Pins under sections like "Explore" and "Shop.” You'll see direct product links, inspirational photos, and different color or style variations of the item you scanned.

Imagine finding the perfect throw pillow at a boutique hotel. Instead of trying to find a brand name on a tag, you can just use Lens, snap a photo, and find identical options or budget-friendly alternatives online before you even leave the room.

Method 2: Searching Within an Existing Pin

Sometimes your inspiration comes from within Pinterest itself. You might see a beautifully staged room but are only interested in one specific item, like the artwork on the wall. This is where searching within a Pin becomes incredibly useful.

1. Find a Pin You Like: While browsing your home feed, search results, or someone's board, tap on a Pin that contains an item you want to know more about.
2. Activate the Visual Search Tool: Once the Pin is open, look for a small magnifying glass icon located in the bottom-right corner of the image. Tap it.
3. Select Your Object of Interest: An adjustable crop box will appear over the image. Drag the corners of the box to resize it and move it to perfectly frame the object you’re curious about. For example, if it's a photo of a person wearing an outfit, you can narrow the search to just their shoes.
4. See Similar Results: As soon as you adjust the box, the results below the Pin will automatically update with a “More like this” section full of Pins that visually match your selection.

This is extremely handy when you find a lifestyle photo that captures the exact vibe you want, but you need to find the specific pieces to recreate it. You can isolate a rug, a lamp, a coffee table book - anything - and let Pinterest do the work of finding it for you.

How to Use Visual Search on Desktop

The desktop experience is just as effective, though it lacks the real-time camera functionality of the mobile app. It's built for finding items within Pins you discover while browsing on your computer.

1. Navigate to Pinterest.com: Log in to your account.
2. Find an Inspiring Pin: Browse your home feed or search for ideas.
3. Hover to Activate: Move your mouse cursor over the Pin's image. A magnifying glass icon will appear in the bottom-right corner of the image.
4. Click to Select: Click on that icon. An adjustable selection box will pop up on the image, just like on mobile.
5. Frame Your Item: Adjust the box to highlight the specific element you want to search for. For instance, you could focus on a pattern on a dress or a specific type of kitchen cabinet handle.
6. Browse the Results: The page below the Pin will instantly populate with new results of visually similar content, allowing you to go down a rabbit hole of discovery based entirely on the item you selected.

Pro-Tip: While there’s no webcam "Lens" feature on desktop, you can achieve a similar result by taking a photo on your phone, saving a screenshot from another website, and dragging or uploading that image file into the Pinterest search bar. Pinterest will analyze it and provide visual results just like the mobile app.

Getting the Most Out of Visual Search: Tips for Everyday Use

Visual search isn’t just a novelty, it’s a practical tool for everyday problem-solving and inspiration-finding.

• Interior Design on the Fly: See a chair in a Netflix show or a magazine that you love? Take a quick photo of the screen. Lens can find similar styles at various price points, saving you from fruitless text searches like "boho rattan peacock chair."
• Instant Fashion IDs: Spot an amazing jacket but don’t want to ask a stranger for the details? A discreet photo can help you identify the brand or find a strikingly similar alternative (a "dupe").
• Recipe and Food Identification: See a delicious-looking dish on Instagram with no recipe linked? Use a screenshot with Lens to identify the meal and find plenty of recipes to try.
• Gardening and Plant Identification: Baffled by a specific flower or plant you see on a walk? Lens is surprisingly accurate at identifying different plant species and will often link you to Pins with care instructions.

Why Visual Search is a Game-Changer for Brands & Marketers

For brands, marketers, and e-commerce shops, visual search represents a fundamental shift in consumer behavior. People are moving beyond text-based queries and starting their shopping journey with an image. To be discovered in this new ecosystem, you need to optimize your content for visual recognition.

Optimizing Your Pins for Visual Search

• Prioritize High-Quality Imagery: This is the most important factor. Your products must be clearly visible, well-lit, and photographed in high resolution. Blurry or poorly composed images will be harder for the tool to analyze accurately.
• Use Both Lifestyle and Product Shots: Lifestyle images are great for context and inspiring users, but also post clear, clutter-free photos of your products against a simple background. This gives Pinterest’s AI a clean look at your item.
• Don't Abandon Your SEO Keywords: Strong backend data is still critical. Pinterest’s visual AI works in tandem with the Pin's title, description, and board information. Use descriptive, relevant keywords that accurately describe your product’s appearance, style, and use case.
• Enable Rich Pins: If you run an e-commerce store, setting up Product Rich Pins is non-negotiable. This automatically syncs information like price, availability, and your brand name from your website to your Pins. When a user finds your item via visual search, they get all the purchase information right there.
• Ensure Each Item is Recognizable: In lifestyle photos featuring multiple products, check that each individual item is distinct enough to be selected by the search tool. Your hero product should always be the focus, but a user may be interested in the rug it sits on or the photo frame behind it.
• Be Consistent: Maintain a consistent visual identity. The more high-quality images of your products on Pinterest, the better the visual search tool becomes at recognizing and recommending your brand when people search for similar styles.

Final Thoughts

Pinterest's Visual Search functionality transforms every image into a potential doorway for discovery. For users, it's a powerful tool that makes the world around them instantly shoppable and searchable. For marketers and brands, it’s a direct line to a high-intent audience that is looking for inspiration and is ready to buy.

As a marketer or creator, capitalizing on discovery platforms like Pinterest means having a solid content strategy and a seamless workflow. Managing your Pins, Reels, and TikToks can feel like juggling too many things at once. We built Postbase to simplify that chaos. With our visual calendar, you can plan your content across all platforms from one central hub, freeing up your time to focus on creating the striking visuals that get discovered.