How to Verify a Pinterest Account

Seeing that red or blue checkmark next to a Pinterest profile name immediately signals that the account is authentic and trustworthy. But how do you get one for your own brand or profile? We’ll walk you through the entire process, explaining the different types of verification on Pinterest, the specific steps you need to take for each, and the common mistakes to avoid along the way.

Why Verify Your Pinterest Account? The Value of the Checkmark

While looking official is a great perk, Pinterest verification offers several tangible benefits that can directly impact your marketing success. It's not just about aesthetics, it's about gaining tools and credibility that help you grow.

• Builds Instant Trust and Authority: In a sea of content, a verified badge separates your profile from fan accounts, impersonators, and spammers. Users are more likely to trust, follow, and engage with content from an official source. For e-commerce brands, this trust is essential for driving conversions.
• Unlocks Exclusive Features and Analytics: Verifying your account often gives you access to advanced tools. For merchants, this includes things like the shop tab on your profile and eligibility for special content formats. Even claiming your website - a foundational step - unlocks detailed analytics about how your content performs and what drives traffic to your site.
• Improves Brand Visibility: Verified accounts often get a quiet nod from the Pinterest algorithm. Your Pins and profile may appear more prominently in search results and recommendations, putting your content in front of more people. When users see your Pin in their feed, your profile photo and a "follow" button will appear right alongside it, increasing follower growth from your distributed content.
• Protects Your Brand Identity: Verification secures your official presence on the platform, making it harder for others to successfully impersonate your brand and spread misinformation or harm your reputation.

Before You Start: Getting the Basics in Place

Before you can apply for verification, you need to lay the proper groundwork. Trying to skip these foundational steps is the number one reason applications fail or users get stuck. Make sure you have these prerequisites squared away first.

1. You Need a Pinterest Business Account

Personal profiles cannot get verified. Verification is reserved for brands, creators, and public figures, all of which require a business account. The good news is that it’s free and easy to set up.

If you already have a personal account with an established following, you can convert it to a business account without losing any of your content or followers.

How to Convert Your Personal Account:

1. Log into your personal Pinterest account.
2. Click the down arrow in the top-right corner and go to Settings.
3. Navigate to the Account Management tab.
4. Scroll down to "Account changes" and find the option for Convert to a business account. Click it and follow the on-screen instructions. You'll be asked to provide some business details like your industry and website.

2. Claim Your Website

Claiming your website is a non-negotiable step. It proves to Pinterest that you own the domain associated with your brand. This action also unlocks critical website analytics and ensures your profile picture appears on all Pins originating from your site, boosting brand attribution.

This is a technical verification but is often a prerequisite for a public-facing one (like the Verified Merchant Program). We’ll cover the exact how-to steps for this further down the article.

3. Complete and Polish Your Profile

Pinterest wants to verify professional accounts that provide a good user experience. A review team will look at your profile manually, so make sure it ticks all the boxes:

• High-Quality Profile Picture: Use a clear, high-resolution logo for a brand or a professional headshot for a personal brand.
• Compelling Bio: Clearly state who you are, what you do, and who you serve. Use relevant keywords so users can find you through search.
• Accurate Business Name: Your display name should match your website and branding across other social platforms.

An incomplete, sloppy, or amateurish profile is a major red flag and can lead to a quick rejection.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Verified on Pinterest

Pinterest has a couple of different paths to verification, each with its own badge and purpose. Understanding which one applies to you is the key to a successful application. One is for product-based businesses (e-commerce), and the other is for notable individuals and creators.

For E-commerce Brands: The Verified Merchant Program (Red Checkmark)

The most common verification path for businesses is the Verified Merchant Program (VMP). Successful applicants earn a red checkmark badge on their profile and Pins, signaling to shoppers that they are a vetted and trustworthy business. It also provides benefits like exclusive "shop" tabs and better distribution for product Pins.

Step 1: Meet the Verified Merchant Guidelines

Pinterest is very protective of its user experience, especially when it comes to shopping. To be accepted into the VMP, your brand and website must meet their strict criteria. This is where most brands fail. Your website must be:

• High-Quality and Established: The program isn't for brand-new stores. Your website should be professionally designed, at least a few months old, and show clear evidence of sales activity.
• Accurate Product Information: Your Pins must accurately represent the products being sold. Product pages should have clear descriptions, pricing, and availability.
• User-Friendly Experience: Your website needs to be easy to navigate, with no pop-up windows obstructing content, broken links, or slow loading times.
• Transparent Policies: You must have clear and easy-to-find shipping policies, return policies, and customer service contact information. If these are hidden or unclear, you will be rejected.

Step 2: Connect Your Product Catalog

To be a verified merchant, you need to have your products on Pinterest. You do this by connecting a data source, commonly called a product feed or catalog. This syncs your entire product inventory with Pinterest, allowing you to create dynamic and shoppable Product Pins.

You can add your catalog by going to Ads >, Catalogs in your Pinterest Business Hub. Pinterest has integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce that make this step relatively straightforward.

Step 3: Install the Pinterest Tag

The Pinterest Tag is a snippet of code you add to your website. It tracks a visitor's journey and actions after they click on one of your Pins. This data provides you with conversion insights and helps Pinterest see that you run an active, legitimate store. You'll need to install the tag and have it successfully track "checkouts" before applying.

Step 4: Apply for the Program

Once you've met all the criteria above - business account, complete profile, claimed website, product catalog uploaded, and Pinterest Tag installed - you’re ready to apply.

1. From your Pinterest profile, go to your Business Hub.
2. Look for a card or link for the Verified Merchant Program.
3. Pinterest will run an automated check to see if you meet the technical prerequisites.
4. If you pass the check, you'll be able to submit your application for manual review.

The review process can take several business days. If approved, the red checkmark will automatically appear on your profile. If rejected, Pinterest will send an email, often with a general reason (e.g., "does not meet merchant guidelines").

For Creators & Public Figures: The Creator Code & Blue Checkmark

The traditional blue checkmark is reserved for notable accounts like celebrities, well-known content creators, and major public figures. Unlike on some other platforms, and unlike the VMP, you cannot directly apply for a blue checkmark on Pinterest.

This type of verification is granted proactively by Pinterest's internal teams to accounts they deem "notable." So, how do you become notable enough to catch their eye?

Here’s the strategy:

• Be a Prolific, High-Quality Creator: Consistently publish engaging, original content in your niche. Master a specific content format, especially Video Pins. Pinterest is heavily prioritizing video, and creators who produce excellent video content are much more likely to be noticed.
• Build a Strong Following: You need a substantial and engaged audience on the platform. The exact number isn't public, but it's typically in the tens of thousands of followers, at a minimum.
• Establish Cross-Platform Notability: Being verified on other social media platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or TikTok sends a strong signal to Pinterest that you are a legitimate public figure.
• Foster an Active Community: Don't just post and ghost. Respond to comments, ask questions, and build a real community around your content. An active account is a healthy account.

This path is a long-term strategy centered on building genuine influence. There are no shortcuts.

Clarifying a Common Hurdle: Claiming vs. Verifying

Many users confuse "claiming" their website with "getting verified." They are not the same thing, but one often leads to the other.Claiming Your Website: This is a technical step where you prove ownership of your domain to Pinterest. It gives you analytics and attribution. Everyone with a business account should do this.Getting Verified: This is a public endorsement from Pinterest that grants you a red or blue checkmark. It signifies trust and authority and is only given to eligible merchants, creators, and public figures.

You must claim your website before you can get into the Verified Merchant Program.

Quick Guide: How to Claim Your Website

If you haven't done it yet, here's the quickest way:

1. Go to Settings > Claimed accounts.
2. Click Claim next to "Websites."
3. Choose your method. The most common is "Add HTML tag." Copy the meta tag provided.
4. In your website's CMS (like WordPress, Squarespace, or Shopify), find the section to edit your header code. This is often in a "Theme settings" or "Code Injection" area.
5. Paste the HTML tag into the <,head>, section of your site’s index.html file, before the <,body>, section.
6. Save your changes on your website, then go back to Pinterest and press Continue > Verify.

Pinterest will then check your site for the code. It usually only takes a few minutes.

Final Thoughts

Getting verified on Pinterest, whether through the Verified Merchant Program or by earning a blue checkmark as a notable creator, is a powerful way to establish your credibility. Both paths require a professional presence, a commitment to quality content, and a clear understanding of the platform's guidelines. Focus on building a trustworthy brand experience, and the verification will follow.

Once you’re verified, your focus shifts to scaling your content strategy to leverage that new authority. This often means managing dozens of Pins a month. At Postbase, we designed our visual calendar specifically to solve this problem. We help you plan and schedule your Pins and video content - along with posts for Instagram, TikTok, and more - all in one place. Instead of spending hours juggling different apps, we give you a clear view of your entire multi-platform strategy so you can publish consistently and grow your brand.