Pinterest Marketing

Pinterest Catalogs: Complete Setup Guide for E-commerce (2026)

Matt
Matt
8 min read

TL;DR - Quick Answer

8 min read

Tips you can use today. What works and what doesn't.

Pinterest Catalogs: Setup Guide

Connect your product feed → products become shoppable pins automatically.

No manual pin creation. Prices and availability sync from your store.

Create content, post everywhere

Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.

Start your free trial

Quick Requirements

RequirementDetails
AccountPinterest Business account
WebsiteVerified/claimed
FeedXML, CSV, or TSV file
ProductsComply with Pinterest policies

What Pinterest Catalogs Does

FeatureHow It Works
Auto product pinsFeed products → pins automatically
Real-time updatesPrice/stock syncs from feed
Shopping discoveryProducts in Shopping tab + search
Rich dataPrice, availability shown on pins

Setup Steps

Step 1: Access Catalogs

  1. Log into Pinterest Business
  2. Click AdsCatalogs
  3. Click Create data source

Step 2: Add Your Feed

Option A: Auto-fetch (recommended)

  1. Enter your feed URL
  2. Set fetch frequency (daily)
  3. Name your data source

Option B: Manual upload

  1. Upload CSV/TSV/XML file
  2. Name your data source

Step 3: Map Fields

Pinterest FieldYour FeedRequired?
idproduct_id✅ Yes
titleproduct_name✅ Yes
descriptiondescription✅ Yes
linkproduct_url✅ Yes
image_linkimage_url✅ Yes
priceprice✅ Yes
availabilitystock_status✅ Yes
brandbrandOptional
sale_pricesale_priceOptional

Step 4: Submit

Click Submit → Pinterest validates (24-48 hours) → Email notification when approved.

Quick Quiz
Easy

What's the main benefit of Pinterest Catalogs?

💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!


Platform Setup

Shopify

  1. Install Pinterest app from Shopify App Store
  2. Connect Pinterest Business account
  3. Products sync within 24 hours

WooCommerce

  1. Install "Pinterest for WooCommerce" plugin
  2. Connect Pinterest account
  3. Enable catalog sync

BigCommerce

  1. Channel Manager → Pinterest
  2. Connect account
  3. Select products to sync

Manual Feed

id,title,description,link,image_link,price,availability
SKU001,"Blue Dress","Cotton dress...","https://...","https://...","49.99 USD","in stock"

Feed Requirements

Image Specs

SpecValue
Minimum100x100 px
Recommended1000x1500 px
FormatJPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP
No watermarksRequired

Price Format

FormatExample
With currency"49.99 USD"
Decimal49.99 (not 49,99)
Sale priceAdd sale_price field

Availability Values

ValueMeaning
in stockAvailable
out of stockUnavailable
preorderComing soon

Product Groups

Organize products for ads and management.

Create Groups By

FilterExample Use
Category"Women's Dresses"
Price range"Under $50"
Season"Summer Collection"
Performance"Best Sellers"
Custom label"High margin"

Steps

  1. Catalogs → Your data source
  2. Click "Create product group"
  3. Set filter criteria
  4. Use in Shopping ads

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

ErrorFix
Invalid image URLCheck URL is HTTPS and public
Missing fieldAdd required fields to feed
Price format invalidUse "49.99 USD" format
Products not appearingWait 24-48 hours for processing

Feed Not Updating

  • Feed URL returns 200 status
  • No login required to access
  • Pinterest can crawl your server
  • Fetch frequency is set
Quick Quiz
Easy

Your products aren't appearing. What should you check first?

💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!


Optimization Tips

Product Titles

Good ✅Bad ❌
Blue Cotton Summer DressItem #4532
Men's Running Shoes - NikeShoes

Images

  • Multiple angles per product
  • High quality (1000x1500px)
  • 2:3 aspect ratio
  • Lifestyle shots help

Keep Feed Fresh

  • Update prices immediately
  • Mark out-of-stock promptly
  • Add new products regularly
  • Remove discontinued items

Catalog vs Manual Pins

FactorCatalogManual
SetupOne-timePer product
UpdatesAutomaticManual
ScalabilityUnlimitedLimited
Price accuracyReal-timeCan be stale
Best for20+ productsLess than 20 products

Use Catalogs: 20+ products, frequent changes, Shopping ads

Use Manual: Small inventory, custom creative control


Analytics

What to Monitor

MetricTarget
Processing success95%+
Active productsAll approved
Issues0 errors
EngagementTrack clicks/saves

Access Analytics

Ads → Catalogs → Select data source → Catalog stats


FAQ

How long until products appear?

24-48 hours for initial setup. Updates sync within 24 hours after that.

Is there a product limit?

No practical limit. Pinterest handles millions of products.

Do I need to run ads?

No. Catalogs create organic pins without ad spend. Ads are optional.

What if a product goes out of stock?

Update feed with "out of stock". Pinterest shows the status to users.


E-commerce:

Pinterest Basics:

Strategy & Automation:

Tools:

Managing multiple social platforms alongside Pinterest? SocialRails lets you schedule to Pinterest and 8 other platforms from one dashboard.

Was this article helpful?

Let us know what you think!

#SocialMedia#ContentStrategy#DigitalMarketing

📚 Continue Learning

More articles to boost your social media expertise