How to get access to the Pinterest API

Pinterest checks a few basics before it reviews an app:

• A Pinterest business account to administer the app, with a verified email address
• Acceptance of the Developer Terms of Service, which you click through on the My apps page
• A privacy policy that loads fully, is public and sits on a domain clearly linked to your company or app
• A detailed description of what your app does. Vague or incomplete requests may be denied

Sources: Pinterest Developers: Connect app, checked 15 October 2026; Pinterest Developers: Understanding our access tiers, checked 15 October 2026

While logged in to the business account that will own the app:

1. Go to My apps on developers.pinterest.com and accept the Developer Terms of Service.
2. Select Connect app and fill in the request form with your app's details.
3. Submit your request for Trial access.
4. Wait for the email: requests are reviewed each business day, and you're told whether the app was approved or denied.
5. Once approved, open My apps to find your app ID and app secret.

Source: Pinterest Developers: Connect app, checked 15 October 2026

Both tiers can call the same kinds of endpoints. The big differences are rate limits and who can see what you create:

• Apps registered on or after 14 September 2026 may get an HTTP 403 PINNER_DATA_ACCESS_DENIED error when requesting a board or Pin belonging to non-business users without Pinterest's authorisation

Sources: Pinterest Developers: Understanding our access tiers, checked 15 October 2026; Pinterest Developers: Rate limits, checked 15 October 2026

API calls need an access token from Pinterest's OAuth 2 flow. Set up your redirect address first, then:

1. In My apps, select Manage, open the Configure tab and add your redirect URI. It must match exactly when you call OAuth.
2. Send the user to Pinterest's OAuth page with your app ID, redirect URI, response type and the scopes you need, such as boards:read and pins:read.
3. Receive the authorisation code at your redirect URI.
4. Exchange the code for an access token, store it, and refresh it as needed.

• Pinterest's example response shows access tokens lasting 2,592,000 seconds (30 days)
• Apps created on or after 25 September 2025 get a continuous refresh token that lasts 60 days and can be refreshed indefinitely
• After Trial approval you can generate a test token that skips OAuth; it expires after 24 hours
• A sandbox environment lets you make test calls without touching live Pinterest data

Sources: Pinterest Developers: Connect app, checked 15 October 2026; Pinterest Developers: Set up authentication and authorization, checked 15 October 2026

Upgrade when you're ready to offer the integration to users. Your app must already have Trial access and follow the Developer Guidelines, and you need a video of your app completing an action with the API, including the OAuth flow. Even if you're the only user, Pinterest still wants the OAuth recording; terminal or Postman screen recordings are accepted.

1. Go to My apps.
2. Select Upgrade on the app card. It only appears for apps that are eligible.
3. Check the details you submitted before, including your use case and privacy policy link.
4. Upload your demo video and submit the request. You'll get an email once a decision is made.

Source: Pinterest Developers: Understanding our access tiers, checked 15 October 2026

The most common problems Pinterest lists:

• Trial denied: the privacy policy link is broken, private or on an unrelated domain, or the app description is too vague
• Standard denied: the video doesn't show the sign-in flow, the app collects Pinterest passwords or session cookies instead of using OAuth, or the demo shows wireframes rather than a live Pinterest integration
• To appeal a denial, submit a ticket in Pinterest's Help Center and allow a few days
• Each endpoint also has a category limit. For example, creating or editing Pins and boards allows 300 requests a day on Trial and 100 a minute per user on Standard
• Add -v to a cURL request to see your remaining allowance in the x-ratelimit headers, and file a support ticket to ask for a change. Pinterest says limits can change without notice

Sources: Pinterest Developers: Understanding our access tiers, checked 15 October 2026; Pinterest Developers: Rate limits, checked 15 October 2026

Disclosure: this is our product. You may not need your own API app just to post on a schedule. Zolyp publishes approved Pins through one connection to your Pinterest account, and it warns you when that connection needs fixing rather than failing silently. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.