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brand Pinterest
tagline Discover and do what you love
category Social & Communication
website https://pinterest.com

Information Architecture — Pinterest

Overview

Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that helps users find inspiration, save ideas, and shop products through an image-first interface. The IA is organized around Pins (individual ideas), Boards (curated collections), and a personalized Home Feed powered by visual recommendation algorithms. The platform bridges inspiration and action — from mood board to purchase, recipe to meal, design idea to renovation.

Site Map

Pinterest
├── Home Feed (personalized)
├── Search / Explore
│   ├── Trending
│   ├── Categories
│   │   ├── Home Decor
│   │   ├── Fashion
│   │   ├── Food & Drink
│   │   ├── Beauty
│   │   ├── DIY & Crafts
│   │   ├── Travel
│   │   └── [30+ categories]
│   └── Lens (visual search / camera)
├── Create
│   ├── Create Pin
│   ├── Create Idea Pin (multi-page)
│   └── Create Board
├── Notifications
│   ├── Activity
│   └── Messages
├── Profile
│   ├── Created Pins
│   ├── Saved Boards
│   │   └── [Board] → Pins, Sections
│   ├── Tried (completed ideas)
│   └── Followers / Following
├── Business Hub (creator/business accounts)
│   ├── Analytics
│   ├── Ads Manager
│   ├── Catalogs
│   └── Claim Website
├── Settings
│   ├── Account
│   ├── Profile
│   ├── Privacy
│   ├── Notifications
│   ├── Security
│   └── Brand Permissions
└── Shopping
    ├── Shop Tab
    ├── Product Pins
    ├── Shopping Lists
    └── Verified Merchant badges

Navigation Model

  • Type: Top nav bar (desktop), bottom tab bar (mobile)
  • Desktop Top Bar: Home, Explore, Create (+), Notifications (bell), Messages, Profile avatar, Search bar (prominent)
  • Mobile Bottom Tabs: Home, Search, Create (+), Notifications, Profile
  • Pin Detail: Overlay / full-screen modal; "More like this" waterfall below
  • Board Navigation: Grid of boards → tap board → masonry grid of pins within
  • Back Behavior: Browser-like history stack; pins can be deep-linked

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Pin image/video, title, description, link (source URL), creator, saves count, comments → Board(s), → Topic, → Product
Idea Pin multi-page (up to 20 pages), video/image per page, music, tags, step-by-step → Profile, → Topic
Board name, description, cover, privacy (public/secret), collaborators, sections → Pins, → Profile
Board Section name, position within board → Pins, → Board
Product Pin price, availability, merchant, buy link, reviews → Pin, → Catalog
Topic name, related topics, curated Pins → Pins, → Search
User Profile display name, username, bio, avatar, website, verified status, follower count → Boards, → Pins
Collection (Shopping List) saved product pins, price tracking → Product Pins

User Flows

Saving Inspiration

Scroll Home Feed → Tap Pin → View detail with source link → Tap "Save" → Select existing board or create new board → Pin saved to board → "More like this" suggestions appear below → Repeat to build a thematic collection

Visual Search with Lens

Tap Search → Tap Camera icon (Lens) → Point camera at object (furniture, outfit, food) → Capture → Pinterest returns visually similar Pins and shoppable products → Tap result → View Pin detail → Save or shop

Shopping Flow

Browse Home Feed or Search → Tap Product Pin (price badge visible) → View product details, price, availability, merchant info → Tap "Visit" → Redirect to merchant website for checkout → Or tap "Save to Shopping List" for price-drop notifications

URL / Route Structure

pinterest.com/                              # Home feed (logged in) / landing (logged out)
pinterest.com/search/pins/?q={query}        # Search results
pinterest.com/ideas/{topic}/                # Topic / category page
pinterest.com/pin/{pinId}/                  # Pin detail
pinterest.com/{username}/                   # User profile
pinterest.com/{username}/{board-slug}/      # Board view
pinterest.com/{username}/{board}/{section}/ # Board section
pinterest.com/settings/                     # Account settings
pinterest.com/business/                     # Business hub
ads.pinterest.com/                          # Ads Manager
analytics.pinterest.com/                    # Analytics dashboard
pinterest.com/pin/create/                       # Create new pin
pinterest.com/pin/create/idea/                  # Create idea pin
pinterest.com/{username}/boards/                # User's boards list
pinterest.com/{username}/{board-slug}/edit      # Edit board
pinterest.com/{username}/tried/                 # Tried pins
pinterest.com/shopping/                         # Shopping hub
pinterest.com/shopping/lists/                   # Shopping lists
pinterest.com/notifications/                    # Notifications
pinterest.com/messages/                         # Messages
pinterest.com/settings/account/                 # Account settings
pinterest.com/settings/notifications/           # Notification settings
pinterest.com/settings/privacy/                 # Privacy settings
pinterest.com/business/create/                  # Create business account

Search & Filter

  • Search Bar: Keyword search with autocomplete, trending suggestions, recent searches
  • Guided Search: Clickable filter bubbles (e.g., "modern" "minimalist" "small space") refine results contextually
  • Visual Search (Lens): Camera-based; crop area of an image to search for similar items
  • Search Filters: Pins / Boards / Profiles toggle; aspect ratio, color filter for design searches
  • Shop Filter: Filter by price range, brand, availability, verified merchant
  • Board Search: Search within a specific board's pins
  • Home Feed Tuning: "Hide" or "See fewer like this" to adjust algorithmic recommendations

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Behavior
Mobile (< 768px) 2-column masonry grid; bottom tab bar; full-screen pin detail; swipe to browse
Tablet (768–1024px) 3–4 column masonry grid; bottom tab bar; split view for boards
Desktop (1024–1440px) 5–6 column masonry grid; top nav bar; pin detail as centered overlay modal
Large Desktop (> 1440px) 7+ column masonry grid; wider pin modal with side panel for "More like this"
Web (logged out) Full-screen pin preview with signup wall after scroll threshold

Access Control

Role Capabilities
Anonymous Visitor View pins (limited), search; prompted to sign up after a few interactions
Registered User Save pins, create boards, follow users/topics, comment, message, shop
Creator Account All user features + Idea Pins analytics, audience insights, claim website
Business Account All creator features + Ads Manager, catalog upload, conversion tracking, Shopping API
Board Collaborator Add/remove pins on shared board; cannot delete the board itself
Verified Merchant Blue checkmark on product pins, "Verified Merchant" badge, Shop tab eligibility
Advertiser Create promoted pins, set targeting, manage campaigns and budgets

Pin Types

Type Content Features
Standard Pin Single image + link + description Save, share, click-through to source
Idea Pin Multi-page (up to 20) stories Video, music, tagged products, step-by-step
Product Pin Image + price + availability Buy button, merchant info, price tracking
Video Pin Video (up to 15 min) Autoplay in feed, engagement metrics
Rich Pin Enhanced metadata from website Article (headline, author), Recipe (ingredients, time), Product (price, stock)
Try-On Pin AR-enabled product preview Virtual try-on for makeup, accessories (Lens)
Collection Pin Group of products in one image Click hotspots to view individual products

Algorithm & Ranking

  • Home feed: Personalized based on followed topics, saved pins, engaged-with content, and similar users
  • Related pins: Visual similarity + engagement patterns + same source domain
  • Search ranking: Keyword relevance + pin quality (saves, clicks) + freshness + pinner trust score
  • Guided search bubbles: Contextual refinements (e.g., search "living room" → bubbles: "modern", "small", "boho", "farmhouse")
  • Taste graph: Pinterest's proprietary interest mapping; clusters users by aesthetic preferences

Visual Search (Lens)

  • Crop search: Select a region of any pin or photo → find visually similar items
  • Camera search: Point camera at real-world object → matching pins and products
  • Shop the look: Identify multiple items in an outfit or room → individual product links
  • Skin tone range: Beauty results adjusted to match user's skin tone
  • AR Try-On: Virtually apply lipstick, eyeshadow, furniture placement

Advertising

Ad Format Description
Standard Pins Promoted pins in feeds and search results
Video Pins Promoted video content (autoplay)
Carousel Pins Multi-image swipeable ads (up to 5 images)
Shopping Ads Promoted product pins with price and availability
Collection Ads Hero image/video + product grid below
Idea Ads Sponsored Idea Pins with brand partnership

Creator Tools

Tool Description
Idea Pin analytics Views, saves, clicks, profile visits per Idea Pin
Audience insights Follower demographics, interests, engagement patterns
Claimed accounts Link website, Instagram, Etsy, YouTube for attribution
Rich Pins Auto-sync metadata from website (article, recipe, product)
Pin scheduling Schedule pins for optimal posting times
Trends tool See trending searches by region and category
Analytics dashboard Total impressions, engagements, audience growth

Board Organization

  • Board sections: Subdivide boards into sections (e.g., "Living Room" board → sections: "Furniture", "Lighting", "Art")
  • Secret boards: Private boards not visible on profile or in search
  • Collaborative boards: Invite others to pin; useful for shared planning (wedding, renovation)
  • Board covers: Custom cover pin for visual organization on profile
  • Board notes: Description text for context on the board's purpose
  • Archive boards: Hide boards from profile without deleting