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Brands on Pinterest can now promote your Pins as ads, even when you have never worked with them. You do not have to pitch them. You do not have to tag them. If a brand likes a Pin you made, it can put ad money behind it.
That sounds like free reach. It can be. But it also changes who controls your content once it leaves your profile. This post walks through what Pinterest changed, how it differs from paid partnerships, and how to decide whether to keep the setting on.
Key takeaways
- Pinterest now lets businesses promote eligible creator Pins without a prior deal, and you get an email when it happens.
- This is separate from the paid partnership label, which you add yourself when a brand has already hired you.
- You can switch the whole thing off in Settings under Content permissions.
- Pinterest’s own tips for being picked are simple: name brands, make shoppable content, and stay brand safe.
- For affiliate pinners, the real question is whether a brand’s ad still sends people to your link or only to theirs.
What Pinterest actually changed
On October 7, 2026, Social Media Today reported that Pinterest is letting businesses find and boost creator content tied to their products. The key detail is that no sponsorship has to be arranged first.
Pinterest’s own help page states it plainly. According to Pinterest, “Brands can promote eligible Pins that you create on Pinterest,” and “You’ll get an email if a brand decides to promote your Pin.”
So the flow looks like this. You publish a Pin. A brand sees it, likes how it shows their product or category, and runs it as an ad. You find out by email.
Pinterest’s help page does not say whether you are paid when this happens. It also does not list which Pins count as “eligible.” If those details matter to you, treat them as unknown until Pinterest publishes them, and do not assume either way.
What the page does give you is a clear off switch, covered further down.
How this differs from paid partnerships
Pinterest already had a tool for sponsored content. It is called the paid partnership label, and it works the other way around.
With a paid partnership, the deal comes first. Pinterest’s paid partnership page describes it as “a relationship in which a creator creates content with a brand.” You tag the brand when you publish. The brand then approves the tag. The same page notes that you can only tag one brand per Pin and that the tool only works in the Pinterest app.
The new option skips all of that. The brand acts on its own, after the Pin is already live.
| Question | Paid partnership label | Brand-promoted creator Pin |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts it? | You, after agreeing a deal | The brand, after your Pin is live |
| Is a prior deal needed? | Yes | No |
| How do you find out? | You add the tag yourself | Pinterest sends you an email |
| Brand approval step? | Yes, the brand approves the tag | The brand chooses to promote |
| Can you opt out? | Simply do not use the tag | Yes, in Content permissions |
| Where it works | Pinterest app only | Not stated by Pinterest |
The table shows the core shift. Before, sponsored content on Pinterest started with a conversation. Now it can start with a brand simply noticing your work.
Should you leave the setting on?
There is no single right answer here. It depends on how you use Pinterest and what you want each Pin to do.
Reasons to keep it on
- Extra reach you did not pay for. A promoted Pin is shown to people who would not have seen it otherwise.
- A signal that your content fits a brand. An email saying a brand promoted your Pin is useful proof when you later pitch that brand for a real deal.
- Low effort. You do nothing extra. Your normal publishing keeps going.
Reasons to turn it off
- Brand fit. You may not want your face, your style, or your faceless brand look attached to a company you have never vetted.
- Competing offers. If you promote one product as an affiliate, a rival brand boosting your Pin could confuse your audience.
- Unclear terms. Pinterest’s help page does not describe payment or how long a promotion can run. Some creators will want those answers first.
A sensible middle path is to leave it on while you watch what arrives in your inbox. If a promotion lands that you are unhappy with, you can switch the setting off at any time.
One useful detail from Pinterest’s help page: opting out “will not affect any campaigns that you’re already running.” That line is about your own campaigns. It does not say what happens to a brand’s promotion that is already live, so do not read it as a promise either way.
How to switch it off
Pinterest lists these steps on the same help page:
- On the web, click the cog icon at the bottom left. On a business account, click the down arrow at the top right instead.
- Select Settings, then Content permissions.
- Toggle off “Let advertisers promote your content” so it is no longer blue.
- In the app, tap your profile photo, then the cog or the ellipsis icon, then Settings and Content permissions. Tap Turn off to confirm.
Pinterest says the change saves automatically.
How to make brands more likely to promote your Pins
If you decide the extra reach is worth it, you can make your Pins easier for brands to find and use. Pinterest gives three tips on its creator commerce help page: mention brands in Pin titles and descriptions, keep making shoppable content, and make sure your content is brand safe.
Here is what each one looks like in practice.
Name the brand or product category clearly
A brand searching for content about its product needs to find yours. Write the product type and, where it is honest, the brand name in the title and description. “Ring light setup for a small desk” is easier to match than “my new setup.”
Make the Pin useful on its own
Shoppable content shows a product being used to solve something. A Pin that shows a before-and-after, a quick setup, or a short list of steps is more useful to a brand than a mood shot.
Keep it brand safe
Brand safe usually means no shock imagery, no misleading claims, and nothing a family-friendly advertiser would avoid. If you make faceless content with stock footage, check that the footage itself is clean too.
Keep your own links working
Your Pin’s destination link is still your strongest asset. If you run affiliate offers, a bridge page between the Pin and the offer gives you more control. We covered how that works in our guide to Pinterest affiliate links and bridge pages.
What this means for faceless affiliate pinners
Many PassiveOn readers run faceless Pinterest accounts. They use short videos, text overlays, and stock or AI-made visuals instead of showing their face. If that is you, this change matters in two ways.
First, faceless Pins are often clean and generic. That makes them easy for a brand to adopt as its own ad. Your work may travel further than you planned. That is good for reach, but think about whether your account style stays recognisable when it shows up under someone else’s ad.
Second, affiliate income depends on where the click goes. Pinterest’s help page does not explain whether a promoted Pin keeps your destination link or uses the brand’s. Until that is clear, do not count on promoted Pins as an affiliate traffic source. Count them as visibility.
A practical approach:
- Keep the setting on for Pins that teach a general skill, like editing or planning.
- Be more careful with Pins tied to one specific affiliate offer.
- Keep a simple note of every promotion email you get. Over a few months, it shows you which topics brands value.
If you are new to how affiliate links pay out, our explainer on how affiliate marketing works covers the basics. And if you are still deciding whether to go faceless at all, read why faceless content is quietly taking over the internet.
A note on disclosure
If a brand pays you or gives you something of value, the US Federal Trade Commission’s guidance for influencers applies. The FTC’s Disclosures 101 says to “Disclose the relationship if you got anything of value to mention a product.” A brand promoting your Pin without any deal is a different situation, but once money or free products change hands, the disclosure rules come into play. Read the FTC page yourself rather than relying on a summary.
FAQ
Do I get paid when a brand promotes my Pin?
Pinterest’s help page does not say. It only confirms that brands can promote eligible Pins and that you will be emailed. Check the email you receive and Pinterest’s help centre for any terms.
Can I stop a brand from promoting my Pins?
Yes. Go to Settings, then Content permissions, and turn off “Let advertisers promote your content.” Pinterest says the setting saves automatically.
Is this the same as the paid partnership label?
No. The paid partnership label is for deals you already have. You tag the brand and the brand approves it. The new option lets a brand promote your Pin without any prior deal.
Which of my Pins are eligible?
Pinterest uses the word “eligible” but does not list the criteria on its help page. Brand-safe, product-related Pins are the most likely candidates, based on Pinterest’s own tips.
Will a promoted Pin still send clicks to my link?
Pinterest has not explained this on its help page. Until it does, treat brand promotion as a visibility boost rather than an affiliate traffic source.
The bottom line
Pinterest just made it easier for brands to notice and use creator work. For most creators, the smart move is to leave the setting on, watch which Pins get picked, and turn it off if a promotion does not fit your brand.
The Pins most likely to be chosen are clear, useful, and visual. Short how-to videos fit that description well. If making those videos is the slow part of your week, see how Cinemation Elite turns a script into a finished video so you can publish more of them without a camera.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Platform rules and laws change; check the official source linked above before acting on it.