Pinterest: Tips and best practices

Pinterest: Tips and best practices#

Understanding historical data limitations#

Many Pinterest endpoints are limited to the last 90 days. The only permissible levels for retrieving data beyond 90 days (up to 914 days) are as follows:

  • ADVERTISER

  • ADVERTISER_TARGETING

  • CAMPAIGN

  • CAMPAIGN_TARGETING

  • AD_GROUP

  • AD_GROUP_TARGETING

  • PIN_PROMOTION

  • PIN_PROMOTION_TARGETING

  • KEYWORD

  • PRODUCT_GROUP

  • PRODUCT_GROUP_TARGETING

  • PRODUCT_ITEM

Understanding metric types#

Paid metrics capture direct results from your advertising, while earned metrics reflect the organic interactions with ads as they are shared and engaged with organically across Pinterest.

This distinction is important for:

  • Attribution analysis

  • Understanding true campaign performance

  • ROI calculations that separate direct paid impact from organic amplification

Pin preview and media access#

While not definitively documented, one client has successfully used the pin_media field to extract image file URLs like: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7d/9b/cf/7d9bcf25f8b7299ac44995d13f23202a.jpg

This URL can then be displayed as an image on dashboards for visual reference.

Previewing an image#

To be able to preview an image, you need to collect pin_media dimension.

To extract the image URL from this dimension, apply the following transformation to your data extract:

  1. Instruction 1

    Instruction

    convertx

    Field

    pin_media

    Python Expression

    {pin_media}.replace('{','').replace('\'','').replace(',','')

    Fail on error

    Selected

  2. Instruction 2

    Instruction

    convertx

    Field

    pin_media

    Python Expression

    {pin_media}.split('url:')[1] if len({pin_media}.split('url:'))>0 else ''

  3. Instruction 3

    Instruction

    convertx

    Field

    pin_media

    Python Expression

    {pin_media}.split(' ')[1] if len({pin_media}.split(' '))>0 else ''

Make sure to include all three instructions in one transformation.

Available granularity levels#

The connector supports the following levels of granularity:

  • Advertiser

  • Campaign

  • Ad group

  • Ad

  • Keyword

  • Pin promotion (most common)

  • Targeting breakdowns

Data validation considerations#

Historical data fetching strategy#

When fetching historical data:

  • Check the specific endpoint limitations for your selected report type

  • Use the 914-day capable levels when you need extended historical analysis

  • Plan shorter date ranges for endpoints limited to 90 days

  • Consider splitting large historical requests into smaller, manageable chunks

Performance optimization#

  • Use the most granular level required for your analysis to optimize performance

  • For high-level overviews, use ADVERTISER or CAMPAIGN levels

  • For detailed optimization, use AD_GROUP or PIN_PROMOTION levels

  • Balance data granularity needs with API limitations and performance requirements

Troubleshooting common issues#

Date range errors#

If you encounter errors related to date ranges:

  1. Verify that your requested date range falls within the endpoint’s limitations (90 or 914 days)

  2. Check that you’re using the correct granularity level for extended historical data

  3. Ensure your date format matches Pinterest’s API requirements

Missing pin media#

If pin preview images are not appearing:

  1. Confirm that pin_media field is included in your field selection

  2. Verify that the extracted URL format is correct for your dashboard display requirements

  3. Test the generated URLs manually to ensure they’re accessible

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