Pinterest ad titles allow up to 100 characters, but only 40 characters are visible in the feed (30 for CJK languages). Descriptions can be up to 800 characters, but here’s the critical insight most advertisers miss: Pinterest ad descriptions are used for algorithmic targeting only—they don’t display to users. This means your description is essentially keyword metadata for the algorithm, not copy for human readers.

This guide covers character limits for all Pinterest ad formats with optimization strategies for each field.

Pinterest Ads Character Limits Overview

Critical distinction: Unlike other ad platforms, Pinterest ad descriptions don’t appear to users. They’re used for algorithmic targeting and interest matching.

Standard Image and Video Ads

Standard pins are Pinterest’s foundational ad format. They appear in home feeds, search results, and related pins sections.

Character Specifications

Title Strategy (100 chars max, 40 visible)

The 40-character rule: Users only see approximately 40 characters of your title in the feed. Everything after that is truncated with ellipsis.

Effective title structure:

[Primary benefit/keyword in 40 chars] [Supporting detail up to 100]

Example titles:

Good (front-loaded):

• “Easy 15-Min Dinner Recipes | Quick Weeknight Meals” (51 chars)
  • Visible: “Easy 15-Min Dinner Recipes | Quick Week…”
• “Modern Living Room Ideas | Small Space Design” (46 chars)
  • Visible: “Modern Living Room Ideas | Small Space D…”

Poor (important info truncated):

• “The Ultimate Guide to Creating Beautiful, Pinterest-Worthy Recipes” (67 chars)
  • Visible: “The Ultimate Guide to Creating Beautiful…”

Description Strategy (800 chars, not displayed)

Key insight: Descriptions are invisible to users but crucial for Pinterest’s ad targeting algorithm.

Use descriptions for:

• Keyword loading (interest matching)
• Audience targeting signals
• Category associations
• Seasonal and trending terms

Example description (algorithm-optimized):

easy dinner recipes quick meals weeknight cooking 30 minute dinners
family meals healthy dinner ideas simple recipes budget cooking
meal prep ideas chicken recipes vegetarian dinners pasta dishes
one pot meals sheet pan dinners slow cooker recipes instant pot meals

This keyword-dense approach helps Pinterest’s algorithm match your ad to relevant users, even though no human will read it.

Image and Video Specifications

Carousel Ads

Carousel ads let you showcase 2-5 images in a swipeable format, ideal for product collections, step-by-step tutorials, or multiple product angles.

Character Specifications

Carousel-Specific Strategies

Card sequencing:

Option 1 - Story arc:

• Card 1: Problem or hook
• Card 2-3: Solution or process
• Card 4-5: Result or CTA

Option 2 - Product showcase:

• Card 1: Hero product
• Cards 2-4: Variations or details
• Card 5: Collection or CTA

Title consistency: Keep titles related across cards while front-loading each one. Users may swipe starting from any card.

Example carousel titles (45 chars each, comfortably visible):

• Card 1: “Living Room Before: Dark and Cramped Space”
• Card 2: “Paint Selection: Light Neutral Palette”
• Card 3: “Furniture Rearrangement: Open Floor Plan”
• Card 4: “Living Room After: Bright and Spacious”

When to Use Carousels

Best for:

• Product collections (show variety)
• Before/after transformations
• Step-by-step tutorials
• Multiple angles of one product
• Color or style variations

Avoid for:

• Single products without variations
• Simple messages (use standard pin)
• Content that requires specific viewing order

Idea Ads (Story-Style Format)

Idea Ads are Pinterest’s immersive, multi-page format similar to Stories on other platforms. They’re designed for creators and brands to share detailed, engaging content.

Character Specifications

Page-by-Page Strategy

250 characters per page requires concise, impactful messaging.

Page structure template:

Page 1: Hook/intro (use full 250 chars)
Pages 2-4: Key content points
Page 5+: Details, tips, CTA

Example Idea Ad (recipe):

Page 1 (245 chars): “This garlic butter chicken recipe takes just 20 minutes and uses ingredients you already have. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want something delicious without the effort. Let me show you how simple it is.”

Page 2 (180 chars): “Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts, 4 tbsp butter, 6 garlic cloves, fresh herbs, lemon juice. That’s it. Simple ingredients, restaurant-quality results.”

Page 3 (200 chars): “Step 1: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear in hot pan 4 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside. The key is high heat for that perfect crust.”

Idea Ads Best Practices

Do:

• Use first page as a strong hook
• Mix video and static images for variety
• Keep text readable (not too small)
• End with clear CTA

Don’t:

• Front-load all text on page one
• Use text that competes with visuals
• Create more pages than necessary
• Forget mobile-first design

Quiz Ads

Quiz Ads are Pinterest’s interactive format that lets users answer questions and receive personalized results. They’re particularly effective for product recommendations and engagement.

Character Specifications

Quiz Structure Strategy

96-character questions require tight writing. Get to the point immediately.

Effective question formats:

• “What’s your home style?” (24 chars)
• “Which colors do you love?” (26 chars)
• “What’s your biggest skincare concern?” (38 chars)
• “How much time do you have for dinner prep?” (43 chars)

48-character answer options are even tighter. Use clear, scannable choices.

Example quiz (skincare brand):

Title (85 chars): “Find Your Perfect Skincare Routine | Take Our 30-Second Quiz”

Question 1 (45 chars): “What’s your biggest skin concern right now?”

• Answer A: “Dryness and flaking” (20 chars)
• Answer B: “Oily skin and shine” (20 chars)
• Answer C: “Fine lines and wrinkles” (24 chars)
• Answer D: “Uneven skin tone” (17 chars)

Question 2 (35 chars): “How much time for your routine?”

• Answer A: “Under 5 minutes” (15 chars)
• Answer B: “5-10 minutes” (12 chars)
• Answer C: “10-15 minutes” (13 chars)
• Answer D: “15+ minutes” (11 chars)

Quiz Ads Best Practices

Questions:

• Keep questions under 50 characters when possible
• Make questions easy to answer quickly
• Use relatable, personal language
• Avoid jargon or technical terms

Answers:

• Offer 3-4 distinct options
• Make each answer clearly different
• Keep answers parallel in structure
• Avoid overlapping choices

Shopping and Collection Ads

Shopping Ads and Collection Ads pull data from your product catalog, but you can optimize titles and descriptions for better performance.

Shopping Ads

Product feed optimization:

• Front-load product name in first 40 characters
• Include key attributes (size, color, material)
• Use description for keyword loading (not displayed)

Collection Ads

Collection strategy:

• Hero image: Lifestyle shot showing product in use
• Secondary images: Individual product shots
• Title: Focus on collection theme, not individual items

Description Optimization for Algorithm Targeting

Since Pinterest ad descriptions don’t display to users, you should optimize them purely for Pinterest’s targeting algorithm.

Keyword Research Methods

Pinterest search suggestions:

1. Type your product keyword in Pinterest search
2. Note autocomplete suggestions
3. Check “Related searches” at bottom
4. Include these in your description

Pinterest Trends:

1. Visit trends.pinterest.com
2. Research seasonal and rising terms
3. Add trending keywords to descriptions

Competitor analysis:

1. Search your product category
2. Note which ads appear
3. Research their keyword patterns

Description Structure for Algorithm

Recommended approach: Keyword clusters organized by theme

Example (fitness brand):

home workout equipment fitness gear exercise home gym strength training
resistance bands dumbbells kettlebells yoga mat workout accessories
beginner fitness weight loss muscle building toning exercises
small space workout apartment fitness compact gym equipment portable
morning routine fitness goals new year resolution healthy lifestyle

Categories covered:

• Product terms
• Use cases
• Audience descriptors
• Seasonal/trending terms
• Related interests

Keyword Density Guidelines

Do:

• Include 40-60 relevant keywords
• Group by theme for organization
• Update seasonally (add trending terms)
• Include long-tail variations

Don’t:

• Stuff completely unrelated keywords
• Use competitor brand names
• Include misleading terms
• Repeat the same keyword excessively

Best Practices Across All Formats

Title Writing Rules

The 40-character mandate: Every title should make complete sense in its first 40 characters. The remaining 60 characters are bonus context, not essential information.

Title checklist:

• Primary keyword in first 40 characters
• Benefit or value clear
• No fluff words at the start (“The Ultimate,” “Amazing”)
• Numbers work well (“5 Easy,” “30 Minute”)

Mobile-First Considerations

95% of Pinterest users access via mobile. All your ad content should be designed for small screens first.

Mobile optimization:

• Larger text on images
• High contrast colors
• Simple, uncluttered visuals
• Tap-friendly elements

CJK Language Considerations

For Chinese, Japanese, and Korean advertisers, the visible title limit drops from 40 to 30 characters. Plan accordingly:

A/B Testing Strategy

Test these elements:

• Title variations (different first 40 characters)
• Description keyword sets
• Image styles (lifestyle vs. product)
• CTA approaches

Measurement:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Save rate
• Conversion rate
• Cost per action

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don’t Pinterest ad descriptions show to users?

Pinterest uses descriptions for algorithmic targeting and interest matching. The platform matches your keywords to user interests to determine who sees your ad, but the description text itself never appears in the ad unit.

What’s the most important character limit for Pinterest ads?

The first 40 characters of your title. This is the only text guaranteed to be visible in the feed. Everything else (remaining title, description) is either truncated or hidden.

Should I use hashtags in Pinterest ad descriptions?

No. Since descriptions don’t display and are used only for targeting, hashtags serve no purpose. Use space for keywords instead.

How do Pinterest ad character limits compare to organic pins?

Organic pins allow 500-character descriptions (with 50-60 visible), while ads allow 800 characters (with 0 visible). Organic pin descriptions display to users; ad descriptions do not.

Do spaces count toward character limits?

Yes, spaces count toward all Pinterest character limits, including titles and descriptions.

What’s the difference between Idea Ads and Idea Pins?

Idea Pins are organic content from creators. Idea Ads are the paid version that can be promoted to reach more users. They share the same format (multi-page, 250 chars per page) but Idea Ads appear as sponsored content.

Key Takeaways

• Pinterest ad titles max at 100 characters, but only 40 characters are visible (30 for CJK languages)
• Ad descriptions (up to 800 characters) don’t display to users—they’re used for algorithm targeting only
• Optimize descriptions with keyword clusters for better targeting, not human-readable copy
• Carousel Ads share a single 800-character description across 2-5 images
• Idea Ads allow 250 characters per page across up to 20 pages
• Quiz Ads limit questions to 96 characters and answers to 48 characters
• Mobile-first design is essential—95% of Pinterest users are on mobile

Conclusion

Pinterest ads have a unique approach to character limits: titles matter for users (40 visible characters), while descriptions matter for the algorithm (800 characters, never displayed). This means you should write titles for humans and descriptions for keyword targeting. Front-load your titles with the most important information, and treat descriptions as a keyword database for Pinterest’s interest-matching system. Try our free letter counter → to verify your Pinterest ad titles fit within the visible 40-character threshold before launching your campaign.