Cookies

Our privacy policy describes how we collect and use information, and what choices you have. One way we collect information is through the use of a technology called “cookies", and similar technologies, such as pixels, local storage and software development kits (SDKs). We use cookies for all kinds of things on Pinterest.

In real life, it’s a delicious baked good. You can find lots of delicious cookie recipes on Pinterest.

But in technology, a cookie is something completely different. When you go online, you use a program called a “browser” (like Apple’s Safari or Google’s Chrome). Most websites store a small amount of text in the browser—and that text is called a “cookie.” Other technologies function similarly to collect data about your browsing activity. Learn more about other technologies in the Help Center. This policy refers to these technologies collectively as “cookies.”

We use session cookies (that last until you close your browser) or persistent cookies (that last until you or your browser delete them). For example, we use persistent cookies to store your language preferences or other settings so you don‘t have to set them up every time you visit Pinterest.

Some of the cookies we use are associated with your Pinterest account (including information about you, such as the email address you gave us) and other cookies are not.
 

We have four categories of cookies: 

• Essential cookies are required so Pinterest works in the way you expect. Examples of these types of cookies are login cookies which keep you logged in as you scroll through Pinterest or search for Pins.
• Analytics cookies which are used for internal analytics and include cookies from providers like Google Analytics.
• Personalization cookies for customizing content, including ads, presented to you on Pinterest. 
• Marketing cookies which are used for advertising Pinterest to you off of Pinterest. 

Essential cookies

• We use essential cookies to remember your settings and preferences, like the language you prefer and your privacy settings.
• Essential cookies let you log in and out of Pinterest.
• Essential cookies are just one way we protect you from security risks. For example, we use them to detect when someone might be trying to hack your Pinterest account or spam the Pinterest community.

Analytics cookies

• We use analytics cookies to make Pinterest better. For example, these cookies tell us how many people use a certain feature and how popular it is, or whether people open an email we send.
• We also use cookies to help advertisers understand who sees and interacts with their ads, and who visits their website or purchases their products.
• Sometimes we hire security vendors or use third-party analytics providers to help us understand how people are using Pinterest. Just like we do, these providers may use cookies. Learn more about the third-party providers we use.

Personalization cookies

• We use cookies to help us remember which Pins, boards, people or websites you’ve interacted with so we can show you related content you might like.
• We also use cookies to help advertisers show you interesting ads. For example, if you bought a tent from an advertiser, they could ask us to show you an ad for a camping stove. You can learn more about the types of information advertisers share with us in the Help Center. If you’d like to opt-out of these services you can do so in your settings.

Marketing cookies

• Sometimes we hire advertising vendors so that we can market Pinterest products on other websites and apps.  These providers may use cookies to provide this service to us. If you’d like to opt-out of these services you can do so in your settings.

We use cookies on pinterest.com, in our mobile applications, and in our products and services (like ads, emails and applications). We also use them on the websites of partners who use Pinterest’s Save button, Pinterest widgets or ad tools like conversion tracking.

There are a few ways you can choose how cookies are used on Pinterest:

In the Personalization section of your settings, you can decide whether we use info from our partners and other services to personalize Pinterest for you or whether we use information we learn about you on Pinterest to market Pinterest to you on other sites and apps. Learn more about your options in the Help Center.

There are also online tools such as Digital Advertising Alliance's Browser Check and European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance's Your Online Choices site which allow you to choose how cookies are used throughout the web based on the device and browser you are using.

Your browser probably gives you cookie choices. For example, most browsers let you block “third-party cookies,” which are cookies from sites other than the one you’re visiting. Those options vary from browser to browser, so check your browser settings for more info.  A list of third-party cookies on our site can be found on our Help Center.

Some browsers also have a privacy setting called “Do Not Track,” which we support. This setting is another way for you to decide whether we use info from our partners and other services to customize Pinterest for you. Learn more in the Help Center.

Finally, your mobile device has settings that allow you to control whether ad partners can use information about your use of mobile applications to show ads to you.  On iOS devices, this setting is called “Limit Ad Tracking” and on Android devices, this setting is called “Opt out of Ads Personalization.”  Learn more in the Help Center.

Effective date: September 28, 2019
Last updated: August 29, 2019