Pinterest Data Export
Pinterest's Data Export: What You Get, and What You Don't
Pinterest lets you request a copy of your data. It sounds like a backup of your boards, but it isn't one. Here's how to request it, what's inside, and how to save the actual images and videos.
The short answer
Pinterest's export is a ZIP file of your account data: profile details, board names, pin descriptions, source links and similar records. People who have opened the export report that it doesn't contain the image files. You get information about your pins, not the pictures. Pinterest's help page describes it as a copy of your personal data and doesn't promise more.
That makes it useful for privacy requests or for checking what Pinterest stores about you. It's not a way to keep your boards if your account disappears.
How to request your Pinterest data
On a computer
- Log in to Pinterest.
- Click the more-options icon at the bottom left of the screen and choose Settings.
- Open Privacy and data.
- Under Request your data, click Start request.
In the Pinterest app
- Tap your profile picture at the bottom right, then your profile photo at the top left to open settings. Business accounts tap the three dots at the top right and choose Settings.
- Tap Privacy and data, then Request your data, then Start request.
Pinterest says it can take up to 48 hours to email you a download link. The file is sent through a third-party service called SendSafely. These steps come from Pinterest's own help page, which is the place to check if the menus change.
Data export vs a real backup
| Pinterest data export | PinBoard backup | |
|---|---|---|
| Image files | No, data and links | Yes, full resolution |
| GIFs and videos | No | Yes, videos as MP4 (Pro) |
| Board names and descriptions | Yes | In folder and file names |
| Account and activity data | Yes | No |
| Time to get it | Up to 48 hours | Minutes |
| Pick one board | No, all or nothing | Any board or section |
| Works if your account is locked | No | No, so back up before you need it |
Why links aren't enough
A link to an image only works as long as the image is still online. Pins get deleted, websites go down, and accounts get suspended, sometimes by mistake. In May 2025, Pinterest admitted that a wave of account bans was caused by an internal error, and people reported losing boards and pins before their accounts came back. If all you have is an export full of links, those links are only as safe as the account and sites they point to.
A real backup is the files themselves, on a drive you control.
How to back up the actual images from your boards
Download PinBoard for Mac, Windows or Linux. It runs on your computer, nothing is uploaded anywhere.
PinBoard reads every pin and sorts them into images, GIFs and videos. For your private and secret boards, sign in to Pinterest inside the app first.
Every board gets its own folder. Copy it to an external drive or your cloud storage. Next time, download the board again and PinBoard only adds the new pins.
The full routine, including how often to back up, is in our Pinterest backup guide.
When the data export is the right tool
- You want to see what Pinterest stores about you, for privacy reasons.
- You're closing your account and want a record of your activity.
- You need a list of your boards and pin source links, not the images.
For everything else, especially keeping the pictures, use both: the export for your data, and a real backup for your files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Back up the images, not just the data
PinBoard saves the actual images, GIFs and videos from your boards to your computer, at full resolution.
Download PinBoard for Free