Pinterest CSV Upload: Format, Columns & Limits (2026)
By the PinBuddy Team · Updated June 2026 · 5 min read
Pinterest's Pin Builder accepts a CSV with the columns Title, Media URL, Pinterest board, Thumbnail, Description, Link, Publish date, and Keywords. You can include up to 100 rows per file, and every publish date must fall within the next 14 days. Get those rules right and the import just works.
The Pinterest CSV columns
The header row defines eight columns in a fixed order. Three are required; the rest are optional but follow strict rules when used.
| Column | Required | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | ≤100 characters, and must be unique within the file. |
| Media URL | Yes | A publicly fetchable image URL Pinterest can download. |
| Pinterest board | Yes | The exact name of a board on your account. |
| Thumbnail | No | Leave blank for images; a timestamp for video covers. |
| Description | No | ≤500 characters. |
| Link | No | The destination URL the pin clicks through to. |
| Publish date | No | ISO YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS, ≤14 days ahead. Blank = post now. |
| Keywords | No | Comma-separated tags. |
A sample CSV row
Here is the header line followed by one valid row. Keep the column order exactly as shown.
Title,Media URL,Pinterest board,Thumbnail,Description,Link,Publish date,Keywords Cozy Fall Reading Nook,https://cdn.example.com/images/reading-nook.jpg,Home Decor,,A warm corner with soft lighting and a stack of books — perfect autumn inspiration.,https://example.com/reading-nook,2026-06-10T14:30:00,"fall decor,reading nook,cozy home"
Wrap any value that contains a comma in double quotes — the Keywords field above is a good example.
Limits you need to know
- 100 rows per file. One CSV holds a maximum of 100 pins. Split larger batches into multiple files.
- 14-day scheduling window. Any publish date must fall within the next 14 days; you cannot schedule further out.
- Unique titles required. No two rows in the same file may share an identical Title.
- Image URLs must be public. Pinterest fetches each Media URL server-side, so it has to be reachable without a login.
Common errors and how to fix them
- Missing or blank required field. An empty Title, Media URL, or Pinterest board cell can cause the whole row — or the file — to be rejected. Fill all three before exporting.
- Duplicate Title. Two identical titles are rejected. Add a distinguishing word or number to make each unique.
- Non-public Media URL. Local paths, private links, and expiring tokens fail. Host the image somewhere public first.
- Wrong date format. Use ISO YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS exactly; spreadsheet auto-formatting often breaks this.
- Board name mismatch. The Pinterest board value must match an existing board name character-for-character, including capitalization.
Generate a valid CSV automatically
Building this format by hand is fiddly — one stray comma or a date your spreadsheet reformatted, and the upload fails. PinBuddy produces the exact Pin Builder format for you. Import your own images and they are auto-hosted on a CDN, so every Media URL is public and fetchable. PinBuddy de-duplicates titles, formats every Publish date as valid ISO 8601 inside the 14-day window, and auto-splits anything over 100 rows into clean, sequential files ready to upload one after another. You add captions and pick boards; the export is always valid. See what it does on the features page, walk through the whole process in the full step-by-step guide, and compare plans on pricing — there is a free tier to start.
FAQ
How many rows can a Pinterest CSV have?
Pin Builder accepts up to 100 rows (100 pins) per CSV file. To schedule more than 100 pins, split your data into multiple files of 100 rows or fewer and upload them one at a time. Each file is processed independently.
What date format does Pinterest use?
The Publish date column uses ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS, for example 2026-06-10T14:30:00. The date must fall within the next 14 days. Leave the field blank to publish the pin immediately when the file is uploaded.
Why is my Pinterest CSV upload failing?
The usual causes are a missing required field (Title, Media URL, or Pinterest board), a duplicate Title, a Media URL that is not publicly fetchable, a Publish date in the wrong format or more than 14 days ahead, or a board name that does not exactly match a board on your account.
Can the Media URL be any image link?
No. The Media URL must point to a publicly fetchable image that Pinterest's servers can download without a login, cookie, or token. Local file paths, private links, and expiring URLs will fail — host the image on a public CDN or storage bucket first.