Pinterest API Scraper

Extract data from Pinterest without needing an official API key. Scrape pins, boards, user profiles, search results, followers, and more — with full pagination support and optional cookie-based access to private content.

What does this actor do?

This actor wraps Pinterest's internal API and exposes it as a clean, structured scraper. Choose an action, provide the required inputs, and get back JSON data pushed directly to your Apify Dataset.

Supports 20+ actions across pins, boards, users, and private feeds.

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🔍 Use Cases

• Content research — Search pins by keyword and collect media, descriptions, and engagement stats
• Competitor analysis — Scrape a brand's boards, pins, and follower count
• Influencer discovery — Get user profiles, activity pins, and following/followers data
• Dataset building — Bulk-collect pin images, titles, and categories for ML training
• Social monitoring — Track board updates, new pins, and recommendations

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⚡ Actions

Pins

Action	Description	Required Input
getPinInfo	Raw pin data from Pinterest API	pinUrl or pinId
getPinDetails	Formatted pin with typed media (image/video/story/GIF/carousel)	pinUrl or pinId
getRelatedPins	Pins related/recommended for a given pin	pinUrl or pinId
searchPins	Search Pinterest by keyword	query

Boards

Action	Description	Required Input
getBoardDetails	Board metadata (name, description, pin count, owner)	boardUrl or username + boardSlug
getBoardPins	All pins inside a board	boardId
getBoardSections	List of sections inside a board	boardId
getBoardSectionById	Single section details by ID	sectionId
getBoardSectionBySlug	Single section details by slug	username, boardSlug, sectionSlug
getSectionPins	All pins inside a board section	sectionId
getBoardRecommendations	Content recommendations for a board	boardId
getBoardFeed	Board feed pins	boardId
getBoardSectionsRepin	Board sections with repin data	boardId

Users

Action	Description	Required Input
getUserProfile	Profile info: bio, follower count, website, etc.	username
getUserPins	All pins saved by a user	username
getUserBoards	All public boards of a user	username
getUserActivityPins	Recent activity pins	username
getUserFollowing	Accounts a user follows (requires cookie)	username, cookie
getUserFollowers	A user's followers via GraphQL	userId

Private (requires session cookie)

Action	Description	Required Input
getHomeFeed	Your personal Pinterest home feed	cookie
getBestPinsFeed	Top pins for a given interest/category	interest
getInterest	Metadata for a Pinterest interest	interest
getUserPrivateBoards	All boards including private ones	username, cookie
getBoardPickerBoards	Board list as shown in Pinterest's save dialog	cookie

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📥 Input Examples

Search pins:

{
  "action": "searchPins",
  "query": "minimalist home decor",
  "maxItems": 50
}

Get all pins from a board:

{
  "action": "getBoardPins",
  "boardId": "1234567890",
  "maxItems": 200
}

Get a user's profile:

{
  "action": "getUserProfile",
  "username": "nasa"
}

Scrape board details from URL:

{
  "action": "getBoardDetails",
  "boardUrl": "https://www.pinterest.com/nasa/hubble-space-telescope/"
}

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📤 Output

All results are pushed to the Apify Dataset as JSON records. Example pin output:

{
  "id": "1234567890",
  "title": "Minimalist Living Room",
  "description": "Clean lines and neutral tones...",
  "category": "home_decor",
  "media": {
    "media_type": "image",
    "items": { "orig": { "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/originals/..." } }
  },
  "repin_count": 342,
  "comment_count": 12,
  "created_at": "2024-03-15T10:22:00",
  "board_owner": { "username": "designstudio" }
}

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🔄 Pagination

Set maxItems to automatically paginate across multiple pages.

• maxItems: 0 — single page only (default)
• maxItems: 100 — collect up to 100 items, paginating as needed
• Use bookmark to resume from a previous run's cursor

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🔐 Getting Your Pinterest Cookie

Required for: getUserFollowing, getHomeFeed, getUserPrivateBoards, getBoardPickerBoards

1. Open pinterest.com in your browser and log in
2. Press F12 → go to the Network tab → reload the page
3. Click any request to pinterest.com → open Headers
4. Find the Cookie request header → copy its full value
5. Paste it into the cookie field in the input (it will be stored securely as a secret)

⚠️ Never share your cookie. It grants access to your Pinterest account.

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❓ FAQ

Does this require a Pinterest API key or developer account? No. This actor uses Pinterest's internal (unofficial) API. No API key, OAuth, or developer approval needed for public data.

Does it work without logging in? Yes — all public actions (pins, boards, user profiles, search) work with no credentials. Only private actions (home feed, private boards, following) require your session cookie.

How does this compare to Pinterest's official API? Pinterest's official API requires an approved developer account, has strict rate limits, and limits available data fields. This actor bypasses all of that — no approval, no rate cap, and returns more fields including dominant color, full-resolution images, board sections, and private content.

Can I scrape Pinterest private boards? Yes — use the getUserPrivateBoards action with your session cookie to access boards including private ones.

Can I scrape Pinterest home feed? Yes — use the getHomeFeed action with your session cookie.

Can I get Pinterest followers without an API key? Yes — use the getUserFollowers action with just a userId. No credentials needed.

Can I scrape Pinterest board sections? Yes — getBoardSections, getBoardSectionById, getBoardSectionBySlug, and getSectionPins are all supported.

How do I paginate results? Set maxItems to automatically collect across pages. Use the bookmark field to resume a previous run from where it left off.

Is it legal to scrape Pinterest? Scraping publicly available data is generally legal, consistent with the 2022 US court ruling in hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn. This actor only accesses public data by default. Always comply with Pinterest's Terms of Service and applicable data protection laws.

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⚠️ Disclaimer

This actor uses Pinterest's internal (unofficial) API. It is intended for personal use, research, and data analysis. Always respect Pinterest's Terms of Service and use responsibly.